Lack Of Draft Pick Eases Jazz Busy Summer
Jun 13, 2022, 2:03 PM
Former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – While there’s no good time to lack draft picks, the Utah Jazz seem happy to have a little less work on their plate during a busier-than-usual summer.
The draft is next week, and while the Jazz are still working out prospects in case they find a player they want to add to the roster, finding a new coach is the more pressing need.
Quin Snyder resigned on June 5th after eight seasons with the Jazz, throwing the organization into a coaching search at a point they’re usually preparing for draft night.
The @utahjazz head coaching candidate tracker!
A running list of every name reportedly interviewing for the team's open head coaching position, plus their resumes. #TakeNote https://t.co/K8kvJLcGpR
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 8, 2022
“In a way, it’s kind of good we don’t have a draft pick because we’ve been able to focus on the coaching search,” Jazz vice president of pro personnel Bart Taylor said.
The Jazz have still worked out more than 40 players as they prepare for the draft, but haven’t lost sight of their more pressing needs this offseason.
“We are still studying the draft, but without a pick it makes it a little easier to focus on other things like the mini camp and the coaching search right now,” Taylor said. “But it’s been hectic.”
The upcoming @utahjazz mini-camp is loaded with local connections. 🎷🏀#TakeNote #NBA #NBATwitter https://t.co/GaGk4D8KvN
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 13, 2022
Between draft workouts, the Jazz have hosted two mini-camps where they’ve welcomed a combination of NBA hopefuls and league veterans trying to find their way onto a roster next season.
That includes a two-day camp beginning Monday that features former lottery pick Jabari Parker and longtime NBA veterans like Denzel Valentine and Langston Galloway.
Last week Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said that former Snyder assistant Alex Jensen was going to oversee the team’s summer league efforts. Jensen is a candidate for the head coaching job, though as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported over the weekend, the search is still in its infancy.
The Utah Jazz received permission to interview Detroit Pistons assistant Jerome Allen for the franchise’s coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Jazz are beginning first-round of zoom interviews over next few days.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2022
But, with the draft just 10 days away, the Jazz aren’t leaving any stone unturned when it comes to roster formation.
“The next two weeks, it’s going to be a lot of work as well,” Taylor admitted. “We’re trying to find a coach and trying to figure out summer league rosters, figure out if we can get into the draft, figure out if we want to get into the draft and who that would be for. So we’re still having a lot of conversations and we’re doing a lot of work.”
The NBA Draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The draft will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 6 pm MT.
