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Utah Jazz: 3 goals for the 2019 offseason

By Mitchell Hansen

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 25: The Utah Jazz stares on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 25, 2019 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 25: The Utah Jazz stares on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 25, 2019 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images /

3. Draft a playmaker

If the Jazz don’t go the route of making a trade throughout the offseason or can’t find a partner to make a sensible trade with prior to the upcoming year, drafting a player in the 2019 NBA Draft that can make an immediate impact should be near the top of their to-do list.

Obviously teams always hope they players they draft will be able to come in and provide some sort of value within the rotation right out of the gate, but we often see a transitional period with players from the collegiate level to their first year in the NBA.

For Utah, it should have its eyes on a playmaker who can assist the Jazz right away as they try to build off their third straight trip to the playoffs.

In the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft, Utah currently holds the 23rd overall pick in the first round and also has the 53rd overall pick in the second round.

As far as a few names that could be available at pick No. 23 in the opening round of the draft that initially jump out as far as players who could come in and prove themselves as playmakers within are forward Cameron Johnson out of North Carolina and Auburn forward Chuma Okeke.

There will likely be a decent amount of other targets that could carry some potential at the pro level when the Jazz are due to select near the end of the first round, but Johnson and Okeke are two names that could assists Utah right away.

When it comes to Johnson, he’s been viewed by many as a player that could transition well to the NBA from his time in college. His ability to shoot the ball and create for himself on the offensive end of the floor is intriguing enough to make him a nice addition to the Jazz.

Johnson has the ability to shoot well from 3, showcasing that throughout his time as a Tar Heel, and his game would like fit really well next to Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in Utah.

As for Okeke, if he is able to fully recover from the torn ACL he suffered during the NCAA Tournament, he could prove to be the type of player you could plug into any lineup to play multiple positions on both ends of the floor.

With his ability to shoot from really anywhere on the floor, Okeke is a player that could stretch the floor for the Jazz and allow them to both improve their numbers from beyond the arc, as well as open up opportunities for Gobert in the paint.

You would imagine that Utah has its eyes on adding a more impactful piece to its rotation ahead of the upcoming season, which could spark them to sign a higher-profile player or go out and make a trade. But before any of those things can happen, adding a playmaker to the frontcourt through the draft should still be an offseason goal.

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