5 Rebuilding teams that took massive steps forward at the 2023 NBA Draft

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NBA Draft prospect Taylor Hendricks (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports) /

Utah Jazz

Draft selections: Taylor Hendricks (9th overall), Keyonte George (16th overall), Brice Sensabaugh (28th overall)

With three first-round selections in the 2023 NBA Draft, there was a chance that the Utah Jazz would package a couple of them to move up. In the end, that didn’t happen and the Jazz tried to make the most out of their situation, and I believe they did. Utah took three fairly high-ceiling gambles with each of their three first-round picks. For a team in the early stages of a rebuild, that’s exactly how they should be drafting.

The Jazz took Taylor Hendricks No. 9 overall and he should be an intriguing developmental player next to Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen. Hendricks is just scratching the surface of the player he can be, and it’s already looking promising for him. Keyonte George is a bucket-getter that could theoretically replace Jordan Clarkson in the event that he leaves in free agency.

And I don’t think we should gloss over Brice Sensabaugh at No. 28. He’s an intriguing wing player that has the ability to shoot the lights out from deep. The Jazz have now a collection of young players that they can truly start setting a foundation with.