SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz did not move up, but also did not drop in the NBA Draft Lottery, and will pick ninth in the 2023 NBA Draft June 22nd.

The San Antonio Spurs won the lottery, and will likely select 7-foot-4 Frenchman Victor Wenbanyama with the top pick.

The Jazz missed the playoffs for the first time in six years and was in the lottery for the first time since 2016. The Jazz will also have the 16th overall pick, acquired from Minnesota in the Rudy Gobert trade, and the 28th overall pick, acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in the Royce O’Neale trade.

Finishing with the ninth worst record in the NBA at 37-45, the Jazz had a 4.5% chance at the #1 overall pick.

“I mean, this is what was expected,” said Jazz general manager Justin Zanik. “So all of our draft prep and laying out what the next month and a half is going to look like has all been predicated on these are where our picks are. We would have adjusted accordingly if we would have moved up or down. But it’s good to have certainty and know where we are so we’ve got a big month coming ahead and we’re excited about it.”

The Jazz have not held on to a first round pick since they took Udoka Azubuike with the 27th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The last time the Jazz had the ninth pick pick was in 2013, when the team traded up to select Trey Burke. The only other time the Jazz had the ninth selection was in 2019 when they took eventual NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward.

This is Utah’s first top-10 selection since 2014, when they took Dante Exum with the 5th pick.

“When you see your name there at nine, you’re like, OK, that’s where we are,” Zanik said. “So you move on pretty quickly. Now we’re excited to get started with the combine, interviews and on-court stuff tomorrow.”

Other players selected with the ninth overall pick include Kemba Walker, DeMar DeRozan, Joakim Noah, Andre Iguodala, Amare Stoudamire, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tracy McGrady.

The Jazz remain one of six teams along with Indiana, Denver, Memphis, Miami and Oklahoma City to have never had the number one overall pick in the draft.

Charlotte will pick 2nd, followed by Portland, Houston and Detroit.