NBA Insiders Amin Elhassan and Bradford Doolittle break down the draft profile, needs and potential picks of the 14 teams eligible for the NBA draft lottery this year. With some help from Chad Ford's Big Board, we take a look at the Utah Jazz.
Personnel needs: PG, Stretch PF/C
Major need: Utah might have the most complete starting five out of all of the lottery teams, but lack depth across the board and, specifically, a true rotation stretch big (sorry, Trevor Booker) who can come in off the bench and play alongside either Derrick Favors or Rudy Gobert.
Quiet need: The point guard position is still shaky; Dante Exum is still a newborn baby deer trying to find his legs, and Trey Burke is good enough to back up a good point guard, but not quite good enough to serve as a counterbalance to stabilize the wild inconsistencies of Exum's play.
Not a need: Alec Burks and Gordon Hayward form a formidable one-two punch along the perimeter, with Burks being the stronger playmaker off the dribble and Hayward the better perimeter shooter. Joe Ingles was a solid vet in a point forward role for much of the season, while Rodney Hood developed nicely in the absence of Burks (injury) and should be a good third wing in the rotation.
Depth chart
Jobs in jeopardy: Jeremy Evans is a free agent and seemingly never could crack through to regular rotation minutes. Chris Johnson, Elijah Millsap and Bryce Cotton are all on non-guaranteed deals, although Johnson and Millsap each got extended playing time toward the end of the season. Booker also has a partial guarantee, but he's a lock to return.
Don't mess with it: The dynamic defensive duo of Favors and Gobert was largely responsible for Utah's defensive surge that saw them go from the fourth-worst defense in the league prior to the All-Star break to the best defense thereafter.
What free agency could solve
The Jazz can clear up roughly $16 million in cap space if they choose to release all of their non- and partial-guarantee deals. Even without taking that step, they'll have considerable cash to go shopping in free agency for players like Mirza Teletovic (restricted) or Jonas Jerebko (unrestricted).
How they draft
Where they draft well: This is general manager Dennis Lindsey's third draft, and he's done well in his first two cracks at it, stealing Gobert in 2013 for the rights to Erick Green and cash, and then netting Exum and Hood in last June's draft.
Where they don't draft well: Burke has been pleasantly mediocre through two seasons, not bad enough to be considered a complete bust, but he definitely leaves you wanting for more.
Three best fits
Frank Kaminsky (Chad Ford Big Board ranking: No. 13): An excellent shooter and good passer, Kaminsky would be a nice (if unorthodox) fit alongside either Gobert or Favors, who could hopefully subsidize his defensive deficiencies to take advantage of his offensive gifts.
Bobby Portis (No. 17): Portis is the type of player who can fill in the cracks for a team like the Jazz as a big with good length who plays with energy, has a nice touch on his jumper and good feel for the game. He's not NBA-proficient from deep range, but I can see him developing into a solid stretch big.
Jerian Grant (No. 18): He might be a bit of a reach at No. 12, but Grant's a hard-nosed defensive guard with great athleticism and four seasons of experience leading a successful program. For a backup point guard, you could do a lot worse.
It's a good draft if ...
What they must accomplish: The Jazz have reached the stage of their evolution in which fit and chemistry might start to outweigh pure talent and potential. We all saw the massive impact jettisoning Enes Kanter did for the team's performance and morale, so it's important to find the right mix when adding to this core group.
Additional goals: Utah had seven players attempt at least two 3-pointers per game, and only one (Burks) cracked the 37 percent threshold. They've got to do better in that department.