6. Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas
Best team fit: Utah Jazz
Many believed that the Utah Jazz was going to be one of the worst teams in the league this season and even possibly historically bad. However, that wasn’t the case. And there was a time this season when it looked like the Jazz was going to defy the odds and make the playoffs. That isn’t likely going to happen and the Jazz will find themselves in the lottery, likely with a top-10 pick.
One prospect that would make a lot of sense for the Jazz is Nick Smith Jr. Coming out of high school, Smith was one of the most highly-touted prospects. However, an injury kind of threw his freshman season off at Arkansas. Since his return, though, he’s flashed that potential that got him ranked, at one point, as the No. 1 high school prospect in the 2023 class.
The Jazz should look at that potential and what he’s been able to do during his short time on the floor this season in Arkansas and jump at the opportunity to select him in the top 10. He would be a good player that the team could begin to build with moving forward.