While the NBA playoffs continue, teams around the league have started conducting pre-draft workouts for rookie prospects.
Although the Utah Jazz don’t have a pick in the upcoming 2022 draft, that didn’t stop them from kicking off the offseason work as they normally would, hosting workouts of prospects at Zions Bank Basketball Campus on Thursday.
The group included Seton Hall wing Jared Rhoden, Purdue forward Trevion Williams, Connecticut guard R.J. Cole, Wichita State guard Tyson Etienne and UCLA guard Johnny Juzang. All of these players are projected to either be late second-round selections or rookie free agents, but Rhoden is a prospect whose stock has been rising during the last few weeks.
After an impressive showing at the NBA G League Camp earlier this month, Rhoden was called up to the NBA draft combine in Chicago, where he interviewed with four teams, including the Jazz, according to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov.
Rhoden again impressed during his pro day, which was watched by a wide range of NBA executives and scouts, and he is now working out for various teams.
“I’m a long wing and someone who is active on both sides of the ball,” Rhoden said after his workout with the Jazz. “I think I’m the type of player that does all the intangible things that may not always show up on the box score, but someone that can have an impact on the game.”
The 6-foot-6 combo guard prides himself on being switchable, quick and having good instincts, and he welcomes criticism. He’s been told that he needs to become more consistent from 3-point range and must clean up his handles and he’s taken the feedback in stride, viewing it as an opportunity for continued growth.
“I think I’m capable of doing everything,” he said. “It’s just about sharpening all the tools in my kit.”
After interviewing with the Jazz at the combine, the New York native stood out enough to be invited to Utah for a workout. Rhoden said that being a four-year college player and growing up in a diverse area are things that can give him an edge.
“I’m an articulate young man, someone that can fit in a system and be cohesive in any type of environment, whether it’s here in Utah or anywhere else in the country,” Rhoden said. “Understanding people’s different characters and going through college and being a four-year player, I think I have a certain level of maturity to myself and my game that I try to use to allow me to stick out a little bit.”
The Jazz are one of four teams that do not have a pick in the 2022 draft, but a trade could change that. The team is scheduled to have another round of workouts this weekend.
