Feb 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Utah Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy speaks to media prior to a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Utah Jazz Facing Major Pressure Ahead of NBA Draft

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Sean Ackerman | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Utah Jazz are entering the 2025 NBA Draft with four draft picks, two in the first round and two in the second.

In the first round, the Jazz will select from the fifth-overall spot and from the 21st-overall spot. Despite finishing with the worst record in the regular season, the Jazz unfortunately did not land the first-overall pick in the draft lottery.

Utah has hosted plenty of prospects for workouts ahead of the draft, but none of them have been players the team plans to take with its lottery pick. With the draft just two weeks away, it'll be interesting to see who Utah brings in for evaluation.

The Hornets and Jazz are showing interest in drafting Kon Knueppel within the top 5, per @krystenpeek

"Teams like the Utah Jazz (No. 5) and Charlotte Hornets (No. 4) are showing interest in the versatile guard (Kon Knueppel) and like his ability to seamlessly slide in alongside… pic.twitter.com/2WZI0xQZDh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 4, 2025

Greg Swartz at Bleacher Report thinks that Utah's fifth-overall selection will not only determine the team's performance next season, but also for the next few years. Swartz named the Jazz as one of five teams that "can't fumble" their lottery pick.

"The Utah Jazz have selected six players in the top 32 picks over the last two years, although none of them look like future stars to this point," wrote Swartz. "Only two (Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams) were lottery picks, and this is the first time in three years that Utah will pick higher than No. 9 overall. Even with all the other young players the Jazz have brought in and begun to develop, the No. 5 overall pick now is by far their most important."

"The Jazz desperately need a young star. Luckily, there should be some strong options left on the board at No. 5, and no position in Utah should be considered safe from an upgrade at this point. New president of basketball operations Austin Ainge claims that the Jazz won't tank next year even though they owe their 2026 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside of the top eight. This may be Utah's last top-five pick for a while. Finding a star with it could shape the franchise's next 5-10 years."

Swartz thinks this pick could have decade-long implications for Utah. They've failed to pull a star in their last few first-round picks, putting even more pressure on the front office to draft a player who excels in Utah's system.

He also thinks the Jazz have relied on their core starters too often. Whether it be Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, John Collins, or Jordan Clarkson, the Jazz have failed to complement their key players with bench depth.

Utah has some big decisions to make during the summer, but the lottery pick may turn out to be the most decisive.