Draft Expert Claims Jazz Need Cooper Flagg 'More Than Others'

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is less than a week away, and with it, the Utah Jazz will finally discover whether or not their hopes of selecting Duke star and projected number-one overall pick Cooper Flagg will truly come to fruition.

After a 17-win season, the Jazz are positioned atop the pool of lottery teams, tied with a 14.0% chance to land the number one pick, and locked into nothing lower than a top-five pick in a worst-case scenario.

Of course, picking up Flagg is the top goal on the board for the Jazz, but are they a team that needs his services more than anyone in the field?

In the eyes of ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, that may be the case.

During Givony's latest breakdown he outlined what a pickup of Flagg in this year's draft would mean for the Jazz and the future of their rebuild, making a note that Utah may be a destination that "stands out in particular" for the Duke forward.

"Any NBA team would be thrilled to add Flagg, but Utah stands out in particular as needing the star power of the Duke freshman more than others," Givony wrote. "The Jazz made a concerted effort to bottom out and finish with the league's worst record this season. And Utah is coming off two relatively fruitless years in the lottery, winning 37 and 31 games respectively, after trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell and officially kick-starting its rebuilding process... While he wouldn't solve all of their issues, Flagg would create a big, versatile and highly formidable frontcourt alongside Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, while being provided with the type of shot-creation responsibility he needs to reach his full potential."

Flagg would be nothing short of a massive get for the Jazz. Utah has been coveting a true, hopeful number-one option to help lead their retooling efforts for the past three seasons, and while compelling pieces like Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler have been added into the fold, they don't quite fit the bill of what the team needs in a number one.

Flagg, however, has the chance to provide that. He's got the size and versatility to develop into a major threat both offensively and defensively, and can even hone in on the team's top scoring option as he continues to develop his skillset at the next level.

The Jazz's chances of getting their hands on Flagg at number only reside at 14.0%, tied up with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets for an equal opportunity to land his services. Time will tell if fortune falls their way, but if it does, it'd be nothing short of a massive step for the future of Utah's rebuild.

The Jazz will have their fate finalized once the 2025 NBA Lottery officially arrives on Monday, May 12th in Chicago.