2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Pistons face difficult choice at No. 2

Utah dealt Mike Conley at the trade deadline and began their rebuild in earnest. The current backcourt has flashed ample potential, but neither Collin Sexton nor Talen Horton-Tucker are primary creators for a good team. Cason Wallace gives them a potential point guard of the future.

Wallace’s defensive reputation is the main draw here. It’s risky to invest lottery picks in smaller guards whose primary talent is defense, the best recent example being Davion Mitchell in Sacramento. That said, Wallace is fairly unique. He wields a 6-foot-8 wingspan and simply plays much bigger than his height. Kentucky regularly relies on Wallace to stonewall wings.

The Jazz already have an elite rim protector in Walker Kessler. Bringing Wallace’s elite on-ball defense into the fold would give Utah one of the more exciting defensive foundations in the NBA. Wallace gets after it every possession, constantly worming his way into ball-handler’s psyche with ceaseless effort and expert timing.

Wallace isn’t an offensive liability either. He’s a good shooter who can play on or off the ball. His scalability is especially valuable projecting forward. When asked to handle primary duties, Wallace makes sound decisions and he should be comfortable operating out of pick-and-rolls. The Jazz, however, have other playmakers to ease his burden — and make it a priority to draft another talented, versatile ball-handler later in the draft.