Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
Realistically, the Utah Jazz’s interest in this deal could hinge on their assessment of Bouknight.
Unfortunately, they don’t have much to go on. The Charlotte Hornets selected Bouknight with the 11th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but he hardly saw any playing time in his rookie campaign. Don’t make the mistake of writing the kid off on that basis.
After all, even LaMelo Ball struggled to crack this team’s starting lineup in his rookie campaign. It may be that the Hornets prefer to ease rookies into NBA life. Either way, Bouknight still has the impressive shot-creating chops that got him selected in the late lottery.
Otherwise, the Jazz still get plenty of draft capital here. Three first-round picks and a swap are nothing to sneeze at, especially with P.J. Washington attached. He’s a multi-positional combo big who plays impact defense and spaces the floor.
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At 23, he’s still got room to grow as well. Most importantly, he’s more of a ceiling raiser than a floor raiser. This trade allows the Jazz to bottom out ahead of the 2023 draft while adding a couple of players who’ll complement whoever they ultimately land in it.
