Elijah Hughes' Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated Jazz Roster
Elijah Hughes, who led Syracuse with 19.0 points per game last year, will head to the Utah Jazz after being selected 39th overall in the 2020 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans before being traded to the Jazz.
Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report
Player: Elijah Hughes
Position: SG
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 215
Pro Comparison: Dwayne Bacon
Scouting Report: Syracuse featured Elijah Hughes all season, and he delivered with some of the best isolation shot-making skills in the draft class. He's 6'6", strong and athletic with the ability to shoot from deep, pull up and attack. His decision-making isn't always sharp, but Hughes' ability to stretch the floor and make shots could carry him to a long career.
Here is a look at the Utah roster following this pick:
Elijah Hughes, SG: Rookie scale contract (2024)
Udoka Azubuike, C: Rookie scale contract (2024)
Mike Conley, PG: $30.5M (2021)
Rudy Gobert, C: $25.5M (2021)
Bojan Bogdanovic, SF: $18.3M (2023)
Joe Ingles, SF: $14M (2022)
Royce O'Neale, SF: $9M (2024)
Ed Davis, PF: $4.9M (2021)
Donovan Mitchell, SG: $3.6M (2021)
Tony Bradley, C: $2.1M (2021)
Georges Niang, SF: $1.7M (2021)
Nigel Williams-Goss, PG: $1.6M (2022)
Miye Oni, SG: $1.4M (2022)
Emmanuel Mudiay, PG: UFA
Jarrell Brantley, F: RFA
Jordan Clarkson, G: UFA
Justin Wright-Foreman, PG: RFA
Juwan Morgan, PF: RFA
Rayjon Tucker, SF: RFA
Hughes should fit in nicely alongside Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell.
He can hit from the outside when defenders collapse on the other ball-handlers and also take some of the pressure off Mitchell's shoulders with the ability to create his own shots. That should help him play his way into the rotation during his rookie season.
