Six second-round picks.
That is how many the Utah Jazz acquired at the 2025 trade deadline. This has led some fans to wonder what the value of acquiring these picks is. Second-round guys are typically either longshot developmental pieces or older fourth/fifth-year college players. With a roster bursting with young players, what purpose does adding these picks make for the Jazz?
To determine the value of second-round picks, we analyzed several deals involving them over the past few NBA seasons to determine their potential value.
The players
As mentioned above, these second-round picks can be used to find hidden gems within the draft. You don’t have to look further than reigning three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who was selected with the 41st overall pick.
Other players include Draymond Green, Dennis Rodman, and Jazz legend Jeff Hornacek. This category typically includes foreign players or those playing at smaller colleges who slipped through most scouts’ radar.
Even this year, the Jazz managed to get a potential gem in Kyle Filipowski in the second round.
According to a study from the Sports Analytics Group at Berkeley, between 2009 and 2019,” slightly less than half of non-lottery firsts are still playing in the league, while approximately one-fifth of second-round picks from the specified time frame are still playing.”
Picking a second-round player carries the potential of a low-risk, high-reward gamble.
The trade asset
Second-round picks can be the glue that holds NBA deals together. We saw a perfect example at the trade deadline, with every deal involving Utah earning the Jazz second-round picks.
They can be the glue that holds a deal together and the main draw, allowing teams to draft more players on rookie-scale contracts to stay under the salary cap. The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled a trade like this in the 2024 draft, flipping five second-round picks to the Knicks for the 26th overall pick, Dillon Jones. This saved New York $13.4 million in salary.
Again, looking at the Jazz’s deals, these picks can also be used in salary-dump trades. This helps sweeten the deal for tanking teams to take on bad contracts from contenders. Trading Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mo Bamba and P.J. Tucker saved the squad $6.5 million. Knowing they would waive both Tucker and Bamaba, the only asset that mattered to the Jazz was the picks.
Moving forward
With the 2025 draft filled with talent from top to bottom, the organization has plenty of options. Regardless of what happens now, it would be reasonable to expect action when the draft rolls around in June.
Whether it be hoarding the picks for young hidden gems or packaging them for a pick, something is brewing within the Jazz front office.
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