9. Utah Jazz – Jarace Walker, F, Houston
The Utah Jazz are another team that will be entering the 2023 NBA Draft with plenty of flexibility, especially considering that they will be equipped with three first-round picks. With the No. 9 pick, it would not be all that surprising if the Jazz elected to move up or down or stay put. In the early stages of their rebuild, nearly every prospect will be in play for the Jazz as well.
One player that they could end up targeting is Jarace Walker, who is talented enough to be drafted in the top 5 but because of a nagging injury, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he fell nearly outside the top 10. He’d be a fit next to Kessler Walker on the Jazz and could emerge as a foundational building block (assuming he develops as many believe he could) for the team moving forward.
Walker did a bit of everything during his freshman season at Houston and emerged as one of the most versatile defenders in college basketball. If his offensive game catches up quickly, he could be a really good player for the Jazz down the line.