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As the hours go by and the time draws near for the Jazz to do with their Nos. 3 and 12 picks in Thursday's draft what they will, it becomes ever more pressure-packed for them, and all the more riveting for everybody waiting and watching.

Kevin O'Connor said a day ago that the Jazz had yet to make up their collective mind — "Still arguing," was the way he put it — about who to take with their first pick. And who they take with the first will determine who they take with the second.

These selections have always been tethered, no matter how many times the take-the-best-athlete line has been floated. The Jazz would be foolish to get redundant. If they select Brandon Knight at No. 3, they're not selecting Jimmer Fredette at No. 12. Not unless they want to create more work for themselves by stockpiling assets and then selling them off.

Meanwhile, the speculation grows as observers attempt to figure out which of the many Jazz options the team will settle on. Go big, then small. Go small, then big. Go ahead and trade No. 3 for a proven veteran. Go get a higher pick by trading away a veteran or two for a shot at Minnesota's spot at No. 2, and then follow that with their own pick at No. 3. Can anybody imagine the impact of the Jazz taking, say, Derrick Williams and then Enes Kanter?

That last deal is a long shot.

But one worth considering.

It's been conceded for years that the Jazz's chances at hauling in a top-level free agent are either fat or slim. Neither allows for an easy route to a difference-maker by simply perusing the market and plucking a perennial All-Star. That's the Lakers' way, not the Jazz's.

The draft, then, is the answer.

It's always been the answer here — with John Stockton and Karl Malone, and with Deron Williams, and dressing it out from there.

The Jazz's access to a lofty pick has been limited, and that's a nod to their consistency over the past 25 seasons. This time, they gave up a third pick that matured into a great point guard — Williams — for a third pick that was Derrick Favors and another third pick that will turn into whomever the Jazz take Thursday night. Even in a bad year, they didn't earn that high pick with wretched play. They bartered for it.

They did earn the 12th pick.

Since they're up top twice, which almost never happens, the Jazz might be well served to strike from close range, to make the most of it by making the aforementioned run at Minny's pick.

Boom-boom.

Two-three.

It could be worth it.

The Jazz would be the talk of the NBA, and actually out-do Cleveland, which has the first and fourth picks, adding two potential stars to whatever's left of their core. Utah fans would be energized as they watched a young team of promise meld with a few vets and emerge in the seasons ahead.

The financial concerns of keeping all that developing talent together is a worry for a different time.

Barring a substantial move like that, the other options are nearly as intriguing, and that intrigue will be thick as a brick on Thursday, only part of it tracing back to the Jazz.

There is some chatter that a team might move ahead of the Jazz at 12 to get Fredette.

Think about it, minute by minute: The Jazz select Kanter or Williams at No. 3 and the other teams … one by one … either trade to allow an interloper to butt in ahead of the Jazz to get Fredette or pass on him straight through to 12. If the latter happens, what will those 300 seconds between Golden State's selection at 11 and the Jazz's pick be like?

They would be some of the most memorable in franchise history. All those Jimmerites out there going nuts, offering to buy season tickets if Fredette is taken … waiting … waiting … waiting … versus those Jazz fans who would prefer a hard kick to the bean over more Jimmermania … waiting, too.

Perfect.

What is thy name?

Anticipation is my name.

And then …

Boos to the left of me, cheers to the right, here we are, stuck in the middle with you.

Will passive-aggressive rioting break out?

At this point, we've all heard so many varying whispers about what the Jazz will do, it's a complete toss-up. Nobody knows nothing.

Outside of an audacious, dramatic trade, I'd go Kanter and Fredette. But that's just me.

The Jazz are still arguing among themselves, and there are good arguments all around, trying to get this one straight, trying to get it right.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Gordon Monson Show" weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 104.7 FM/1280 AM The Zone. He can be reached at gmonson@sltrib.com.