After suffering one of the most unfortunate 2025 NBA Draft Lottery outcomes, the Utah Jazz face an uphill battle in their rebuild. The Jazz finished with the worst record in the NBA with just 17 wins, and rather than landing Cooper Flagg, Utah fell all the way to the No. 5 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery.
However, falling to fifth is not a complete waste with the talent available in the 2025 class. Even at No. 5, the Jazz could still walk away with a high upside player who can solve their persistent point guard problem.
Jazz Predicted To Select Oklahoma Guard With No. 5 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft
Last season, the Jazz finished near the bottom five of the league in offensive rating. Despite Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen on the roster, consistent offense was not readily available for Utah. Some of that came down to the lack of a lead shot creator at the guard spot, and it isn’t the first time they have struggled because of it.
“The Jazz have experimented with multiple point guards in recent years, and while Isaiah Collier had a strong rookie year, he wasn’t good enough for Utah to avoid drafting another lead ball handler,” Noah Rubin of NBC Sports wrote, who predicted Utah would select Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to solve the issue.
Oklahoma Sooners freshman Jeremiah Fears continues to draw intrigue as a potential Top-7 pick #NBADraft
After reclassifying to join the Sooners, Fears showcased some fantastic upside and versatility during his freshman year.
The 18-year-old guard averaged 17.1 PTS, 4.1 REB, 4.1… pic.twitter.com/x7ngXErXpI
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) June 12, 2025
Fears has been compared to offensive-oriented NBA guard standouts such as Dejounte Murray, Jamal Murray, and Jordan Poole. While none are franchise-level players, such outcomes would give the Jazz a clear building block at their lead guard spot, likely at the expense of either Keyonte George or Collier.
“Fears’ efficiency was an issue during his lone season at Oklahoma, but he was productive in a high-usage role in a tough conference after enrolling a year early,” Rubin added. “The 18-year-old has the potential to solve the point guard problem for the Jazz.”
Across 34 outings at Oklahoma, Fears averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 3-pointers per game, shooting 43.4%. However, he shot just 28.4% from downtown, with his outside shooting and defense being areas of concern in his game.
PFSN’s Projection For Jazz and Fears
In PFSN’s latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft by Cam Mellor, the Jazz are predicted to pick a different high upside player at No. 5 overall. “The Utah Jazz make their move to get their big of the future by selecting Derik Queen here,” Mellor wrote. “Queen comes off the board as the first true big, ahead of a few other options the Jazz had here at No. 5.
“He’s a rare blend of high-volume interior scorer and physically dominant defender, all rolled into one scary-good prospect.”
Meanwhile, Fears is predicted to slip to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8 overall.
“There are ball handlers in this class, and then there’s Jeremiah Fears. With four first-round picks in their pocket (for now), the Brooklyn Nets aren’t exactly scared to take a swing here, and Fears makes it an easy one with his dynamic shot creation and playmaking ability.”
