The
Utah Jazz selected Duke guard
Grayson Allen with the 21st overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night.
Allen, a 6-foot-5 guard, played in 142 games and made 97 starts in four seasons with the Blue Devils. He scored 1,996 career points, ranking 12th on Duke's career scoring list. The 22-year-old rookie is one of just five players in Duke history to tally at least 1,900 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists during his career.
With Allen, the Jazz add a player who can play both guard positions and who gives them another shooter on the wing. Bolstering outside shooting is an offseason priority for Utah.
Allen can also defend multiple positions, which makes him a good fit with one of the NBA's top defensive teams. He stirred up controversy at times during his Duke career, drawing accusations of dirty play as a defender.
For the first time in three seasons, Utah did not participate in a draft-day trade. The Jazz traded their original first round selections in both 2016 and 2017.
Two years ago, Utah sent 12th pick Taurean Prince to Atlanta as part of a three-team trade that brought veteran point guard George Hill to the Jazz.
Last season, the Jazz made a pair of draft-day trades. The first one brought 13th pick Donovan Mitchell to Utah in exchange for Trey Lyles and 24th pick Tyler Lydon. A second trade brought 28th pick Tony Bradley to the Jazz while sending 30th pick Josh Hart and 42nd pick Thomas Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers.