9. Utah Jazz taking three starting caliber prospects in the first round
Equipped with three first-round picks heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, there was no guarantee that the Utah Jazz were going to make all those selections. Many pinpointed the Jazz as a team that would perhaps package some of those picks together in an attempt to move up or down, or even to acquire a veteran or young established player. That didn’t exactly happen. Instead, the Jazz decided to keep the picks and roll the dice on a few talented prospects.
During the NBA Draft, the Jazz came away with Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh as those three first-round picks. What I love most about the decision to keep the picks is that the Jazz took gambles on players that you wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up being starters in the NBA over the course of their careers.
Hendricks was one of the late risers in this year’s NBA Draft class, George is arguably a top 10 talent that was taken outside the top 10, and Sensabaugh has the potential to be a good scorer in the NBA.
The Jazz are very much still in the early stages of a rebuild, but they’re putting together quite the foundation.