Utah Jazz 2025 NBA Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

After missing out on the Flagg sweepstakes, Utah selects the teammate of the future No. 1 overall pick out of Duke. Knueppel is a sharpshooter who would be an immediate contributor for the Jazz from Day 1. If this is how the board shakes out, I could see Utah deciding between Knueppel and Johnson.

This is my third mock draft this draft cycle, and I've had Clayton going at this spot in every one of them. Clayton could go higher, but this spot seems like a good floor on draft night. Clayton is a fearless shotmaker. I had the chance to watch him up close during Florida's national title run. He's going to have a very successful NBA career.

Fears ascended draft boards throughout the season at Oklahoma and is now considered a potential top-five pick. He was able to impact games on both ends of the court, finishing as one of three Power Four players to average at least 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and 1.5 steals.

The Jazz were another team that had a rough night on Monday after slipping to fifth in the lottery. They should be a team considering several prospects with this pick, with Fears emerging as a strong candidate based on his overall skill set and ability.

Riley flourished last season at Illinois by providing a scoring punch off the bench, with his array of dribble moves, jab steps and step-backs on the perimeter. He performed well in the shooting drills at the combine on Tuesday, going 26-of-30 off the dribble and 13-of-25 in the 3-point star portions. That effort should help his draft stock after shooting 32.6% from 3-point range on 4.1 attempts per game.

Johnson was the most impressive player I saw working out during my trip to the U.S. back in early April. He had one of the best shooting workouts I've ever seen from a teenage player, showcasing a serious-minded intentionality about how he goes about his craft. He displayed the ability to hit shots off movement at a high level, something that he rarely got the chance to do in an offensive scheme at Texas that could be charitably described as anachronistic but fairly described as hideously archaic. Even within that scheme, Johnson found his way into 19.9 points per game, even if he struggled a bit once he had to foray into the lane because of the team's lack of spacing and his own still-improving overall strength level.

Utah needs a backcourt of the future. Keyonte George looks like a backup long-term because of his inefficiency and defense, and while Isaiah Collier had an excellent season passing the ball, he still doesn't have a great way to score effectively. Johnson also fits really well within Will Hardy's scheme, as a player who can fly off screens and knock down shots at an elite level.

McNeeley had an impactful freshman season for the Huskies, but his role wasn't all that actualized for what he's capable of doing. McNeeley averaged 14.5 points but shot just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 this year despite a reputation that would make you believe he is a serious shooter. He often ended up playing on the ball when his best role — as seen by when he played with Flagg, Queen and a star-studded team at Montverde (Fla.) Academy in high school — is off the ball. McNeeley drilled 43 percent of his unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s for UConn. However, only about 40 percent of his attempts off the catch were open looks. He also only hit 13 percent of his pull-up 3s because he struggles to separate with his handle. NBA teams love McNeeley's competitiveness and his character. There's a real belief that once a team gets him into the right role, you'll see the jumper get back to the elite level it was in high school.

Pro Comparisons: Tyler Herro

Scouts believe Tre Johnson will remain in the top-five mix with eye-test approval on the self-creation and shotmaking that fueled his 19.9 points per game.

Workouts should only help his case, given how big of a role shooting plays in these settings, and how mechanically sharp and projectable Johnson looks.

Those scouts who aren't as confident in Johnson's upside question his ability to blow by or create for others. But there seems to be enough certainty tied to his perimeter scoring and competitiveness that there won't be much nitpicking in the No. 5-8 range.

Team Fit: With Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier handling the ball, Johnson gives Utah a pure shotmaker who may have enough size to play either wing spot.

Pro Comparison: Kyshawn George

Scouts saw the best and worst of Will Riley in the NCAA tournament, which he opened by scoring 22 points on 12 shots against Xavier. He put on a shotmaking clinic late while also mixing in some strong drives earlier.

However, he was mostly silent in Illinois' following loss to Kentucky, struggling to create separation inside the arc. Weak explosion and a negative wingspan are concerning from a translatability standpoint, and he doesn't offer much versatility for games when his jump shot isn't falling.

But over the last month, Riley has still looked more confident and decisive in terms of shooting and using his dribble to make plays for himself and teammates.

Some teams will see upside in a 6'8" scoring wing. Others may see a lengthy NBA-ready timetable and bust potential.

Scouting report: Fears, 18, had a spectacular freshman season, guiding Oklahoma to the NCAA tournament despite being one of the youngest players in college basketball. His combination of size, speed, pace, shotmaking and shot creation gives him significant long-term upside, as he can get anywhere on the floor to create for teammates while dishing on the move, finish skillfully in the lane or head to the free throw line.

Fears' youth, thin frame and inconsistent finishing and decision-making will likely require patience from the team that drafts him, even if there is doubt around the significant star power he possesses, which will earn him looks much higher than this spot. -- Givony

NBA intel and fit: Dropping out of the top four is highly disappointing for the Jazz, who will have a more complicated evaluation process after falling all the way to fifth. The Jazz are committed to a lengthy internal rebuild under CEO Danny Ainge but have yet to select a player with the type of homegrown star power that could kick-start them back toward winning.

They'll now aim to find that player not atop the draft but at No. 5, where Fears and his shot-creation chops might be appealing, even with other young guards on the roster. -- Woo

Scouting report: Newell's productivity and pre-college résumé make him an interesting developmental bet. He offers size, motor and mobility but needs to sharpen his offensive skills and overall awareness to become a high-impact NBA player.

Teams will be intrigued to see how his perimeter skills measure up in workout settings, as he likely profiles best at power forward long term and will need to be able to knock down shots and put the ball on the floor confidently to make that transition. He was highly regarded out of high school and had a nice season at Georgia, profiling as more of a developmental pick for an NBA team that doesn't need him to play major minutes right away. -- Woo

NBA intel and fit: The Jazz own this second first-round pick by way of Minnesota in the Gobert trade. Though Utah's lottery pick will be the biggest decision ahead, it found value with its later selections last season (Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski) and could do so again at this spot. -- Woo

Maluach didn't start playing basketball until 2019, and he's already competed in the Paris Olympics and helped power a Final Four run during his short time in the sport. The South Sudanese center has elite physical measurements for an NBA big man at 7'2, 250 pounds, with a 9'6 standing reach. Duke had Maluach play a narrow role as a freshman, but it's easy to see his long-term upside if everything comes together. He showcased soft touch around the basket with 73.6 percent true shooting, mostly on rolls to the rim and putbacks. Maluach only made four three-pointers this season, but he was more willing to shoot them when he was playing back in Africa, and it should be part of his game long-term. He's already a solid free throw shooter with a 76.6 percent mark from the line. Maluach should be impactful defensively based on size alone, and he's also pretty quick laterally on the perimeter. His positioning remains a work in progress on the defensive end, and at times he can be a bit slow off the ground as a leaper. The biggest red flag might be his complete lack of playmaking after finishing with only 20 assists in 39 games. If you think Maluach will shoot from deep eventually, he still has a clear path to returning top-10 value when matched with his ridiculous length and interior finishing.

Demin is one of the more polarizing players in this draft as a brilliant passer at 6'9 who struggles against physicality. The Russian guard was drawing top-five hype early in the season against lower level competition, but Big 12 play exposed some pressing questions about his game. Demin can see over the top of almost any defender and find angles other playmakers would miss. The problem is he can't always access his passing because he's physically weak, limited athletically, and doesn't have a reliable handle yet. Demin often settled for threes because he couldn't beat his man off the dribble, but he's not a good shooter yet (27.3 percent from three). Getting stronger and improving his jumper could change a lot for Demin, but it's hard to think he's worth a lottery pick given his flaws.

While he lacks flash, Knueppel is the type of player who causes your dad to lean over, elbow you in the ribs, point at the screen, and say, "Did you see the way he read that screen?" I did not expect that elbowing to be going on in Salt Lake City, but here we are. The biggest dreams die the hardest, but once the coping sets in, they'll see that Knueppel isn't exactly what they wanted, but in many ways he'll be something that they need. One doesn't have to watch long to get a feel for Kon's impact: He shoots it well enough that a defense will need to track his whereabouts with constant vigilance, and even if defenders run him down, he's sturdy as vibranium in the paint playing off two feet. Knueppel will face a learning curve on the defensive end, but he should be able to develop in Will Hardy's system.

McNeeley's uninspiring percentages from 3 this season did not at all match what we'd seen from him in the past. But his stroke is beautiful, so I still believe in his shooting. Questions remain about his balance and comfort when surrounded by traffic, but he'd still be a great get for the Jazz, who desperately need a shooter with McNeeley's potential.

Utah failed to win the No. 1 pick despite 14% odds — but landing at No. 5 gives it a chance to snag one of the five best prospects before a tier break. Johnson is a fine consolation to give the Jazz a young scoring guard who was a prolific shooter at Texas.

Underwhelming measurements at the NBA Combine — he measured just over 6-foot barefoot — is likely to hurt Richardson's stock and stunt it from a top-10 ceiling I once thought possible. He's still a first-round talent, though, and he plays bigger than his measureables suggest, which make the height all the more surprising.

Knueppel brings more than just a sharpshooter's stroke to the Jazz thanks to his brainy pick-and-roll playmaking and crafty scoring feel. Pairing him with Lauri Markkanen works because Knueppel can simply fit with anyone. There could be some untapped upside in him too, since he's got a slick midrange bag and strength scoring inside. To become a player that takes over games though, he'll need to overcome his average athleticism.

After taking Knueppel with their lottery pick, the Jazz go with Riley here to add even more versatility to the roster. Riley has dynamic driving ability and playmaking instincts that scream upside as a jumbo-sized, shot-creating wing. But his jumper is streaky, and his defense is unreliable since he's so lean physically and lacks fundamentals. But Utah can afford to be patient.

Martin is a hyper-athletic, high-energy guard who plays bigger than his size and impacts the game with his toughness, rebounding, and defensive grit. He seems like exactly the type of energizer that Danny Ainge has historically loved to have coming off his bench. But his positional tweener status, streaky shooting and limited creation ability complicate his path to carve out a specialized role.

Utah's fourth and final pick in this mock lands them Proctor, a former projected lottery pick who had three up-and-down years at Duke. But his progress as a junior offers plenty of room for optimism. Proctor is a tall combo guard with great passing vision that was expected to go one-and-done, but has taken until his junior year to look ready for the NBA. At this point, he's sharpened his jumper and become an even better defender.