Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
There were plenty of moves made during the 2013 NBA Draft, but the Utah Jazz may have stolen the show with one of the better trades in terms of need.
Utah will likely say goodbye to Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Mo Williams in free agency. It is unclear whether the Jazz have any motives to bring them back and they may try and use the extra cap space to lure in some new guys.
When the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Michigan point guard Trey Burke ninth overall, it was obvious he wouldn’t stay there because of the presence of Ricky Rubio and backup point guard Alexey Shved.
The Jazz traded their 14th and 21st picks to Minnesota for the rights to Burke, and in doing so may have established their point guard position for the next few years.
Burke is an incredible player overall and can do a lot of the things you ask of him at that position. He can score with the best point guards out there, is great at getting teammates involved — high assist average throughout college — and plays solid defense winding up with a steal or two every game.
With the Jazz possibly looking to sell a big name or two on coming to Utah, Burke could flourish even more. It’s not likely that any big names want to come to the Jazz therefore Burke could be the star of the show.
With Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter down low, Burke will have a young and upcoming front court to work with which should help him out greatly off the pick-and-roll situations.
It’s tough to predict the roster for this fall, but the Jazz may not wind up with any huge names via free agency and Burke could then carry the load on himself — which many, including myself, believe he is ready to do.
The versatility Burke brings to the poing guard position for Utah is huge for them. Being able not only to score but have the awareness to get his teammates the ball is rare. Only the best point guards can do both at a high level, and Burke has that potential.
It will be a lot of fun to watch Burke develop his professional game and I wouldn’t put it past him to win the NBA Rookie of the Year when it is all said and done. His name will be within those talks all season long, just wait and see.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
