NBA Rumors: Utah Jazz wouldn’t have drafted Jimmer Fredette?

The Sacramento Kings drafted Jimmer Fredette with the 10th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. It was a bit of an odd selection considering the Kings had much more pressing needs, but Fredette was the most known collegiate player in the country and the Kings former ownership group was all about making a dollar.

Thus, the Kings drafted Fredette and sold fans on his marketability.

It worked for a while but Fredette struggled to find floor time with an unstable environment marred with multiple coaching changes, leading many to believe he would have succeeded much better elsewhere, possibly Utah where Fredette, thanks to his play at BYU is somewhat of a living legend.

Obviously, had Sacramento passed on Fredette with the 10th pick, the Utah Jazz would have drafted him with the 12th selection, had he been available, right? Not so fast according to Brad Rock.

"Some say the trouble lies with the Kings’ coaches and front office. Maybe. But they aren’t alone in their assessment of Fredette as a role player. He was the 10th pick in a shallow 2011 draft. A source close to the Jazz says they wouldn’t have picked him even if he had been available with the 12th pick."

Of course, it’s easy to suggest the Jazz wouldn’t have done so now given Fredette’s less than impressive play, but that would have been quite the storyline had it actually happened at the time.

Fedette, after having his option declined, is in the final year of his rookie deal with the Kings.