NBA Pre-Draft Analysis: Utah Jazz

Questions abound for the Jazz this off season. But the most pressing of those pertains to whether or not they believe they can retain the services of Carlos Boozer. That answer directly affects what they do with the ninth overall pick. 

Utah has a number of free agents it will want to retain or replace. Boozer has to be their top priority and they have to get moving on him quickly enough to move on to guys like Kyle Korver. But with all the teams holding cap space and itching to spend free agent dollars, keeping both men in Salt Lake City is less than likely. 

So what do you do at No. 9 is you are Utah? If the Jazz don't believe they have a real shot at Carlos Boozer, they can go power forward here. There is enough depth at the position at the front end of the draft that someone will be available. My projection is that North Carolina's Ed Davis will slip to this point. That would be a significant pull. While he is raw, Davis is athletic and can block shots and grab boards while refines his skills on the offensive end. If Utah is going to look big man, Ekpe Udoh and Cole Aldrich probably get looks here as well. I figure Greg Monroe will be off the board. The Jazz may even do their due diligence on somebody like Patric Patterson.

But there is an inherent problem with taking a big man at this spot. It essentially signals to Boozer that you don't expect to have him back. And if Utah has any hope of returning to and ultimately advancing beyond the Western Conference semis, Boozer is a key piece to that equation. So it seems like the Jazz are better off turning their attention to the wing.

There is a lot of talk about Luke Babbitt here. The Nevada product averaged nearly 22 and 9 a game last year. And his 6-9 frame could certainly be conducive to versatility. So he is probably the favorite. Butler's Gordon Hayward will probably also be studied, but I think he'll be off the board to the Clippers at No. 8. 

But how about this one for Utah? Xavier Henry. I have never been in love with Utah's two-guard play. So Henry can fill a couple of voids. If the Jazz cannot retain Korver or replace him with someone comparable, Henry can play the three. If the Jazz are able to fill their small forward void elsewhere, Henry steps in as the starting off guard. Of all the potential scenarios for the Jazz, this one seems like the best fit as they will ultimately be able to Korver and Boozer more money than most other teams, thereby increasing the probability that they can keep their 2009-2010 unit largely intact. At the very least, they should be able to pull a sign-and-trade with at least one of their top two free agents in order to fill any voids that arise.

So while I like Luke Babbitt a lot, I think Henry has the greater upside and is a little bit better of a fit for Utah. So I'm going Henry at No. 9. Not a bad haul for that 2004 trade that sent Keon Clark to the Suns for what was left of Tom Gugliotta. By the way, Xavier Henry, whose birthday is March 15, was 12 years old when that trade went down in February 2004. Isn't it great how these pick protections work?