With Walt Perrin set to join the New York Knicks front office, let’s review the Top 10 Utah Jazz draft picks during his tenure with the organization.
While COVID-19 has shut down NBA basketball games, the New York Knicks continued to work behind the scenes to shape their front office. On Monday, the Knicks reportedly hired Utah Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin to be their new assistant GM and head of college scouting. Perrin spent nearly 20 years with the Utah Jazz, overseeing their draft process, from organizing workouts to advanced scouting.
During Perrin’s time in Utah, the Jazz have resembled a sound organization, from player development to playoff appearances. The Jazz made the playoffs 10 of those 20 seasons. They truly bottomed out – i.e. more than 6 games under 500 – for two of the remaining ten seasons. Due to the competitive nature of the Western Conference, the Jazz even had three seasons where the team didn’t make the playoffs with a .500 or better record.
In other words, due to the Jazz’ success, they have often drafted players outside of the lottery in the mid-to-late slots of the first round. Drafting mid-to-late round picks requires a deft understanding of scouting and networking with players and agents. It’s not uncommon to see lottery picks drop down past the early first round due to a multitude of factors. The skillset Perrin possesses reinforces these traits.
The Jazz have had several successful draft picks during the 20 year stretch Perrin spent in the organization as an integral part of their drafting process.
The purpose of this article is to list out the top 10 draft picks during his tenure, both from a talent and value perspective. While Perrin was not solely responsible for all of these draft selections, his input was key in making the choices, and the Jazz draft record provides insight into his scouting record.
10) Mo Williams: 2003 NBA Draft (47th Overall Pick)
In a true testament to college scouting, the Utah Jazz drafted Mo Williams with the 47th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Interestingly enough, the 2nd round of the 2003 NBA Draft included several unforeseen players that became integral pieces to playoff contenders and NBA champions, including Zaza Pachulia (42nd overall), Matt Bonner (45th overall), James Jones (49th overall), Kyle Korver (51st overall), & Williams.
Williams played two seasons with the University of Alabama, showcasing his talents as a point guard. He was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002 and made the ALL-SEC 3rd Team in 2003. Williams declared for the 2003 NBA Draft after his sophomore season, but Alabama’s poor record and the depth of point guards in the draft pushed his stock down. Perrin & the Jazz noticed Williams’ offensive prowess and potential and thus selected him.
Williams spent the bulk of his rookie season as the third string shooting guard, behind both Deshawn Stevenson & Raja Bell. However, he was a restricted free agent after his rookie season. The Jazz prioritized upgrading their frontcourt and made two big splashes when they signed Carlos Boozer & Mehmet Okur to long-term contracts. These contracts, plus the point guard depth, placed Williams on the outside looking in. Therefore, Williams signed a 3-year, $5.5m offer sheet with the Milwaukee Bucks. While the contract looks like a bargain in 2020, the Jazz didn’t match the offer sheet, a decision the GM at the time deeply regretted.
Williams became a full-time starting PG, showcasing his offensive proficiency from behind the arc. He made the 2009 NBA All Star Team with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams was LeBron James‘ teammates during his two stints with the Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016, his final season in the NBA.
Williams spent 13 seasons in the NBA, won 1 NBA Championship, and made 1 NBA All Star Team. While he didn’t achieve much success with the Jazz, during his two seasons with the team, he enjoyed a very successful NBA career relative to where he was drafted. The Jazz themselves made up for his loss with another player mentioned later in this piece.
9) Enes Kanter: 2011 NBA Draft (3rd Overall Pick)
Enes Kanter had a lot of intrigue heading into the 2011 NBA Draft. He emigrated to the United States in 2009 to play basketball, but had to cycle through three high schools to play in games due to eligibility concerns.
Kanter played professionally in Istanbul and purportedly received money from the team, thus threatening his status as an amateur basketball player. Due to those threats, he wasn’t able to play basketball at both Findlay Prep & Beckley Mountain State. He finally transferred to Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, California where he played one year of high school basketball before committing to the University of Kentucky. He also played in the 2010 Nike Hoops Summit exhibition game.
However, the investigations surrounding Kanter’s eligibility carried over to the NCAA. As a result, the NCAA ruled Kanter ineligible and he wasn’t able to play any college basketball. Despite the eligibility concerns, Kanter declared himself for the 2011 NBA Draft and was considered a mystery prospect to many teams.
As for the Utah Jazz, Perrin already did his homework on Kanter by watching film and through the player interviews, as discussed in the video below:
Seeing Kanter’s potential as a legitimate 7-foot big man, the Jazz went ahead and drafted him with the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kanter came off the bench during his first two seasons and claimed the starting position during the 2013-14 season. By the 2014-15 season, Kanter became the full-time starting center. However, Kanter demanded a trade before the trade deadline as he voiced frustration over playing time, especially losing minutes to sophomore Rudy Gobert. The Jazz granted his trade request and traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kanter’s spent his post-Jazz tenure with the Thunder, Knicks, Trailblazers, & Celtics. With all four teams, he’s been a near double double threat, but his defensive shortcomings limited his upside against playoff teams.
8) Ronnie Brewer: 2006 NBA Draft (14th Overall Pick)
Similar to Mo Williams, Ronnie Brewer established his presence in the SEC, but with the Arkansas Razorbacks. During his three seasons with the team, Brewer showed the ability to defend with high intensity. His long and lanky frame made him one of the best defenders heading into the 2006 NBA Draft amongst his rookie brethren. It also helped that he had a strong basketball pedigree as his father, Ron Brewer, played 8 seasons in the NBA.
The Jazz had their eyes on Brewer with the 14th overall pick, but was cognizant that he could be selected within the top ten. However, Brewer did indeed slip to 14 as the Jazz subsequently drafted him.
Brewer quickly became one of Jerry Sloan‘s trusted players due to his high efficiency from the floor (over 50% from the field during his first 3 seasons) and tough defense. He quickly became the starting shooting guard and averaged 1.7 steals/game during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
Due to a logjam at the wing position, the Jazz traded Brewer midway through the 2009-10 season. The trade freed up minutes for future Knick Wesley Matthews & CJ Miles. Brewer had a short stint with the Knicks during the 2012-13 season before a midseason trade sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
7) C.J. Miles 2005 NBA Draft (34th Overall Pick)
The 2005 NBA Draft marked the last season when high school players could get drafted into the NBA. By the end of the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft, two high school players came off the draft board.
The Jazz drafted C.J. Miles with the 34th overall pick due to his immense upside (at 18 years old). Since Miles didn’t sign with an agent, he had the option to attend college at the University of Texas while the team kept his draft rights. Perrin and the Jazz knew Miles would be a long-term project, but one that may prosper given the right amount of development.
As expected, Miles spent most of his first two seasons shuttling in between the Jazz and their G-League teams, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds & Idaho Stampede. He cemented a bench role during the 2007-08 season as he became a more adept scorer off the bench. His talents didn’t get unnoticed.
Miles signed an offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder of 4-years, $14.8 million, one the Jazz matched (learning their lesson from the Mo Williams saga). Miles played well off the bench over his tenure with the Jazz before becoming a free agent in 2012.
Miles then signed a two-year contract with the Cavaliers before parlaying his performance into two successive contracts of 4 years/$18 million with the Indiana Pacers and 3 years/$25 million with the Toronto Raptors.
6) Rodney Hood: 2014 NBA Draft (23rd Overall Pick)
Rodney Hood is an encapsulation of a savvy front office capitalizing on players that fall in the NBA Draft. Hood started his collegiate career in Mississippi State before transferring to Duke for his sophomore season. He declared for the NBA draft in 2014, foregoing his final two years of college eligibility.
He was a potential lottery pick heading into the draft, but defensive concerns, being relatively older than most prospects, and slight frame forced Hood to slip out of the lottery. The Jazz attempted to get Hood to workout with them, but he declined to do so. Knowing of his talent, the Jazz decided to draft Hood anyways with the 23rd overall pick.
Foot injuries limited Hood in his rookie campaign, but he proved many of his naysayers wrong by starting in his sophomore season. He increased his scoring average to 14.5 points/game along with two threes per game. He became a three-point scoring dynamo for the team.
Due to the emergence of another player in this list, the Jazz traded Hood to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017-18 season. The Trailblazers acquired him during the 2018-19 season. He showed signs of resurgence this season before he tore his left Achilles in December 2019.
5) Paul Millsap: 2006 NBA Draft (47th Overall Pick)
There’s something special about the number 47 when it comes to the Utah Jazz. After drafting Mo Williams with the 47th overall pick in 2003, the Jazz struck gold once again when they drafted Paul Millsap with the 47th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
Millsap was a double double machine in college and averaged 2 blocks/game during his three-year run with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Millsap earned three NCAA rebounding titles, a feat no other player accomplished to date. Despite these accomplishments, Millsap was ignored in the draft, perhaps due to his undersized frame. In fact, Jay Bilas had the gall to compare him at the time to Malik Rose, as shown below:
Millsap proved everyone wrong quickly and made the All-Rookie second Team. After Carlos Boozer left the Jazz in 2010, Millsap went from a superb sixth man to the starting power forward. He was a power forward with very few weaknesses.
He later joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2013-14 season where he cemented his role as a perennial All-Star forward. He signed with the Nuggets for the 2017-18 season. For the 47th overall pick, he’s had a marvelous NBA career.
4) Gordon Hayward: 2010 NBA Draft (9th Overall Pick)
At the time of the 2010 NBA Draft, it was common intuition that the Indiana Pacers would land their hometown hero in Gordon Hayward. Therefore, it had to break their hearts when the Utah Jazz stole Hayward with the 9th overall pick in the draft (the Knicks 1st round pick), one pick before the Pacers. The Pacers did end up with Paul George, so it wasn’t a major regret.
Hayward had a gradual ascent from his rookie season into an All-Star berth during the 2016-17 season. He became a high efficiency scorer with the ability to facilitate an offense. By the end of the season, Hayward clearly outperformed many of the players selected above him.
A temptation to reunite with his former Butler coach in Brad Stevens led Hayward to the Boston Celtics after the 2016-17 season. Unfortunately, a fractured tibia in his first regular season game sidelined Hayward for the rest of the season. Hayward began to regain some of his scoring abilities from his days with the Jazz during the 2019-20 season.
3) Deron Williams: 2005 NBA Draft (3rd Overall Pick)
The Utah Jazz originally held the 6th and the 27th overall picks in the 2005 NBA Draft. The Portland Trailblazers held the 3rd overall pick in the draft. The Trailblazers had their eyes set on Martell Webster, whom they considered one of the best shooting guards in the draft. Additionally, they entrusted in Sebastian Telfair, drafted 13th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, as their franchise point guard.
The Jazz, on the other hand, had their eyes on both Chris Paul & Deron Williams. The Jazz were afraid both would be picked before the 6th pick. In fact, Walt Perrin convinced then-GM Kevin O’Connor to trade up to acquire one of them. As O’Connor recalled to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Perrin told him that “We have to get one of those two guys because they’re going to be a franchise changer.”
The Jazz were torn between CP3 & Williams. It was a decision made alongside O’Connor, Perrin, team president Denny Haslam, & then-coach Jerry Sloan. Ultimately, the decision was made to select Williams over Paul for several reasons. Sloan preferred his fit in the offense, his interview with the team, and his size.
The Jazz & Blazers pulled the trigger on the trade hours before the draft. The Jazz dealt both of their 1st round picks along with a 2006 1st round pick to the Blazers for the #3 pick. The Jazz drafted Williams & the Blazers drafted Webster. The rest is history.
Williams quickly cemented himself as the franchise point guard. It was a position of dire need since John Stockton‘s retirement. Williams formed a lethal pick-and-roll tandem with both Carlos Boozer & Mehmet Okur.
The Jazz returned to the NBA Playoffs during Williams’ sophomore campaign, taking the team to the Western Conference Finals. Williams was a two time Olympic champion in 2008 & 2012. Additionally, he made the NBA All Star team from 2010-12.
The long-held debate in NBA circles revolves around whether the Jazz made the right decision in drafting Deron over CP3. While CP3 has had a better overall career, Deron’s impact on the franchise cannot be mistaken.
2) Donovan Mitchell: 2017 NBA Draft (13th Overall Pick)
One of Walt Perrin’s greatest finds was scouting Donovan Mitchell and convincing the Jazz not only to draft him, but to trade up to the 13th overall pick to acquire him. At the cost of just Trey Lyles and the 24th overall pick in the draft, that’s more than a heist.
Perrin convinced the Jazz to move up to select Mitchell after being impressed by a pre-draft workout he orchestrated with Mitchell’s agent, who Perrin has a strong relationship with. It is a great example of how Perrin used his connections and scouting acumen to identify a sleeper in the draft.
Mitchell immediately became arguably the best rookie in the draft class, alongside Ben Simmons. As Mitchell’s game improved season-by-season, the Jazz did as well. Mitchell became the offensive cornerstone of the franchise as he made his first All Star appearance this season. It’s clear that Perrin’s work behind the scenes paid massive dividends for the franchise.
Of course, with Perrin coming to New York, and the recent drama between Mitchell and teammate Rudy Gobert, the trade rumors will swirl around the New York product eventually finding his way to Madison Square Garden.
1) Rudy Gobert: 2013 NBA Draft (27th Overall Pick)
It seems like the Utah Jazz love to fleece the Denver Nuggets in draft-day trades during the 2010s. The Nuggets weren’t interested in keeping their first round pick. To save money, the Nuggets agreed to trade their first round pick, 27th overall, to the Jazz for the 46th overall pick and cash considerations. The Jazz, in return, drafted Rudy Gobert and the rest is history.
Heading into the draft, many teams were wowed by Gobert’s physical attributes – 7’2 height and 7’9 wingspan – but considered him a very raw prospect that needed years to develop his frame. Many mock drafts galore didn’t even consider him a second round pick.
To Walt Perrin & the Jazz, he was considered a gem. Perrin watched Gobert play in Europe and arranged for him to workout with the Jazz before the draft. Perrin noted that Gobert “had an outstanding workout” and was more impressed with that than his talent. To reward Gobert, the Jazz traded up to select him.
After honing his craft in the G-League during his rookie campaign, Gobert broke out during his sophomore season. His performance led to the Jazz trading Kanter before the deadline. He quickly became a defensive force, blocking shots at ease and rebounding with force.
His efforts paid dividends, individually, as Gobert made the All-NBA second team in 2017 and third team in 2019. He was also selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team for the past three seasons, leading the league in blocks during his 2016-17 campaign. Gobert’s efforts translated into extended playoff runs for the Jazz. The NBA coaches finally recognized his performance when he was selected to the All Star Game during the 2019-20 season.
Despite the tensions that occurred during the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, Gobert & Mitchell will forever be linked. Not only do both players represent gems acquired from draft-day heists with the Denver Nuggets, both serve as the pillars of the Utah Jazz franchise.
These selections will be Perrin’s greatest achievement in Utah.