UTAH JAZZ

Five Players To Watch For Utah Jazz With 21st Pick

Jun 16, 2025, 5:32 PM

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz own the fifth and the 21st pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and will have plenty of options with the players available to choose from.

While they will be looking for a star with their top-five selection, finding a steal late in the first round will also be a priority for the organization.

With that in mind, here is a player at each position the Jazz will consider with the 21st overall pick.

 Related: Utah Jazz 2025 Draft Prospects

Five Players For Jazz To Consider With 21st Pick

Point Guard – Walter Clayton Jr. – Florida

18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds – .448/.386/.875

If the Jazz are willing to add yet another first-year player to the roster, but don’t necessarily want to get younger, Walter Clayton Jr. might be the ideal candidate.

A four-year senior, Clayton Jr. is a floor general in the truest sense of the label, helping guide the Florida Gators to the national championship this past season.

Clayton Jr. is a marksman from the three-point line, an active defender, and an overall steady leader who would bring a winning pedigree to the Jazz’s backcourt.

Small, older guards tend to go undervalued in the draft, and Clayton Jr. could be a steal in the 20s.

Shooting Guard – Jase Richardson – Michigan State

12.1 points, 1.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds – .493/.412/.836

The Jazz likely represent the low end of Jase Richardson’s draft range, with some projecting him to be selected as high as the second half of the lottery.

The son of former NBA dunk champ Jason Richardson, Jase is a high-IQ, albeit undersized, combo guard.

While his raw statistical production wasn’t off the charts as a freshman, he’s an analytics darling, and Michigan State looked like a completely different team when he was on the floor.

At six feet tall, Richardson might not have a natural position in the NBA, but his intelligence, connective passing, and knockdown shooting will give him a chance to stick in the NBA.

Small Forward – Liam McNeeley – UConn

14.5 points, 2.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds – .381/.317/.866

Liam McNeeley had one of the stranger seasons in recent college memory, leaving high school as a top-ten recruit and largely playing out of position at UConn.

Without a true point guard to share the floor with, McNeeley had to carry a much larger offensive load than he was prepared for, and the rest of his game suffered as a result.

To make matters worse, the wing suffered an ankle injury in early January and saw his shooting percentages plummet when he returned over the final 13 games of the season.

While McNeeley was one of the top shooters in the country coming out of high school, he knocked down just 38 percent of his field goals and 31 percent of his threes in 27 games as a freshman, and fell from a projected lottery pick to a late first-round selection.

Though there are questions about his athleticism, McNeeley has legit NBA size at over 6-foot-8 in shoes, and will likely shoot the ball better in a reduced role at the next level.

Power Forward – Rasheer Fleming – St. Joseph’s

14.7 points, 1.3 assists, 8.5 rebounds – .531/.390/.743

Rasheel Fleming had a productive junior season at St. Joseph’s, where he improved his statistical averages across the board and shot a very healthy 39 percent from the three-point line.

The almost 20-year-old is a true power forward who lacks the ball skills to be a playmaker on offense, and isn’t quite big enough to be an undersized center in the NBA.

Fleming’s fit in the NBA might be narrower than his statistical profile would imply due to his lack of positional versatility, but in the right situation, his floor spacing, length, and defensive consistency could allow him to carve out a long professional career.

Center – Maxime Reynaud – Stanford

20.2 points, 1.7 assists, 10.6 rebounds – .467/.347/.770

Maxime Reynaud’s freshman and sophomore seasons didn’t have him on many NBA radars, but the center made a big jump as an upperclassman and had a standout senior season at Stanford.

Reynaud’s combination of athleticism and three-point shooting is rare, even by NBA standards, knocking down 67 threes this past season, while easily finishing on top of the rim in the half-court.

His 46 percent field goal success rate is underwhelming for a center, but was largely due to his increased three-point attempts and larger offensive load, both of which should stabilize in the NBA.

Reynaud isn’t an elite defender as a center, but with his agile athleticism, he may be able to share the floor with other true rim protectors in the NBA, providing more defensive versatility than he showed in college.

Seven-footers who space the floor are always at a premium in the NBA, and his offensive skills may reach new heights with better spacing at the next level.

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky

  • Utah Jazz Scoreboard

  • Utah Jazz Team Leaders

  • Utah Jazz Standings

Utah Jazz

Michael Rapino, CEO of and President of Live Nation (left), Ryan Smith (center), chairman of SEG, a...

Ben Anderson

SEG, Live Nation To Open Music Venue Near Delta Center

SEG and Live Nation Entertainment announced plans to build a mid-size indoor music venue downtown near Delta Center.

2 days ago

Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets blocks a shot by Kyle Filipowski #22 of the Utah Jazz as Jock...

Ben Anderson

Jazz Mailbag: How Quickly Could The Rebuild End?

Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag, where this week we explore how quickly this current rebuild could end.

2 days ago

Oscar Tshiebwe #34 of the Utah Jazz...

Brian Preece

Jazz Re-Sign Oscar Tshiebwe To Two-Way Deal

The Utah Jazz, already one of the youngest teams in the NBA, got a little bit younger after signing former Kentucky Wildcat Oscar Tshiebwe to a two-way contract.

2 days ago

Utah Jazz Utah Mammoth Delta Center 2025-26 season...

Brian Preece

Jazz, Mammoth Games Overlap 25 Times In 2025-26 Season

The Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth are scheduled to play on the same night 25 times this season, beginning with five dates in November.

5 days ago

John Stockton #12 of the Utah Jazz | Softer NBA...

Ben Anderson

John Stockton Criticizes ‘Softer’ Modern NBA

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz legend John Stockton said he believes today’s NBA is “softer” than in years past. In an appearance on “The Maverick Approach” podcast, which often explores conspiracy theories, Stockton shared his views on how the NBA has evolved. Related: John Stockton Gets Shoutout At Super Bowl John Stockton Calls Modern […]

6 days ago

Utah Jazz schedule 2025-26...

Ben Anderson

Utah Jazz 2025-26 Schedule Released

The Utah Jazz released their schedule for the 2025-26 season, marking the 52nd campaign for the franchise.

7 days ago

Sponsored Articles

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 13

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 12

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 11

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 10

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 9

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 8

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

Page was generated in 0.075495958328247