How Carlos Boozer, Avery Bradley are helping the Jazz brain trust for NBA Draft

New York Times

3 days ago

Carlos Boozer strode confidently through Zions Bank Basketball Center, the Utah Jazz training facility. Once upon a time, he walked this space as a player. Those were his All-Star days. His Olympian days. The days of Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko and the late, great Jerry Sloan. The days of Utah's powder blue uniform.
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Today, Boozer is back with the organization, and, along with Avery Bradley, is a key cog in a front office tasked with selecting the fifth pick in Wednesday night's NBA Draft. Utah's war room will be different for Boozer, not only because he's no longer a player, but also because the building has undergone renovations since his playing days. And we're talking about a front office that has transitioned in general managers from Kevin O'Connor to Dennis Lindsey, to Justin Zanik, to Danny Ainge, and now to Austin Ainge.
'This place has really transformed,' Boozer told The Athletic. 'You see the kitchen over there? That used to be our weight room. This has been fun. It's been a long time coming. I love that I'm back, and it's a huge honor to be working for the Jazz. It's a little different to be on this side.
'But, I want to do my part to build this team back up to being a contender, because that's where this franchise belongs. I love this fan base and this town. It reminds me of my hometown in Alaska. So, this has been a huge honor, and it's brought back so many memories.'
Whomever the Jazz select with the fifth pick, whether it be Tre Johnson, Ace Bailey or someone like Jeremiah Fears, Boozer and Bradley will have been key figures in that selection. Officially, Boozer is a scout, and Bradley is the vice president of player development. They both have dreams of one day running their franchise in an executive role. However, in this draft cycle, Boozer and Bradley have both been entrusted with key parts of the scouting and recommendation process.
'They both have a unique perspective, having played the game at a high level for so long,' Austin Ainge told The Athletic. 'It's something that I have leaned on and relied on. They have a lot of trust.'
Their roles have been simple yet essential: observe workouts, engage in conversations about the prospects and interact with them. In several key workouts and interviews, the two have been front and center, offering their opinions about what they saw and how prospects have reacted to workouts, whether in groups or individually.
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From Austin Ainge's point of view, the experience that Boozer and Bradley accumulated as players who experienced many different situations became an asset for the Jazz. And everyone knows that a lot is at stake for a Utah organization that needs to get this draft correct. The Jazz will pick fifth on Wednesday night, and whoever they select needs to be a hit.
The Jazz have nice players on their roster. Isaiah Collier turned in a terrific rookie season at point guard. Keyonte George continues to evolve as a scorer and a potentially dynamic offensive player. Walker Kessler has emerged as a cornerstone. Kyle Filipowski and Taylor Hendricks both possess a wealth of talent. Cody Williams had a rough rookie season, but the Jazz still hold a lot of hope for the former lottery pick.
However, what Utah lacks is a player who projects to be an All-NBA level talent, the kind of player the Oklahoma City Thunder assembled on their path to a championship. That's the task of the Jazz this draft cycle. They know they have to find one of those kinds of players, which is why bringing in Boozer and pairing him with Bradley could pay dividends.
'I think having the perspective of being a player is helpful,' Bradley said. 'Seeing players that could model and resemble some of the players that we've played with and have been in locker rooms with helps. What Carlos and I have wanted to do is help Austin and Justin (Zanik) and Danny (Ainge) in the process.'
What has helped Boozer and Bradley in this cycle is their background as players. They were both McDonald's All-Americans and at the top of their respective high school classes. So, they both know what it's like to be superstars at the youth level, much like almost anyone the Jazz will draft on Wednesday night.
However, they both had to find ways to sustain success after college.
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Boozer, after a standout career at Duke, fell to being a second-round pick. Why? Because, as a big man, he played relatively under the rim and was only around 6 foot 9 as a power forward. There were concerns about his athleticism and how well he would defend at the NBA level. He turned out to be a great player. He broke out with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and in the peak of his career with the Jazz, he was one of the better power forwards in the Western Conference.
Jazz fans haven't soon forgotten his legendary Game 7 road performance against the Houston Rockets in 2007, when he scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. That was the last season the Jazz advanced as far as the Western Conference finals.
Bradley was the top player in his high school class. After college, though, he went from star to role player. And then, he went from role player to being one of the most valuable role players in the league. What prevented him from being a star was being a tweener offensively, neither a point guard nor a shooting guard. What made him the guy almost every contender would want on their team during his prime years was his defense. He was, for much of his prime, one of the very best guard defenders in basketball, his long arms, penchant for playing hard and quick feet completing a great defensive package.
When Boozer and Bradley evaluate, they tend to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses: What a player is capable of doing, rather than what they can't do.
'For sure, I'm a tougher critic when it comes to the defensive end of the floor,' Bradley said. 'I think watching the guys gives us a lot of good perspective, each and every day. Carlos was great on the offensive end, so that brings one perspective. When we watch guys, we are trying to project what they will be. We are trying to build a culture that is defensively focused. I think if we can find a way to grow the right culture, we will have the chance to be very successful.'
What will be fascinating for Boozer next season is that he will be in a position to scout his sons, with the decent chance that one of them may end up playing for the Jazz. Twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer will be freshmen at Duke this upcoming season.
Cam is a 6-foot-10 power forward who projects as one of the top three picks of the 2026 NBA draft. He is a player with very few weaknesses on either side of the floor and has been among the best high school players in the country for years.
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Cayden is one of the best and mature point guards in the class. At 6-5, he has terrific size for his position and is one of the smartest point guards in the class. He projects as a first-round pick.
The twins were very small when Carlos was playing for the Jazz. And Carlos promises that scouting them professionally won't be much different from watching them as a father, because, as a father, one can sometimes be the harshest critic for the son. However, ask Carlos about his sons, and the glowing nature of how he talks about them shines through. Above all else, he is a proud father.
'I don't think it will be anything new,' Boozer said. 'I've been evaluating them for their whole careers. I enjoy being a dad and pushing and challenging them. I'm certainly looking forward to getting on campus at Duke, watching them and evaluating the highs and lows and their growth process.
Bradley, 34, and Boozer, 43, being relatively young, bode well for their second careers. The fact that they are both recently retired gives them a unique opportunity to impart wisdom to the potential draftees. Whether that pick turns out to be Bailey, Johnson or whomever, Boozer and Bradley will have had a significant hand in that selection.
(Photo of Avery Bradley, Carlos Boozer and Austin Ainge: Carlos Avila / Utah Jazz)