Los Angeles Lakers get high mark in complete 2017 NBA Draft first round grades

For the second time in the draft, the Utah Jazz has traded up. They traded up with the Denver Nuggets to select 12th; this time they traded up with the Los Angeles Lakers to select 28th. With the 28th pick, the Jazz selected North Carolina center, Tony Bradley.

Bradley fills a need in the Jazz frontcourt. As we saw during the 2017 NBA Playoffs, the Jazz lacked much depth behind starting center Rudy Gobert. Power forward Derrick Favors was pressed into extended minutes, something the Jazz would like to avoid in the future. Bradley should be able to provide spot minutes as the backup right away.

Bradley is an excellent offensive rebounder, something that has become a lost art in the NBA. Despite playing only 14.6 minutes per game, Bradley pulled down 5.1 rebounds per game. He actually totaled more offensive rebounds than defensive ones, pulling down 98 offensive rebounds and 97 on the defensive glass. The methodical Jazz will love to have that coming off their bench as Bradley creates second chances for his team.

Bradley did not grade out well during athletic testing, but he is a hard worker. Once he gets his conditioning in order, his athleticism should improve as well. He already has some good tools to work with, as he has shown an ability to score with his back to the basket and creates room in the paint well.

This was a good selection for the Jazz, but trading up to snag Bradley makes little sense. The Jazz traded two picks to move up only two spots, which is a bit of a head scratcher. That knocks their grade down a little bit as Bradley more than likely would have been available at No. 30.