For fans of teams that missed the playoffs, one of the most exciting times of the year is here. The May 20 NBA draft lottery is less than a month away, and the June 26 draft itself is about two months off.

And with the Utah Jazz missing the postseason for the third straight season, their fanbase is one of those combing the Internet in search of mock drafts and prospect profiles.

Assuming the front office doesn't make a trade, Utah will have the 12th pick of the first round, after losing a tiebreaking coin flip to the Indiana Pacers.

Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey talked about using the pick instead of trading it, despite already having plenty of young talent, with 1280 The Zone's David James and Patrick Kinahan:

I got a coaching staff that is very good with young players. That's why we hired Quin [Snyder]. That's why we set up the staff the way we did. And they've been able to advance a few young guys well beyond their years of experience. So, again, I think we have an advantage there, an inherent advantage. So if all of a sudden, we do have a young prospect that we really like, I think the ace in the hole is that we have a coach that can accelerate his growth, who's willing to play him. And so I don't want to give up that prematurely just because we have an idea that we need a vet.

So what kind of player would the Jazz be looking for in the late-lottery range? It becomes clear when you look at the current makeup of the roster and a few basic numbers.

Utah scored 102.5 points per 100 possessions, which ranked 16th in the NBA. The middle-of-the-road offense was due in large part to a lack of three-point shooting. Utah's three-point percentage of 34.3 ranked 19th, and its 610 makes ranked 18th.

Despite an attempt to develop both Enes Kanter and Trevor Booker into stretch 4s, the vast majority of that three-point production came from Gordon Hayward and the guards. You can't expect it from starters Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert, either. Neither's range extends that far.

Utah's in luck, though. This draft class features a few players projected to go between pick No. 10 and pick No. 15 who can fill that role and give the Jazz an opportunity to use that "ace in the hole" that Lindsey talked about.

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin, 7'0", PF/C, Senior

It's easy to see why Jazz blogger Clint Peterson, who writes for Fansided affiliate Purple and Blues, tried to bring the "#TankForFrank" campaign to Utah toward the end of the regular season. Frank Kaminsky is about as close to a perfect fit for the Jazz as you can get out of this class.

In a way, he satisfies both those hoping for a draft-day trade that would bring more experience and those who would rather use the pick to add another rookie.

Kaminsky played four years at Wisconsin, giving him significantly more experience than most of the class, but is still just 22 years old. That puts him right in the middle of the current Jazz group—older than Dante Exum, younger than Favors and Hayward and the same age as Trey Burke and Rodney Hood.

On the court, the big man has proved to be an excellent inside-out threat, showing the ability to score both in the post and at the three-point line.

He shot 54.7 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from three-point range as a senior, making him an intriguing complement to either Favors or Gobert.

Pick-and-rolls with either of the starting big men diving to the rim would be difficult to defend if at least one opposing big were forced to guard Kaminsky on the three-point line. The extra space vacated by that big would allow for comfortable drives for Hayward, Exum, Burke and Hood.

On the other end, Kaminsky may need some work with the coaching staff, but being on the floor with Gobert or Favors would allow him a long learning curve. Among players who defended at least five field-goal attempts at the rim per game, Gobert and Favors ranked first and fifth in the NBA in opponent field-goal percentage at the rim.

Kevon Looney, UCLA, 6'10", SF/PF, Freshman

At 6'10" with a 7'3" wingspan, Kevon Looney has the frame to play inside, but his skill set is almost better suited to the perimeter.

He showed the ability to create space with a handle that's better than that of most players his size. And he consistently hit jump shots from the outside all season.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress wrote about those perimeter skills:

Looney also shows potential as a floor-spacer, knocking down 22 of his 53 attempts (41.5%) from beyond the arc on the season in the 36 games he played in. The sample size leaves something to be desired here, particularly when you consider the fact that he shot just 63% from the free throw line, but his mechanics are solid and he appears to fairly consistent when shooting with his feet set. When defenses close out too aggressively, Looney has the ability to attack closeouts and make his way to the basket in a straight line, although he does not have any type of pull-up jumper at this stage due to his rudimentary footwork and slow release, making just 5 of his 21 off the dribble attempts on the season.

Again, that weakness Givony referenced is something the player-development-focused coaching staff of the Jazz could zero in on. And Looney wouldn't have to add a dribble pull-up right away. Utah has plenty of playmakers on the roster who are willing and able to give him spot-up looks.

Myles Turner, Texas, 6'11", PF/C, Freshman

Myles Turner is another potential stretch 4 who could help the Jazz move up the offensive-rating leaderboard—although he may be more of a project.

ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton wrote about what may be a longer road for Turner: 

Whatever team drafts Turner shouldn't expect immediate contributions, but in time he figures to develop into a unique big man with the ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor with his outside shooting. It's hard to find many college comparisons for that combination.

Turner shot just 27.4 percent from three-point range as a freshman, but his form looks fine and daily work with NBA coaches will help with consistency.

The reason to go after Turner, assuming he slips to Utah, is that he has more potential to be a home run pick.

His size and athleticism would make him a great weapon in transition, and they would make a drop-off in defense less likely when Favors or Gobert is out.

Turner averaged 2.6 blocks in just 22.2 minutes per game this season and was 14th in the NCAA in block percentage among players who logged at least 500 minutes.

Other Options

Arkansas' Bobby Portis, a 6'11" sophomore who made 36.5 percent of his threes in college (including 14-of-30 in 2014-15), is another stretch-4 option who might be available when Utah picks. 

If the Jazz choose to go after a wing, Arizona's Stanley Johnson, Kansas's Kelly Oubre Jr. and Wisconsin's Sam Dekker could all be available. But Utah figures to be set on the wing, with Hayward, Hood, Alec Burks, Joe Ingles and defensive ace Elijah Millsap all having arguments for spots in the 2015-16 rotation.

Point guard is another route, with Utah's baseline production from that position being so low in 2014-15, but going there essentially means giving up on Burke after only two seasons.

Again, based on team need, both in terms of team production and makeup of the roster, a big man who can spot up on the opposite side of a pick-and-roll makes the most sense for Utah.

A player who fits that description should be available, and if Snyder can "accelerate his growth," Utah could go from being on the verge of returning to the playoffs to actually being there.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and salary figures are courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com. 

Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.