Ranking the best options for the Utah Jazz with the No. 12 pick

Karl-Anthony Towns will be long gone. Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell wont be available either. Emmanuel Mudiay, Kristaps Porzingis, Mario Hezonja and Justise Winslow will all be off the board as well.

After that, there is little if any consensus on who will go by the time the Utah Jazz pick at No. 12. Some experts have Stanley Johnson, Devin Booker and Willie Cauley-Stein going before the Jazz are up while others have them all still there for the taking.

Instead of predicting who will go where, we rank the best fits for the Jazz when they make their pick. Some players will already have found their new team when the Jazz make the selection, but since most experts don’t agree we cover every possible angle.

Note: These rankings reflect how each player will fit with the Utah Jazz based on overall talent and also need.

Here is my ranking of the best players for the Utah Jazz who could be available when they draft at No. 12.

15. Kevon Looney, 6-9, power forward, UCLA

Until he gets more polished on the offensive end, Looney will make his money in the NBA because of his ability to play defense and rebound the basketball. He does some of his best work on the offensive glass where he averaged 3.4 boards per game.

During his only season at UCLA, he averaged 11.6 points on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 62.6 percent from the free-throw line. He added 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.9 minutes.

He would be a solid addition to the Jazz line-up because of his length and work on the backboards.

14. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 6-7, small forward, Arizona

Hollis-Jefferson is an explosive finisher because of his great length and ridiculous jumping ability.Those gifts also translate onto the defensive end of the floor where he can guard multiple positions effortlessly. The one place where he will struggle is with his outside shot (20.7 percent form 3-point range in 2014-15).

For his second year with Arizona, he averaged 11.2 points on 50.2 percent shooting from the floor in 70.7 percent from the free-throw line. He added 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 28.7 minutes.

While he would be an upgrade on the defensive end for the second unit, he would need to really work on his outside shot to make a splash for the Jazz.

13. Cameron Payne, 6-2, point guard, Murray State

Payne dominated the Ohio Valley conference during his two seasons at Murray State because of his length and explosiveness. He is hard to guard because he can beat you from the outside with his shooting touch, or off the bounce where he can get to the rim or create for his teammates.

During his sophomore season with the Racers, he averaged 20.2 points on 45.6 percent shooting form the floor including 37.7 percent form 3-point land. He added 6.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 32.2 minutes.

While not the defensive player that Exum is, Payne would be an upgrade on the offensive end because he can do so many things well.

12. Delon Wright, 6-5, point guard, Utah

Wright is one of the best all-around players in the draft. He is an solid lead guard with his ability to handle the ball and run the offense. While he didn’t look to score all that often while at Utah, he can get to the rim and finish when needed and also has a solid outside shot.

For his senior year with the Utes, he averaged 14.7 points on 50.5 percent shooting from the floor and  83.5 percent from the free-throw line. He added 5.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.0 blocks in 33.6 minutes.

Wright would be a good fit for the Jazz because he could play either guard spot on both ends of the floor effectively.

11. Montrezl Harrell, 6-8, power forward, Louisville

Harrell is an undersized power forward who never stops working. While he isn’t a great offensive player at this point in his career, he can still provide plenty of help on offense because of his ability to get to the glass and finish at the rim.

For his junior season with the Cardinals, he averaged 15.7 points on 56.6 percent shooting form the floor. He added 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks in 35.1 minutes.

He would be the ideal fit for the Jazz if they ever decided to part ways with Trevor Booker. While he doesn’t have the same kind of range on his shot, Harrell has the same kind of aggressiveness on the glass.

10. Bobby Portis, 6-11, power forward, Arkansas

While his size and athleticism aren’t elite, Portis is still one of the most well-rounded big men in this draft. He does most of his work on the offensive end of the floor on the glass (3.7 offensive rebounds per game in 2014-15), or in the midrange game.

For his sophomore season with the Razorbacks, he averaged 17.5 points on 54.1 percent shooting from the floor and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line. He added 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.9 minutes.

He would fit in with the Jazz from day-one because of his hustle on both ends of the floor.

9. Kelly Oubre, 6-6, small forward, Kansas

Oubre has all the measurables to be a star in the NBA, but that didn’t translate on the floor during his one season at Kansas. His great length and explosivness make up for the fact that he is a little undersized to play the small forward.

During his year with the Jayhawks, he averaged 9.3 points, on 44.4 percent shooting, including 35.8 percent from 3-point land. He added 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in just 21 minutes.

He has the length and athleticism to step in and be a finisher on the second unit for the Jazz.

8. Sam Dekker, 6-9, small forward, Wisconsin

Even though he didn’t have a huge season, he came up big during the NCAA tournament to help carry the Badgers to the National Championship game. He showed flashes of brilliance on the offensive end because of his excellent outside shooting touch and his ability to finish at the rim.

During his junior year with Wisconsin, he averaged 13.9 points on 52.5 percent shooting from the floor, including 33.1 percent from beyond the arc. He added 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31 minutes.

He has the physical abilities top be the perfect three-and-D guy if he lands with the Jazz.

7. Myles Turner, 6-11, center, Texas

Turner is one of the more intriguing prospects on the board. He only played one year at the University of Texas but showed great shooting touch and extended range. Although there are some concerns about the fluidity of his movement, he still did an excellent job at protecting the rim for the Longhorns.

For his one year at Texas, he averaged 10.1 points on 51.3 percent shooting from inside the arc and 83.9 percent from the free-throw line. He added 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 22.2 minutes.

While it wouldn’t happen right away, Turner has the touch to become a very valuable stretch five for the Jazz who can also get it done on the defensive end.

6. Frank Kaminsky, 6-11, power forward, Wisconsin

Kaminsky took huge strides forward with his game during each of his four seasons under Bo Ryan At Wisconsin. He turned himself from a little-used bench player to the National Player of the Year. He can play with his back to the basket, but also is an excellent spot-up shooter from the perimeter.

During his senior year at Wisconsin, he averaged 18.8 points on 54.7 percent shooting from the floor, including 41.6 percent from 3-point land. He added 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 blocked shots in 33.6 minutes.

He could step in for the Jazz right away and fill the role a stretch 4/5 for the second unit because of his great outside touch

5. Willie Cauley-Stein, 7-0, center, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein is a freak athlete who can dominate the game from the defensive end of the floor. HIs long arms and good enough footwork to guard multiple positions. He is great in the passing lanes and a very skilled rim protector. Although he is far form polished on the offensive end, he is a decent passer and can finish in the paint.

For the 2014-15 season, he averaged 8.9 points on 57.2 percent shooting from the floor. He added 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.2 steals and 1.0 assists in 25.9 minutes to earn consensus first-team All-American.

If he lands with the Jazz, he would be able to step in right away and be effective on the defensive end of the floor for the second unit.

4. Trey Lyles, 6-10, power forward, Kentucky

Lyles wasn’t able to show everything he could do because he chose to spend his one year in college with the Kentucky Wildcats. Although he shot the ball poorly form the outside with the Wildcats, he has a good enough touch to be a very effective face-up player. He can also beat you off the bounce and finish in traffic or get to the free-throw line.

During his only year at Kentucky, he averaged 8.7 points on 53.6 percent shooting form inside the arc, and 73.5 percent from the free-throw line. He added 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 23 minutes.

He would be a nice fit for the Jazz if he is still available because of his great length and finishing ability in space.

3. R.J. Hunter, 6-5, shooting guard, Georgia State

While his numbers as a junior don’t show it, Hunter has great shooting touch and the length to get it off at the next level.He has been able to score since the moment he stepped on campus at Georgia State and that shouldn’t change once he gets to the NBA.

For his 2014-15 season, he averaged 19.5 points on 39.3 percent shooting from the floor and 88.7 percent from the free-throw line. He added 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 37.2 minutes.

He would be a great fit for the Jazz second unit because of his ability to space the floor on offense and get into the passing lanes on defense.

2. Devin Booker, 6-6, shooting guard, Kentucky

Although we saw very little of Booker’s all-around game at Kentucky, we know one thing for sure, he can shoot the ball. He isn’t overly quick or explosive, but knows how to use screens and get open for good shots.

During his one season with the Wildcats, he averaged 10 points on 47 percent shooting form the floor, including 41.1 percent from 3-point range. He added 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.5 minutes.

He would be a valuable addition to the Jazz because he would be able to create space and open up driving lanes because of his great shooting stroke.

1. Stanley Johnson, 6-7, small forward, Arizona

Although Johnson is a bit undersized to play the three (6-5 without shoes at the combine), he makes up for it with his enormous wingspan. He has the size and strength to compete at the NBA level on both ends of the floor. He has a nice face-up game with good range and can also finish at the rim.

During his one year at Arizona, he averaged 13.8 points on 44.6 percent shooting from the floor, including 37.1 percent from 3-point range. He added 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 28.4 minutes.

If he is still on the board when the Jazz pick, he would be a hard prospect to pass up. He has already shown the work ethic necessary to become a good outside shooter and has the physical skills on both ends of the floor to be a potential star.

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