Jazz Insider Hints at a Trade-Up if the Right Prospect is There

It’s a big month for Utah Jazz fans. The time has come when Utah can start cashing in on some of the assets acquired in the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades.

What approach will CEO Danny Ainge take in his first draft employed by the Jazz? Does Utah draft based on positional needs, or does it take the best player available regardless of position?

Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune addressed the topic on ESPN 700's The Bill Riley Show.

“Talent is going to be the number one thing here," Larsen said. “I do think they are going to be very interested in moving up if they can get a guy they really like and think is worth that swing. I don’t think that positional needs are going to be the number one thing on top of [Utah’s] mind. It’s going to be skill-set needs and ultimately just needing talent. Danny Ainge said it in the press conference: ‘We need good players.’ That’s the stage where the Jazz are at. It’s not how we put a good team around Lauri Markkanen. It’s just how do we get more talent on this roster.”

Utah's most glaring needs are at the point guard position and obtaining a forward that can be paired with Markkanen. With the No. 9 overall pick, there’s a plethora of players that could be 'BPA' as well as filling a positional need.

Taylor Hendricks, Jarace Walker, Cason Wallace, and Anthony Black are candidates that could be there for the taking at No. 9. As we inch closer to the draft, the decisions can become more difficult.

Would Utah take a center in the draft despite the emergence of Walker Kessler last season if he was the best player available? Or could Ainge double down by drafting two point guards or two combo forwards with the No. 9 and 16 picks? If you’re truly drafting BPA, these conundrums arise.

Also, do the uncertain futures of Talen Horton-Tucker and Jordan Clarkson have an effect on draft day? On the flip side, would drafting a point guard at No. 9 affect Horton-Tucker’s decision to stay in Salt Lake City?

There are more questions than answers as we dive deeper into the offseason, but what we do know is Ainge is looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s going to be a lot more fun this year,” Ainge said. “More draft picks. More money. Shopping spree.”

Stay tuned.

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