Utah Jazz land no. 5 overall pick in 2025 NBA Draft
May 12, 2025, 5:50 PM | Updated: 5:55 pm
Justin Zanik, general manager of the Utah Jazz, speaks at an end of season press conference at the Zions Bank Basketball Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz learned they will be picking fifth in June’s NBA Draft after the results of Monday’s Draft Lottery.
After finishing with the worst record in the NBA at 17-65, the Jazz entered the lottery with a 14 percent chance of drafting first, a 13.4 percent chance of drafting second, a 12.7 percent chance of drafting third, a 12.0 percent chance of dating fourth, and a 47.9 percent chance of falling to fifth.
The @utahjazz will pick fifth in the 2025 NBA Draft. 🎵 pic.twitter.com/n8lKj29vSl
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 12, 2025
Who Will Jazz Select With Fifth Overall Pick?
Though Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper were the top prizes in Monday’s drawing, the Jazz will have to explore the draft’s other options after slipping in the lottery.
While there is no consensus about who will be selected outside of the top two in the draft, Rutger’s Ace Bailey, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, Texas’s Tre Johnson, and Duke’s Kon Knueppel are names commonly listed in most mocks.
Bailey is the rawest prospect at the top of the draft, but he proved to be a difficult shot maker in college with range that easily stretches out to the NBA three-point line.
If the @utahjazz fail to land the top overall pick, Ace Bailey is a name they’ll take a close look at in the top five.
How would the high-scoring wing fit with this Jazz roster?#TakeNote https://t.co/E2reMUaLWj
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 28, 2025
The forward is also a dynamic athlete, but needs to add strength, refine his shot selection, and show more focus on defense to reach his high-end potential.
Edgecombe lacks elite size, but his arguably the draft’s best athlete, producing several highlight reel dunks and blocks, and projects as a potentially high-level role player in the NBA.
The guard could develop into a star if his ball-handling and passing skills develop, but he’ll carve out a niche early in his career as a three-point shooter and defensive playmaker.
Johnson is one of the most dangerous shooters in the draft, knocking down nearly 40 percent of his 6.8 threes per game, while leading the talented SEC in scoring as a true freshman.
The guard struggles to get into the paint off the dribble, and showed little interest on the defensive end in college, but could excel with better players around him.
Knueppel was overshadowed by Flagg while playing at Duke, but had a quietly dominant season for the Blue Devils.
The guard is the draft’s most lethal shooter and likely would have carried a much larger offensive role on any other college roster.
Knueppel processes the game at a high level, which helps him overcome some of his athletic shortcomings, but he should be a safe pick with some All-Star upside in the right system.
This will be only the sixth time in the team’s 51-year history that they’ve had a top-five pick, and the first since taking Dante Exum with the fifth selection in 2014.
The Jazz also own the 21st overall selection by way of the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as the 43rd and 53rd picks in the second round.
The draft will be held on June 25 and 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Full Lottery Order
- Dallas Mavericks
- San Antonio Spurs
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Charlotte Hornets
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Houston Rockets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
- San Antonio Spurs
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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.
