SAD NEWS: Keyonte George has been fired from the team of utah jazz today due to……..Read More..

Justin Zanik has been around plenty of NBA drafts over the years, but he feels a different sort of excitement heading into this year’s event.

“I think it’s going to be fascinating this year with the draft,” the Utah Jazz general manager told reporters at Zion’s Bank Basketball Campus in Salt Lake City Monday. “I really think it’s going to be hard to predict. … Someone who could go at No. 5 could be there at 10, 12 or 14, you might be getting the same type of player.”

He added, “Last year, two days before the draft, I predicted the exact order. That doesn’t happen very often. This year, I’m not going to even try. I don’t know who’s going at No. 1, who’s going at No. 2, who’s going at No. 3.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the board, Zanik expressed confidence in his organization’s predraft process and scouting endeavors.

“We’re in an evaluation stage. We’re in a development stage. Obviously this is a huge summer and a huge year for Keyonte (George) to take a step, Taylor (Hendricks) to take a step and Brice (Sensabaugh) to take a step. Then obviously if we have all of our picks and we make those selections, then this is their rookie year, and we try to get them acclimated and learning about the game. I don’t think you ever make a decision after one year if a guy can play or not or what his ceiling is, you care more about their trends and path.

“I’ve been very happy with the development of those three guys … but they have work to do no matter who we draft or we don’t. What we’re trying to do is add as many good players as possible, do a great job developing them and then we make it work and fit in terms of playing time and trying to win games.”

With the 2024 NBA Draft less than 72 hours away, the Utah Jazz are considering their options. Keep the #10 pick along with #29 and #32 and go heavy on the young guys in 2024-25, trade one or more picks to move up in this draft, or get additional picks down the line. Or they can trade them all in a wild deal for veteran help NOW.

It’s all on the table for Danny Ainge, the riverboat gambler who loves to make deals with draft picks.