14. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota) - Jalil Bethea, F, Miami
With how the Utah Jazz have looked this season, it's certainly not a bad thing that they could end up with two selections inside the lottery of the 2025 NBA Draft. Heading into the offseason, especially if they do end up embracing the label of the seller at the trade deadline, I would expect the Jazz to place a high priority on trying to find a couple of high-ceiling prospects near the top of this draft class. Without any certainty on any other player on their roster not named Lauri Markkanen, this is a team that is essentially working from the ground up.
After taking a flier on guard who could completely change the outlook for their backcourt, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jazz looked to find help on the wing. Despite the trade rumors, the Jazz isn't in a terrible place in terms of the frontcourt. Assuming they don't end up moving on from Walker Kessler, I do believe that Utah should have more of a need to find a versatile wing player who does have some star potential in the future. One prospect that could make sense for Utah at this point in the lottery is Jalil Bethea.
Why Jalil Bethea makes sense for the Jazz
Bethea, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard out of Miami, could be a nice fit for the Jazz for a multiple of reasons. For one, he does possess plenty of talent that I'm not sure is best showcased with the Hurricanes. Most highly-touted players in this draft class are still very much in the early stages of their development and aren't likely to truly blossom as prospects until they find their way to pro coaches. I do believe Bethea is very much a player who can fall into that category as he prepares to make the jump to the NBA.
Bethea isn't seeing the floor much during the first few games of his freshman season at Miami, averaging just six points on 39 percent shooting from the field overall. It admittedly hasn't been a great start to his career for Bethea but we also must remember that he's still growing into his talent. And the jump from the high school level to college is not all that seamless for every prospect. With this pick, the Jazz would be believing in the long-term potential of Bethea.