For the fourth straight season, the NBA lottery has become a second Christmas for Utah Jazz fans, one that could possibly decide the fate of the franchise for years to come.
Still 12 days out from the pivotal day, let’s take a look at some of the players that national outlets have the Jazz selecting anywhere between picks one through eight.
ESPN: No. 4 Caleb Wilson, PF/C, UNC
Measurements: 6-foot-10, 215 lbs, 7-foot wingspan
Stats: 19.8 ppg, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists
All season, Caleb Wilson has been projected to go No. 4, but in just
the last week, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Conner reported that some front office executives have the UNC freshman as high as No. 2 on their draft boards. I’m curious to see if there is any real juice to this, or if the top three will go as planned, with any variation of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer taking those spots.
Wilson is an ultra-athletic forward who stuffed the stat sheet during his 24 games at UNC, but missed the NCAA tournament with a thumb injury. As for his fit with the Jazz, his 25% 3-point shooting won’t bode well for him in an already crowded front court, but his knack for getting to the rim and athleticism is really intriguing.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, the Jazz should take the best available prospect here, as they do not own their draft pick in 2027, and are in win-now mode for the foreseeable future.
CBS Sports: No. 5 Keaton Wagler, Guard, Illinois
Measurements: 6-foot-6, 180 lbs
Stats: 17.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.2 apg
Keaton Wagler improved his stock as much as any player in the country during March, guiding the Fighting Illini to their first Final Four in 23 years. After the top four of Dybantsa, Petserson, Boozer and Wilson, the draft turns into a “pick your favorite point guard” game. The contestants for that are Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings and Mikel Brown Jr. Adam Finkelstein thinks that Wagler is the best of those four.
His stats were very efficient for a freshman — for any college player for that matter — shooting 39.7% from deep on 5.9 attempts per game, and boasting a 12.4% turnover rate. This guy’s box score is great, and the Jazz need an efficient point guard on their team who can come in and calm things down. That is something they have not had at a high level since Mike Conley.
Arkansas’ Acuff is a name that people became really high on after the SEC tournament, but I think Wagler fits into Utah’s system better, and I like the size he adds into a PG room of Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier a lot more. Wagler is a very smart player, and a safe addition to this Utah Jazz team.
USA Today: No. 4 Darryn Peterson, Guard, Kansas
Measurements: 6-foot-5, 205 lbs, 6-foot-10 wingspan
Stats: 20.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.6 apg
This one might be a stretch, but it is a fascinating hypothetical to think about. USA Today’s Brian Kalbroski admittedly says that this scenario isn’t likely, but what if Peterson grades so poorly at the combine — both in play and in interviews — that even the team with the No. 3 pick would pass on him?
Now, I don’t think there is any way that this happens, but if Peterson were to fall to the Jazz at No. 4, it would be a gift sent from heaven. The big knock on Peterson over the past collegiate season was his weird, almost Kawhi-esque attitude about when he decides he does and does not want to play. It certainly seems from an outside perspective that he is not a major fan of the spotlight, so what better place to get drafted to than the 2026-27 Utah Jazz? He walks into a team that already has three guys more important than him in Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr. The spotlight doesn’t have to be on the rookie, because there are already multiple all star caliber players on the team.
Considering the clump of guards that will be selected at Nos. 5-8, the Jazz would happily accept the more acclaimed Peterson at this spot.
Other outlets:
Most mock drafts have the Jazz selecting between the Nos. 4-6 range, either selecting Wilson at four, or Wagler after.
The Athletic: No. 6, Keaton Wagler
Bleacher Report: No. 5, Keaton Wagler
Tankathon: No. 4, Caleb Wilson (Tankathon ranks Wilson as the No. 4 prospect and the Jazz have the fourth best odds to land the No. 1 pick)
NBADraft.net: No. 4, Caleb Wilson
