NBA Draft Rumors: Utah Jazz targeting Andrew Wiggins, not Jabari Parker

Mar 13, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) laughs while on the foul line during the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second round of the Big 12 Conference college basketball tournament at Sprint Center. Kansas won 77-70 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

The Utah Jazz own the fifth-overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, but obviously don’t believe one of the players they covet will be there.

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Jazz are actually targeting former Kansas Jayhawks’ forward Andrew Wiggins, not former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker with the number one overall pick.

"The Utah Jazz are not going to sit quietly and wait for their turn. They have been extremely active. The Jazz have not been overly excited to be sitting on the fifth pick in this draft class and have been at all three teams sitting at the top. Their target surprisingly is not Jabari Parker, as much as fans may want to see Parker in Salt Lake City, sources say their ideal target is Andrew Wiggins.As covered above, the Jazz are believed to have made a whopper of an offer to Cleveland looking to pry the top overall pick loose. It’s believed they have a similar offer on the table to the Milwaukee Bucks and to the Philadelphia 76ers, assuming one of them can deliver Wiggins.Parker is not completely out of the discussion for Utah, neither is Australian guard Dante Exum."

Wiggins averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game for the Jayhawks last season while shooting 44.8% from the field, 34.1% from beyond the arc and 77.5% from the free throw line. Wiggins is ranked as the top prospect in the draft by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express and is projected to go number one overall.

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