National Basketball Association

Utah Jazz: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:18 p.m. ET

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Utah Jazz

Feb 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA former player Karl Malone shoots during the 2014 NBA All Star Shooting Stars competition at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz have had some memorable picks in the NBA Draft in years past. Here is a look back at a few of them.

The Utah Jazz have had their fair share of ups and down in the NBA. During the team's first nine years of existence, they failed to make it to the playoffs.

Over the next stretch of time — 20 years to be exact — the Jazz were a perennial playoff club, advancing to the field of 16 in each of those 20 seasons. The team's most notable playoff runs occurred in 1997 and 1998.

In those memorable years, the Jazz represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, but fell to the Chicago Bulls in six games both times. On the heels of a 2016-17 campaign that saw them make the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, the Jazz are hoping to build on their momentum after trading up for Donovan Mitchell in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Like most NBA teams, the Jazz have had their fair share of misses in the draft. At the same token, they have had some noteworthy draft picks as well.

That being said, here is a look back on the top 10 NBA Draft picks in Utah Jazz franchise history.

10. Bryon Russell (SF/SG) — No. 45 pick in 1993 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  628 GP, 9.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.1 TOV, 44.0 FG%, 74.7 FT%

There wasn't much hype surrounding Russell during his junior season at Louisiana State. That year, he averaged 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest.

Despite the somewhat modest numbers, the Jazz selected the swingman with the 45th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft. Initially, it seemed the Jazz had whiffed on this pick as Russell didn't average more than five points per contest during his first three seasons.

Fortunately for both sides, that trend changed over the next six years, with Russell posting a double-digit scoring average in four of those years. On top of that, he was a key member of those Jazz teams that made it to the Finals in 1997 and 1998.

All in all, Russell played a total of nine seasons for the Jazz and posted averages of 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals per outing on shooting splits of .441/.371/.747.

Russell did go on to play for three other teams, including the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, but his production wasn't nearly what it was during his tenure with the Jazz.

9. Ronnie Brewer (SF/SG) — No. 14 pick in 2006 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  266 GP, 10.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.0 TOV, 52.3 FG%, 70.6 FT%

Ronnie Brewer had a solid collegiate career at Arkansas. After averaging 12.2 points per outing his first season, Brewer increased those numbers to 16.2 and 18.4 points per contest, respectively. In addition to that, he also converted 34 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Sensing that something was brewing (no pun intended), the Jazz took him with the 14th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. His rookie campaign left a lot to be desired as he averaged just 4.6 and 1.3 rebounds points per contest.

Over the next two seasons, Brewer posted averages of 12.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest in 2007-08 and 13.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per outing in 2008-09. As his production began to slip again in his fourth season, he was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played just five games.

During his four-year stint with the Jazz, Brewer posted averages of 10.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest on slash lines of .523/.234/.706.

Brewer eventually went on to play for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. As was the case with Russell, though, his numbers with those teams didn't match what he did during his time in Utah.

8. Mark Eaton (C) — No. 72 pick in 1982 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  875 GP, 6.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.5 BPG, 1.5 TOV, 45.8 FG%, 64.9 FT%

To say that Mark Eaton's road to the NBA was interesting would be a mild understatement. You see, the 7'4″ giant worked as a mechanic for three years before playing JUCO basketball for two seasons.

This path eventually led him to UCLA, where he played for two seasons. During those two seasons — get ready for this — Eaton averaged 1.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per contest. Needless to say, these are not the kind of numbers that would get any NBA team overly excited.

However, intrigued by his size, the Jazz took a chance and selected Eaton with the 72nd overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft. Although he never averaged 10 points per contest in any season, don't let the low scoring stats fool you.

Eaton became a fixture on the roster for the next 11 seasons. During that time, he racked up a few impressive accolades:

Slowed by back and knee injuries during the latter stages of his career, Eaton retired from the NBA following the 1992-93 season.

Over the course of his career with the Jazz, Easton averaged 6.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per contest on 46 percent shooting from the field. While he was never a prolific scorer, he was one of the most intimidating forces the league has ever seen.

Mar 28, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Former Utah Jazz player Andrei Kirilenko talks with the media prior to the game between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Kirilenko is to honored during the game for his time with the Utah Jazz organization. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

7. Andrei Kirilenko (SF) — No. 24 pick in 1999 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  681 GP, 12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 2.0 TOV, 47.0 FG%, 76.3 FT%

With the 24th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, the Jazz selected Andrei Kirilenko from CSKA Moscow. At the time, he was the youngest European player to be drafted, but two years would pass before Kirilenko joined the Jazz prior to the start of the 2001-02 campaign.

In his first season, AK-47 posted averages of 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest en route to earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.

Standing at 6'9″ with a thin frame, Kirilenko wasn't regarded as a solid defensive player. However, he led the league in blocks during the 2004-05 campaign; finished second in this category in 2005-06 and ranked third in 2003-04.

Additionally, Kirilenko was named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2005-06 and the All-Defensive Second Team twice (2003-04, 2004-05).

Kirilenko was a double-digit for nine of his 10 seasons with the Jazz and finished with averages of 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals in 30.8 minutes per contest. Simply put, he was the Draymond Green of his era.

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) boxes out San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in overtime at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 114-112 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

6. Paul Millsap (PF) — No. 47 pick in 2006 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  540 GP, 12.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.8 TOV, 49.3 FG%, 72.3 FT%

During a successful three-year run at Louisiana Tech, Millsap averaged 18.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per outing. This includes a junior season in which he posted averages of 19.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per contest.

In spite of the impressive numbers, though, Millsap remained on the board until the second round before the Jazz took him with the 47th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Although his stats were somewhat on the low end during his first two seasons (6.1 and 8.5 points per contest), Millsap eventually moved into the starting rotation for three seasons. During his seven-year stay in Utah, Millsap averaged 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest on 51 percent shooting from the field.

In 2013, Millsap signed with the Atlanta Hawks and his production has been solid over the last four seasons to say the last. During that stretch, he has compiled averages of 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per outing. Millsap has also earned four All-Star nods and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2015-16.

All in all, not too bad for a guy that wasn't selected until the middle of the second round.

5. Darrell Griffith (SG) — No. 2 pick in 1980 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  765 GP, 16.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.1 TOV, 46.3 FG%, 70.7 FT%

Darrell Griffith (a.k.a. Dr. Dunkenstein) had a solid collegiate career during his four years at Louisville. He averaged 18.5 points per contest while converting 52 percent of his attempts. This includes a senior season in which he put up 22.9 points per outing.

Following a solid senior campaign — combined with a cool nickname — one would have presumed that Griffith would not be on the board for too long.  As expected, the Jazz took him with the second overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft.

Griffith wasted little time proving that the Jazz made the right choice. During his rookie campaign, he averaged 20.6 points per game on his way to winning Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Rookie Team.

On top of that, Griffith averaged over 20 points per contest in four of his first five NBA seasons. During his entire 10-year career — all with the Jazz — he posted averages of 16.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

May 2, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the third quarter in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

4. Gordon Hayward (SF) — No. 9 pick in 2010 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  516 GP, 15.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.9 TOV, 44.4 FG%, 82.0 FT%

Gordon Hayward stayed in college just two years. During his sophomore season at Butler, he averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 boards per outing. Not only that, he nearly hit a half-court shot that would have defeated Duke in the national title game seven years ago.

After what would have been the perfect ending to his collegiate career, Hayward opted to make the leap to the NBA, and the Jazz took him with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

His rookie season was not indicative of the player he would eventually become, as he averaged just 5.4 points per contest. Since then, Hayward has increased his scoring average in each of the last six seasons. In fact, Hayward posted career-highs in both points (21.9 per game) and rebounds (5.4 per game) during 2016-17 season and appears to be heading toward star status.

During his time with the Jazz, Hayward holds averages of 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Being that he is starting to come into his own, the Jazz are hoping he will remain a fixture on the roster for many years to come.

Mar 22, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Deron Williams (31) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 126-113. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

3. Deron Williams (PG) — No. 3 pick in 2005 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  439 GP, 17.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 3.0 TOV, 46.6 FG%, 80.8 FT%

Unlike some of the players on the list, Deron Williams didn't exactly set the world on fire during his college days at the University of Illinois. He averaged 11.0 points and 5.9 assists per contest on 42 percent shooting as a member of the Fighting Illini.

After John Stockton retired in 2003, the Jazz were in need of another point guard who could run the offense. Despite the low-key numbers, Utah selected Williams with the fifth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

During his rookie campaign, Williams posted averages of 10.8 points and 4.5 assists per contest en route to being named to the All-Rookie First Team. This was a sign of positive things to come.

Over the next five seasons, Williams never averaged less than 15 points and 9.3 assists per game. Additionally, he finished second in the NBA in assists twice (2006-07 and 2008-09), finished third in 2007-08 and 2009-10, and he was a two-time All-Star.

Unfortunately, his tenure in Utah came to an abrupt end when he and former head coach Jerry Sloan had a falling out back in February of 2011. Shortly after that incident, Sloan retired and Williams was dealt to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.

While his time in Utah did come to an unceremonious end, Williams was productive as a member of the Jazz as he averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 assists per contest in a six-year span.

Mar 22, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Former Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton talks with the media as part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the franchise's first Western Conference Championship prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

2. John Stockton (PG) — No. 16 pick in 1984 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  1,504 GP, 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 2.8 TOV, 51.5 FG%, 82.6 FT%

John Stockton was a decent player during his four years at Gonzaga, but he really came into his own during his senior season.

That year, he posted averages of 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 3.9 steals per outing, earning him conference Player of the Year honors. Based on those stats, Stockton probably should have been one of the top 10 players taken.

However, that was not the case, and the Jazz selected Stockton with the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Ironically, the Jazz fans voiced their displeasure about the team's pick. Of course, the fact that Stockton averaged just 5.6 and 7.7 points, respectively, in his first two seasons didn't help much either.

After a slow start, Stockton became a full-time starter in his fourth season and things began trending upward. In fact, for the rest of his tenure in a Jazz uniform, Stockton never averaged less than 10.0 points and 7.7 assists per game in any season.

As far as the fans who booed this selection….well, I think the following list of accolades stands on its own merit.

On top of that, Stockton was the NBA's assists leader in nine consecutive seasons (1987-88 through 1995-96) and steals (1988-89 and 1991-92).

And let's not forget this memorable shot in the 1997 Western Conference Finals, that propelled the Jazz to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance.

The crafty point guard spent his entire career with the Jazz before retiring in 2003. In those 19 seasons, he averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 31.8 minutes per contest on shooting splits of .515/.384/.826.

Stockton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, and still is the NBA's all-time leader in both assists (15,806) and steals (3,265).

Feb 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA legend Karl Malone speaks as he honored with the Community Service award during the 2014 NBA All-Star Game Legends Brunch at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

1. Karl Malone (PF) — No. 13 pick in 1985 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Jazz):  1,476 GP, 25.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 3.1 TOV, 51.7 FG%, 74.2 FT%

There was a strange trend that unfolded with Karl Malone during his three years at Louisiana Tech. After winning the conference Player of the Year during his first season, his minutes and scoring decreased in each of the next two years.

Like his former teammate, Stockton, Malone fell to the middle of the first round as well. Needless to say, the Jazz were more than happy to take him with the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.

As it turned out, this selection may have been the best decision ever made by the franchise. Following a rookie season that saw him average 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per outing, Malone never averaged less than 20.0. points and 7.8 rebounds per contest during the rest of his career with the Jazz.

It is also worth noting that Malone averaged a double-double 10 times (1986-87 through 1994-95 and 1997-98). Additionally, Malone is the only Jazz player to win the Most Valuable Player award — a feat he accomplished twice (1996-97 and 1998-99).

Below is partial list of some of the accolades Malone racked up while he was in a Jazz uniform.

Malone spent 18 years in Utah before signing with the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the start of the 2003-04 season and eventually retired in February of 2005.

During those 18 memorable seasons, the Mailman averaged 25.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, Malone finished his career as the NBA's second-leading scorer (36,928 points), eighth in rebounding (14,968) and second in minutes played (54,852).

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