It wasn't a smooth ride for Cody Williams with the Jazz.
It's not a great look for the Utah Jazz that they're trading away one of the lottery picks in their prolonged rebuilding period for Josh Green, a player who scored less than five points per game with the Charlotte Hornets a season ago.
In a trade that appeared from nowhere, the Utah Jazz dealt Cody Williams and John Konchar to Minnesota for Josh Green and cash consideration. That marks the end of the Cody Williams experience in Salt Lake City, for better or for worse.
Williams was the second lottery pick of the rebuilding era, and a player who the Jazz were incredibly high on during the pre-draft process. At face value, there was a lot to like about what Williams could bring to the Jazz in a below-average draft class that featured Zaccharie Risacher as the number-one overall pick -- another 2024 rookie who is no longer with his original team.
For starters, Williams was a McDonald's All-American out of high school. With excellent athleticism and great measurables (6'8" with a 7'1" wingspan), Williams had the potential to develop into a basketball monster if given enough patience and training. Add to that his 40% three-point shooting clip during his freshman season at Colorado, and there was a lot to love about Williams as a prospect.
Most of all -- though not entirely fair to Cody -- his brother, Jalen, had developed from a relatively unknown prospect out of Santa Clara to an All-Star level player and a crucial starter for the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Cody, despite his slight frame, already had a leg up on Jalen as a prospect.
But the red flags were apparent from day one.
On the court, Cody appeared timid. Cautious. Often floating through games and only making an impact when the ball swung his way -- and sometimes not even then.
He shot below 25% from the three-point line during his first two seasons with the Jazz, but shifted into an intriguing off-ball slasher during the second half of his sophomore stint, finishing a reel of highlight dunks and carving out a role for himself within Will Hardy's scheme.
But still, Williams' development was coming along incredibly slowly.
Things didn't get much better when he joined Utah's Summer League team for the third time, struggling to make an impact despite having much more professional experience than those he shared the floor with.
Williams now joins the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will happily take a chance on a cheap player with upside -- no matter how vague. The Jazz, in return, get a proven commodity in Josh Green and salary flexibility to extend Keyonte George in the offseason. They also obtain an additional roster spot, which could indicate the Jazz have plans to fill the blank space at the center position.
