Some fans may look at the team that winds up picking No. 2 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft as the first loser of the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes. This isn’t a normal year, though, as high-level prospects will still be available outside the top pick.
The Utah Jazz, who have the second-worst record in the NBA and currently sit in last place in the Western Conference, are projected to land a franchise-changing player near the top of the draft.
Jazz Predicted To Land Dylan Harper in 2025 NBA Draft
Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper is currently projected to go No. 2 overall to the Jazz in PFSN’s latest 2025 NBA mock draft. Standing at 6’6″ and 210 pounds, Harper is an offensive savant who excels at creating his own shot and scoring at the rim. He impressed in his first season with the Scarlet Knights — averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while having to share the spotlight with fellow freshman star Ace Bailey.
“Though he’s not super quick or explosive, Harper is a smooth athlete with an NBA frame,” PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote in our latest mock draft. “He’s a great ball-handler and skilled passer. His size and length offer positional versatility, and he has upside as a defender. His NBA pedigree and intangibles should make for a seamless transition to the pros.”
Harper is the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, a five-time NBA champion who played over 1,000 career games and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1986-87. Ron was a key piece for the Chicago Bulls when they completed their second three-peat in the late 1990s.
During Chicago’s final title season in 1997-98, he played in all 103 games the Bulls played between the regular season and playoffs. Over the course of his NBA career, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
While Ron was a solid NBA player, Dylan’s ceiling is considerably higher as a prospect. Some of the top teams in the league this season are anchored by lead guards who exhibit complete control on the offensive side of the floor — namely Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. If he reaches his ceiling, Dylan could have this kind of impact for an NBA franchise.
And what franchise needs a lead guard more than the Jazz? The team does have a solid scoring guard in Collin Sexton, but he isn’t a pure point guard, and neither are Keyonte George or Jordan Clarkson — and the latter is 32 years old. Harper could come in right away and raise Utah’s offensive floor by doing what he does best: creating his own shot and opening up space for guys like Sexton and Lauri Markkanen to operate in.
The Jazz could certainly use the help, as they currently rank 25th in the league in offensive rating (110.1). Utah has missed the playoffs in three straight seasons and hasn’t made it to the Western Conference Finals since the 2006-07 season.
