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- Jacob Rhee

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Winner: Utah Jazz

• Round 1 (Pick No. 5): Ace Bailey, Rutgers SF/PF

• Round 1 (Pick No. 18): Walter Clayton Jr., Florida PG

• Round 2 (Pick No. 53): John Tonje, Wisconsin SG

Danny Ainge’s draft history with Utah is concerning at best, but that man displayed some serious guts this time around. Ace, you’re actively trying to avoid playing here? I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice, buddy. Walter, you’re already searching for residencies on Biscayne Bay? Welcome to Salt Lake City, pal. Personally, I love the boldness; don’t let a kid’s wish list supersede your evaluation. If a prospect is truly special, they’ll adjust to any environment.

The entire Jazz rebuild now hinges on Bailey’s development. Taylor Hendricks can’t stay on the floor. Keyonte George is a ball hog. Walker Kessler has plateaued. Cody Williams is the worst player in the NBA. This has to work out.

Clayton should be handed an 18-minute role as soon as he enters the facility. Ship off Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson to contenders that are desperate for guard depth, and allow this dude to grow in earnest. Everyone knows about his outside shooting, but Walt’s finishing and playmaking are incredibly underappreciated. Utah has been waiting 14 years for a new franchise point guard, and I truly believe that Clayton could be the answer.

I like the John Tonje pick, as well. He led the nation in made free throws last season, and really took ownership of a rather average Wisconsin roster. For the first time in several years, Jazz fans have a reason to be excited.

Winner: Phoenix Suns

• Round 1 (Pick No. 10): Khaman Maluach, Duke C

• Round 2 (Pick No. 31): Rasheer Fleming, St. Joseph’s SF/PF

• Round 2 (Pick No. 41): Koby Brea, Kentucky SG/SF

I have one burning question regarding the Mark Williams acquisition. If he’s so good - and I do actually like his game - why are the Hornets itching to get rid of him? He just averaged 15-10-3 in under 27 minutes a night, and fits their timeline perfectly. This is supposed to be LaMelo Ball’s pick-and-roll partner for the next decade, not an asset that you try to ship away twice in five months.

Well, the easy explanation is that Williams has missed a ton of time. It still feels awfully early to give up on him, but only logging 106 appearances in three professional campaigns is not acceptable. This is precisely why the Maluach selection is such a victory for the Suns. Mark is fragile, and Khaman is raw. They can share the workload, stay fresh, and learn from each other every day. I’m in total support of the plan.

Even if Rasheer Fleming never blossoms as a shot-creator, his ability to guard could take him into a Dorian Finney-Smith realm. That is fantastic value from a second-rounder. The days of Phoenix being one giant turnstile on defense are long gone; opposing star wings will have to work for their points with Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn, and Fleming hounding them.

Meanwhile, nabbing the top shooter in the class with a selection outside of the top-40 is a dream. I’m so happy for Brea, who drilled 43.4% of his 730 career attempts from distance. He’s going to win a three-point contest down the road.

The Suns waved goodbye to their leading scorer, and are unequivocally better today than they were on the eve of that deal. This is an awesome haul.

Winner: Toronto Raptors

• Round 1 (Pick No. 9): Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina PF

• Round 2 (Pick No. 39): Alijah Martin, Florida SG

I could wax poetic about Collin’s instincts and IQ one more time, but I think I’ve made my stance clear by now. Only Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper were ahead of him on my board; Toronto just found itself a foundational building block.

Murray-Boyles is definitely a clunky on-court fit, and I can understand why some people were confused by the pick. A team that finished 29th in made threes is spending its prized selection on a non-shooter? Huh? Once these folks dig into the film, they’ll get it. Collin is a force multiplier on both ends, and the decent free-throw percentage leads me to believe that there’s some range waiting to be unlocked. Raptors fans will have no trouble falling in love with him.

Alijah Martin is a certified winner. Before hoisting the national championship with the Gators, he was busy turning FAU into a title threat. This is how the Owls fared in the four years prior to his arrival, compared to Martin’s tenure at the school.

The kid is a brilliant defender, and a capable shooter. Assistant coaches should be sending him clips of 2022 Marcus Smart all summer long.

Most importantly, both Murray-Boyles and Martin bring a competitive mean streak to a locker room full of dudes that desperately need it. Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, and Scottie Barnes have combined to claim exactly two playoff series in 24 total NBA seasons. No one in that group possesses a particularly forceful basketball personality. The two new guys are going to assume natural leadership roles, and help steer this franchise back towards the realm of contention. Masai Ujiri’s final draft in Toronto was perhaps his best.

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