Utah
Jazz 2024 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: Utah Adds Elite Defensive Wing in Top 10
We now sit just over a month until the 2024 NBA Draft arrives later this summer, and with the lottery reveal behind us, we have some improved knowledge about how this process could soon go down for the Utah Jazz.
By holding two first-round picks (one landing at the tail end of the top ten), and a top second-rounder at number 32, there’s immense potential for a significant class to soon be in store for the Jazz. Still, the top of this year’s group of prospects is largely unpredictable, and one that may take a couple of extra weeks to completely iron out.
With the results of the 2024 NBA Lottery in, though, we can throw out some early guesses as to how things could end up falling if the selection process started today. Here’s an early prediction of how the top ten picks could fall, and who the Jazz could end up getting their hands on at tenth overall:
1. Atlanta Hawks: Alex Sarr, C, Australia
The future of the Hawks is a bit up in the air this offseason, but winning the lottery after entering with 3% odds to do so is a big help. Sarr can be a great big to pair alongside Trae Young or Dejounte Murray with his length, versatility, and two-way ability.
2. Washington Wizards: Nikola Topic, PG, Serbia
The Wizards need to find some stability in the backcourt. With the future of Tyus Jones in flux and a shaky season from Jordan Poole, a guard makes sense here for Washington. Topic is one of the elite playmakers and finishers of this draft with the potential to be a high-level guard with an improved shot.
3. Houston Rockets: Zaccharie Risacher, SF, France
Thanks to the James Harden trade, the Rockets are set up with a golden opportunity to add a premier player in the class with a top-three pick. Risacher projects to be a lengthy 3&D threat that can fit seamlessly into this budding Houston core.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky
It’s no secret that the Spurs could benefit from a guard early in this draft, and with a top-five pick, they have a chance to secure one of the best on the board. Dillingham can be a reliable scoring guard to pair next to Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama to terrorize opposing defenses for years to come.
5. Detroit Pistons: Matas Buzelis: PF, G-League Ignite
After entering the lottery with odds at the top spot on the board, the Pistons suffered a brutal fate by sliding down to fifth. They still manage to secure a strong prospect in Buzelis, who can be an interesting fit next to Cade Cunningham with his size and ability as a playmaker.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Stephon Castle, PG, UConn
The Hornets could benefit from a secondary ball handler and playmaker next to LaMelo Ball, and a selection of Castle would inevitably bring that. After a national champion run with the Huskies, the 6-foot-6 combo guard can be a stellar two-way fit in the Hornets’ set of guards.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Cody Williams, SF, Colorado
The Trail Blazers ended last season as one of the league’s worst offensive teams, finishing with a 29th-ranked offensive rating of 107.6. Williams would bring a much-needed lift to this rebuilding Portland unit as one of the more versatile offensive players in this year’s draft.
8. San Antonio Spurs: Reed Sheppard, SG, Kentucky
With the Spurs’ pick of his Kentucky backcourt mate earlier in the first round, it only makes sense for San Antonio to double-dip on the Wildcats by adding Sheppard here at eight. As one of the most elite shooters in college basketball last season, he can bring an immediate impact to this team who could be looking to compete in the West sooner rather than later.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
After trading away Steven Adams this past season, the Grizzlies could use another big defender to help former DPOY Jaren Jackson. Clingan can enter as an elite rim protector with 7-foot-2 size to create a scary shot-blocking tandem in the frontcourt for Memphis.
In this scenario, the board ends up falling in favor of the Jazz to land a player that not only presents a high upside moving forward but fits some of Utah’s overwhelming team needs. Ron Holland is a prospect whose stock has been up and down throughout the past year, and while he ends up falling to ten here, make no mistake that he can be one of the best in this class.
The most outstanding trait Holland possesses is his defense, which would prove to be a perfect fit for a Jazz team that ranked dead last in the NBA in defensive rating. He’s 6-foot-8, providing the size and length this Utah front office has recently coveted, and can fit nicely into a frontcourt next to Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.
The positive attributes are there, but it’s hard not to mention the shooting struggles Holland endured throughout the past year. During his one season in the G-League Ignite, he shot a poor 24.0% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game. He still ended up averaging over 20 points a night with the lack of a three-ball, but he’ll need to find more consistency to be reliable at the NBA level.
Luckily for Holland, he could join a roster in Utah with many young scoring options to lean on as he develops his shot-making ability for himself. His defensive prowess would merit enough reason for him to gain considerable playing time off the bat and can be a contributor as a defensive stopper pretty immediately.
It’s nearly impossible to project what the Jazz may end up doing with their top ten picks with an unpredictable executive like Danny Ainge running the show, but if the board falls this way, it’s difficult to see Utah pivoting off of a talent like Holland.
All answers will be revealed for the Jazz’s selection when the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft kicks off on Wednesday, June 26th.
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A Utah physician is warning that 21 data centers in various stages of development could significantly worsen air quality along the Wasatch Front.
Dr. Brian Moench, with Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said the planned data centers are cause for alarm. Each facility is expected to generate its own electricity using natural gas power plants.
While natural gas is cleaner than coal, Moench said it still produces nitrogen oxide, which contributes significantly to ozone, particulate formation, and smog.
“There’s no safe level of air pollution. All of it is harmful, even at the very lowest doses,” Moench said.
Moench said health advocates have legitimate reasons to be concerned about what the facilities could mean for public health in the region.
“There is a real legitimate concern on the part of any health advocates about what this impact will mean to the Wasatch Front and public health if all these data centers are built or even if just a few of them are, and that’s not to address the impact on the Great Salt Lake shrinking up and becoming a toxic dust bowl. That’s the next leg of this argument,” he said.
Moench also raised concerns about electronic waste. As computer chips and equipment become obsolete and are replaced, he said the volume of e-waste produced is something no one has yet addressed.
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UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
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