Former Brigham Young guard Jimmer Fredette is scheduled to work out next Wednesday with the Jazz, and he has every intention of sticking to the date. But Fredette is willing to change his plans to accommodate the schedules of Kemba Walker (Connecticut) and Brandon Knight (Kentucky). And whether the two highly touted 2011 NBA Draft prospects will face off against Fredette in Salt Lake City remains to be seen.
With his draft stock rising, Fredette wants to work out against Walker and Knight to prove that he can compete with the point guards, who are expected to be taken early during the first round.
A workout between Walker and Knight would also be ideal for the Jazz. Utah holds the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, and the duo have been included with prospects such as Turkish center Enes Kanter and Czech Republic forward Jan Vesely as likely players the Jazz could select.
But getting Walker and Knight together has not been easy during the initial run of draft workouts. Despite both being in Toronto on Tuesday, they ran through separate workouts.
Walker's schedule has also conflicted with Fredette's thus far. Fredette went through a workout today with Sacramento — one that Walker initially planned to attend before moving his session to June 13.
Knight's workout schedule is expected to become clearer Monday, while Fredette has upcoming sessions planned with Phoenix and Utah. Fredette has already worked out for Indiana and New York, sticking to a predetermined set of teams that he hopes will maximize his NBA potential and increase his draft positioning.
While maneuvering continues between agents representing Fredette, Walker and Knight, the Jazz's main draft personnel have spent the week overseas. Utah was scheduled today to watch Congolese center Bismack Biyombo, while general manager Kevin O'Connor scouted Vesely on Wednesday. The Jazz's European excursion continues with the annual Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, which is scheduled to run Friday through Monday.
Brian T. Smith
Twitter: @tribjazz
facebook.com/tribjazz
