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Brandon Knight got his first taste of Utah on Thursday, and, if most mock drafts are right, that’s where he’ll begin his professional career next season. The former Kentucky Wildcat took part in a solo workout at the Jazz practice facility before speaking with reporters, including The Salt Lake Tribune‘s Brian T. Smith, who recorded the interview for twitvid.com.

With Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams slotted to go first and second overall, many believe the Jazz will make Knight their “point guard of the future” by taking him with the third overall selection. Knight, obviously, isn’t taking that on faith, which is why he decided to work out for Utah. However there was some concern in the media over his insistence on working out by himself.

“I played some of these guys already,” Knight said. “[Washington point guard] Isaiah Thomas, Kemba, I played against him twice. A lot of these guys have been at my practices plenty of times, you know. The guy I’m trying to work out against is Kyrie Irving.”

Of course, Walker—who is also considered a high-lottery pick—probably views Knight the same way Knight views Irving; and in that same vein, Irving assuredly looks at Knight the way Knight sees Walker. Once you’re perceived to be better than a player, there’s no reason to work out against him; and it’s that dynamic that can make the draft process so frustrating. Yes, two players might have faced each other with eight other guys on the floor, but what about seeing two different sets of skills going against the other?

Knight isn’t to blame for the decision. Any 19-year-old prospect would be wise to listen to his agents, but strategies like that can raise questions about a player’s competitiveness—a charge Knight addressed directly.

“My main thing right now is just listening to what my camp says,” he said. “And the best thing I can do, they said, is just work out by myself. I’m a competitor. I won’t mind working out against anybody. Kentucky played against the best of the best all the time. You don’t go to Kentucky not to do that. You don’t go to Kentucky to go behind John Wall if you’re not a competitor.”

As far as being labeled as “No. 3,” Knight isn’t taking any of that too seriously. He says he doesn’t trust mock drafts, but when a team has his ear, Knight says he’s listening.

“It’s really up to these guys,” Knight said of the Jazz. “If they’re saying it, that’s when I’ll take it serious. Until the Jazz say it to me, that’s when I’ll take it serious, but when a mock draft says it, you know, you never know how it might turn out so I don’t really listen to those.”

To solidify himself as the third-overall pick, Knight has to convince the Jazz that he’s the right man to succeed John Stockton, Deron Williams, and current starter and former All-Star Devin Harris.

“It’s interesting just knowing that you had great point guards like that following in the footsteps,” he said. “I had to do the same thing at Kentucky following John Wall. I think I did a pretty good job following him, filling his shoes, doing what he was able to do. I think I can come here and, like I said, it wouldn’t be right away but I think I can get better and help the team win. That’s my main goal: to win wherever I go.”

Specifically, coach Tyron Corbin will have to trust that Knight is the right person to continue the team’s tradition of pick-and-rolls. Not coincidentally, Knight says he displayed his “ability to use pick and roll” as well as his “ability to shoot the basketball” and his “ability to change speeds” in Thursday’s workout.

“I think a lot of players, especially my age, play the game at full speed and I think that’s too fast,” he said. “So definitely changing speeds, using my left hand a little bit more. I could pretty much score, it’s easy for me to score with my right.  I’m making sure my left is as good as my right.

“I was working with all the coaches,” he continued. “It was pick-and-rolls, spot shots, finishing with my left hand—pretty much everything. Left-handed speed dribbles. Left-handed shots.”

Knight stands 6-3, averaged over 13.4 field goal attempts per game as a freshman, and hit nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts, so there’s been some debate as to whether he’s a true point guard or a combo guard. When asked, Knight didn’t have any doubt.

“I’m definitely a true point guard,” Knight said. “That’s what I went to Kentucky to become. Even though I felt I already had those skills I had to prove that I could do that and get better.”

It’s not written in stone, but it’s very likely Knight will be playing for the Jazz next season. That means Thursday’s workout was really a two-sided interview. The team got a closer look at the player, while the player got his first taste of one of the NBA’s most unique markets.

“I got a pretty good vibe,” Knight said. “Like I said, everywhere I’ve been has been pretty good. I feel I’ve got a connection with the team, with the coaches. I felt good being in this environment.”

And with the third pick…

{AUTHOR_BOX}Who’s Buying and Who’s Selling Picks?

HOOPSWORLD’s Steve Kyler went on his Twitter account earlier to report “San Antonio and Chicago are trying to move their [first-round] picks,” which presents an opportunity for some higher-payroll teams. For the Celtics, Lakers, HEAT and even the world champion Mavericks, this draft may represent the last opportunity to acquire talent before the next season.

The reason is because we have no idea what the next collective bargaining agreement will look like in regards to free agency. We can’t predict exceptions or cap limits. We don’t even know if there will be a soft or a hard cap. And, if there is a hard cap, it’s uncertain whether current contracts will be grandfathered along or if they’ll terminated.

With so much doubt in the air, some of the NBA’s cash-rich teams could fork over some money in exchange for late first-round picks and early second-round picks. So instead of scouring the free agent ranks for veterans willing to sign for the minimum, contending teams could fill out their roster with two or three polished collegiate players such as Duke’s Kyle Singler, Richmond’s Justin Harper, Georgia’s Travis Leslie, Boston College’s Reggie Jackson and Duke’s Nolan Smith. There’s an obvious risk attached with any rookie, but it may be a safer bet than adding an over-the-hill veteran, especially if the rookie in question was a second-round pick and therefore wouldn’t have a guaranteed contract.

If the Spurs and Bulls really are interested in selling their picks, they should have no trouble finding buyers.

NBA Earns ‘A’ for Diversity

The NBA has earned an ‘A’ in a study on diversity, according to a report by the Associated Press. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida released the report, which gave the league an ‘A+’ for race diversity and an ‘A-’ for gender diversity. Of all the professional leagues, the NBA was the only one to be given an overall ‘A.’

The data, which was taken from the 2010-2011 season, showed that 36 percent of the league is staffed by people of color while 42 percent was staffed by women. Perhaps most importantly, there were five African-American presidents or CEOs as well as two female presidents. In fact, there are even 33 female vice presidents, which was one fewer than the previous season.

The NBA doesn’t get a lot of credit for this, but there’s been a real effort to make it the most-inclusive league in America in every sense.

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