This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Thursday's NBA draft isn't as deep in the first five picks as 2014 — selections that yielded Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid and Dante Exum.
And despite the immense talent possessed by Ben Simmons (this year's projected top dog), this draft will be hard-pressed to produce a generational prospect on the level of Karl-Anthony Towns, the first pick of 2015.
So the top of the 2016 class may not be as talented a group a there has been in recent years.
"This draft is not as top-heavy as recent ones, for sure," Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin said.
Meanwhile, the 2017 draft is considered so deep it's being compared to the 2003 group that produced LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Because of this, 2016 could be little more than a footnote in a year.
So what's the good news NBA fans? Why should we all be glued to our televisions when commissioner Adam Silver takes the podium at the Barclays Center?
First and foremost, this draft is deep. There may not be omnipresent star power, but there are a bundle of prospects who should morph into productive NBA players. Secondly, the Jazz are entering their most free-wheeling draft in years. General manager Dennis Lindsey has already traded his lottery pick for Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill. There is a decent chance he may not be finished dealing.
League-wide, the draft has the potential to get wild. Already reports are surfacing of trade talks — teams putting their lottery picks up to the highest bidder, teams without first-round picks looking to acquire some.
In short, we all love drama. And Thursday night has the potential to be full of it.
"It certainly could make for a very interesting night," Lindsey said. "There are a group of us who have multiple picks, and if you pull all of us together, we make up a good percentage of the draft. That could cause some draft night fireworks. Because of the depth of this draft, we think we can get a contributor. This could be an advance to a potentially wild free agent market."
Here's the Utah Jazz breakdown: With the trade for Hill, they currently have three second-round picks, beginning with No. 42, which trends towards midway through the second.
That means if Utah makes all of its picks, it will add three rookies to its roster. By Lindsey's own confirmation, it is unlikely the Jazz add that many new faces to a team focused on taking a significant leap next year, one clamoring on qualifying for the postseason. So look for the Jazz to be players on the draft night trade market on some levels.
If the Jazz don't pull off any deals, look for them to use the latter two of their second rounders on draft-and-stash prospects, guys they can place overseas for a few years while waiting for roster flexibility. Utah did this last season with Olivier Hanlan.
"I think we're very pleased with the number of legit prospects that look to be on the board," Lindsey said. "There are quite a few prospects. There is normally a smaller pool of prospects we are used to. The challenge is dealing with more than usual."
Simmons, the 6-foot-10 forward out of LSU, is the one prospect in the draft with a chance of being a consistent All-Star. He's a do-everything type with an NBA-ready body, supreme passing skills and the versatility to play a number of different positions. Slightly behind Simmons is Duke forward Brandon Ingram, who is expected to go second to the Los Angeles Lakers. He's 6-9, lanky, a great shooter and has significant scoring potential.
Beyond those two, there are tiers, scouts say. But there is a lot of depth and talent as well, however raw.
"I do think this draft is deep and that there are a number of options for a number of teams," said Alex Kennedy, managing editor of basketballinsiders.com. "There is a lot of talent there. At the end of the day, there are going to be players, in hindsight, that people are going to wonder how they slipped into the middle or latter stages of the first round."
Beyond the first round, the Jazz are optimistic about their chances of receiving a quality player at 42. They've worked out multiple prospects who would fit there. Some of those players include Michigan shooting guard Caris Levert; Oregon State point guard Gary Payton II; Syracuse guard Michael Gbinije and New Mexico State forward Pascal Siakam.
The options, the possible twists and turns. It adds up to an NBA draft you may not want to miss. Come Thursday night, the Jazz will add new players to their roster.