Utah Jazz: Seton Hall winger Jared Rhoden works for Jazz Brass at SLC

As the NBA playoffs continue, teams across the league have started holding pre-draft workouts for rookie prospects.

Although the Utah Jazz have no picks in the upcoming 2022 draft, that hasn’t stopped them from kicking off offseason work as they normally would, hosting prospect workouts at Zions Bank Basketball Campus on Thursday. .

The group included Seton Hall winger Jared Rhoden, Purdue forward Trevion Williams, Connecticut guard RJ Cole, Wichita State guard Tyson Etienne and UCLA guard Johnny Juzang. All of those players are expected to be either late second-round picks or rookie free agents, but Rhoden is a prospect whose stock has grown in recent weeks.

After an impressive performance at NBA G League Camp earlier this month, Rhoden was called up to the NBA Draft in Chicago, where he interviewed four teams including the Jazz, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

Rhoden impressed again on his professional day, which was watched by a wide range of NBA executives and scouts, and he now works for various teams.

“I’m a long wing and someone who’s active on both sides of the ball,” Rhoden said after training with the Jazz. “I think I’m the type of player who does all the intangible things that don’t always show up on the box score, but someone who can impact the game.”

The 6-foot-6 combo guard prides himself on being switchable, quick and having good instincts, and he welcomes criticism. He was told he needed to become more consistent from 3 points and that he needed to clean up his grips and he took the feedback into account, seeing it as an opportunity for continued growth.

“I think I can do anything,” he said. “It’s just about sharpening all the tools in my kit.”

After interviewing the Jazz at the combine, the New York native stood out enough to be invited to Utah for a practice session. Rhoden said being a four-year-old college player and growing up in a diverse field are things that can give him an edge.

“I’m an articulate young man, someone who can fit into a system and be consistent in any type of environment, whether it’s here in Utah or anywhere else in the country” , Rhoden said. “Understanding the different characters of people and going through college and being a four-year-old player, I think I have a certain level of maturity for me and my game that I’m trying to use to allow me to stand out a little.”

The Jazz are one of four teams without a 2022 draft pick, but a trade could change that. The team is due to have another round of training this weekend.