13. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota Timberwolves) – Rayan Rupert, G, France
Looking to take another shot at finding a diamond in this year’s NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz could take a flier on Rayan Rupert late in the lottery. Rupert is much more of a gamble compared to other prospects in this year’s draft considering that he’s coming from overseas, but he’s an extremely talented guard that has a high ceiling that could end up paying huge dividends down the line.
What any team would like about Rupert right now is that he’s going to put forth effort on the defensive end. He has great size and athleticism and has proven to be a difference-making defender already. Assuming that can carry over to the NBA, Rupert already has a solid foundation on that end of the floor.
The big question is whether or not he’ll be able to develop enough on the offensive end of the floor where he can be an impactful overall player. The Jazz had the great fortune of developing another big-time prospect from France (Rudy Gobert) a few years ago and maybe they can strike again by taking Rupert.