3 Second Round Draft Targets for the Utah Jazz

Jamir Watkins, Wing, Florida State

Height: 6’6

Weight: 215 pounds

Wingspan: 6’11.25

Watkins has been a favorite of mine going back to last year when he tested the NBA draft waters. While he’s older for a prospect, Watkins is a versatile wing who can impact the game in a variety of ways.

He’s a good defender who uses his length, lateral quickness, and strength to corral ball-handlers and create turnovers. He registered 5 steals in one of the NBA Draft Combine scrimmages, an excellent example of how disruptive he can be on that end. He needs to become more disciplined on this end, but the tools are there.

Offensively, Watkins carried a heavy burden for the Seminoles the past two seasons. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game this past year, which resulted in him earning Second Team All-ACC honors. While I don’t think he projects to be a high-usage player in the NBA, his experience as the guy will serve him well.

Watkins is very good at getting to the rim where he can finish with authority or get to the free-throw line. He’s also developed into a solid playmaker, giving him upside to attack closeouts and make correct reads in the future. How he develops as a shooter will go a long way in determining if he sticks or not, but if he’s on the board for the Jazz, he should be an easy sell.

Sion James, Guard, Duke

Height: 6’5

Weight: 218 pounds

Wingspan: 6’6.5

James transferred to Duke for his senior season and immediately proved that he could be a high-impact player on a good team. He’s athletic, built like a running back, and is engaged on the defensive end of the court, which gives him the upside to be a versatile multipositional defender.

Offensively, James took a backseat in a deep Duke offense this year, but if you go back to his time at Tulsa, he showed that he can scale his offense up or down based on team needs. His shooting is probably not as good as his 41.3% at Duke would hint at, but he’s made strides on that end and, at minimum, seems like a guy you can’t leave open. He’s also a good driver who uses his frame and athleticism well to finish at the cup. His true shooting percentage has topped 60% the past two seasons, an excellent number for a guard.

He’s another guy who, while older, would be a no-brainer for the Jazz in the second round. He’s physical, defends well, and knows how to play basketball. 

Koby Brea, Wing, Kentucky

Height: 6’7

Weight: 202 pounds

Wingspan: 6’5.25

Flat out, Koby Brea is the best shooter in the 2025 NBA Draft. Over the past two seasons at Dayton & Kentucky, Brea hit 193/415 three-point attempts, good for just under 47% on excellent volume. He does it in multiple ways, too: catch and shoot, off the dribble, coming off screens, in the corner, above the break, it doesn’t matter, he’s just a lights-out shooter.

He’s got a little more to his game offensively, as he can put the ball on the deck and get either to the rim or into his pull-up game. This is an excellent counter when teams want to run him off the line.

He doesn’t provide much defensively or as a creator offensively, but in the second round, I’m looking for NBA skills, and Brea certainly has one. At 6’7, he’s big enough that he should be able to hold up defensively. The person I compare him to is Isaiah Joe of the Oklahoma City Thunder because of his elite shooting and overall high feel. 

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