Will the Jazz move up in the draft?

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Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge listens during an end-of-season press conference at the Zions Bank Basketball Campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Ainge and Co. will be busy this June leading up to NBA draft. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

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The Utah Jazz did not end up with a top-four pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs for getting the No. 1 pick and the rights to draft Victor Wembanyama.

“I‘m sure we’re gonna have a lot of interesting conversations here over the next few weeks as we get our own internal work done.” Jazz general manage Justin Zanik

But, just because the Jazz didn’t get the No. 1 or even a top pick doesn’t mean they can’t move into the top four.

There’s already a lot of buzz about the possibility of the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets looking to trade their No. 3 and No. 4 overall picks, respectively. Because the Jazz have the ninth, 16th and 28th picks in the first round of this year’s draft and a ton of future draft capital, they will likely be included in any and all conversations that involve trades this offseason, from the draft and beyond.

“I‘m sure we’re gonna have a lot of interesting conversations here over the next few weeks as we get our own internal work done,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said shortly after the lottery on Tuesday night. “And then we’ll really start engaging with teams as they get to build their own boards and know a little bit more as well.”

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That doesn’t mean that the Jazz are definitely looking to move up in the draft, but it does mean that the Jazz are open and willing to hear what other teams are willing to offer.

Even if the Jazz don’t move up from the ninth pick, league sources have indicated that it would be surprising if the Jazz kept all three of their first-round picks. That might mean the Jazz would be willing to trade their lower first-rounders for an already established player on another team.

“Anything is possible,” Zanik said….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jazz-move-draft-170000483.html?src=rss

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2023-05-20 17:00:00

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