Utah Jazz Land Eye-Catching Big Man in Latest NBA Draft Prediction

When looking at the 2025 NBA Draft for the Utah Jazz, a ton of commotion has surrounded the top of the board and how this team could either approach their number five pick on the board, or even shake up the night with a bold trade that moves them up or down from that fifth slot.

But, that's far from the only selection Utah has at their disposal in this year's draft. Not only do the Jazz have two second-rounders deeper into day two to utilize, but they also have an extra first-round pick at 21st overall as a domino to fall from the Rudy Gobert trade now three summers ago. It might not jump off the page like a top-five pick, but whoever it ends up being could be a major addition to the future of this rebuild.

So who could be on the table for the Jazz at that 21st pick?

In the eyes of ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, a name to keep an eye on at 21 for Utah could be Georgia big man Asa Newell, who he has slotted in at that spot within the latest DraftExpress mock draft.

Here's a bit of Givony's intel of Newell:

"The Jazz own this second first-round pick by way of Minnesota in the Rudy Gobert trade. After selecting a point guard in Fears in the lottery, taking a swing on a talented young big man such as Newell makes sense. Teams searching for frontcourt help earlier in the draft are also interested in him. Newell's combine measurements will likely mean he will play mostly power forward in the NBA. Nevertheless, his mobility, aggressiveness and intensity are significant assets that allowed him to have a highly productive, efficient freshman campaign."

In this scenario, the Jazz wound up taking guard Jeremiah Fears at the fifth pick, clearing the runway for Utah to dabble in the frontcourt with their pick further down the board. In this case, that ends up being Newell.

Newell, the 6-foot-9 freshman from Georgia, has made some noise in being worth a look during the middle parts of this year's first round. During his only college season, he put together 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, along with a block and a steal a night. He's got clear upside to be an impactful two-way big at the next level, which could gain some interest from the Jazz brass.

If on the board at 21, Newell could be a perfect young piece to implement into the Jazz's future plans as not only another high-potential big in the frontcourt, but also helps patch this team's glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball. It was yet another season of Utah ranking at the bottom of the NBA barrel in terms of team defense, so taking swings on young, versatile defenders in this year's draft could be wise for this front office.

There's still a ways to go until the Jazz make their selections official, but keep an eye on Newell being a candidate in play as we get closer to the 2025 NBA Draft kicking off on Wednesday, June 25th in Brooklyn, NY.