3. Utah Jazz - Tre Johnson, G, Texas
Entering this season, there was a belief that the Utah Jazz were a team that could make some sort of leap forward in their development as a franchise. At least through the first quarter-plus of this season, the Jazz haven't been able to accomplish that just yet. And if the recent reporting is any indication, it doesn't seem as if that is going to change much. The early word is that the Jazz is going to be aggressive in the trade market as they look to trade some of the veteran players on their roster.
That tells me that this team is prepared to take another step back before they can consistently take any forward. At the very least, it's something to keep a close eye on. Because of that, I firmly believe the Jazz are going to end up with a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. How high of a pick they will get remains to be seen, but with how deep this year's draft class is expected to be, there's a good chance they're going to end up with a great player with a high ceiling and plenty of potential to turn the franchise around.
Why Tre Johnson makes sense for the Jazz
One player that could make a ton of sense for the Jazz is Tre Johnson. Through the first few games of his freshman season at Texas, Johnson is already turning heads as a potential difference-making offensive prospect. He's averaging 20-plus points per game and doing so with efficient shooting numbers. If he can continue to show that much promise on the offensive end of the floor, there's no question in my mind that he's going to end up being a top 5 pick in this year's draft.
For a team like the Jazz, Johnson could be a great pickup. With an established star like Lauri Markkanen in the frontcourt, Utah would greatly benefit from selecting a player like Johnson. He would bring an added level of talent on the offensive end of the floor that Utah doesn't currently have on its roster. Especially with the questions that continue to swirl around Keyonte George's lack of efficiency on the offensive end of the floor, Johnson would be a pick that makes a ton of sense for the Jazz.