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Jordan Clarkson
A the Los Angeles Lakers alum could potentially hit the market during the upcoming offseason. With the Utah Jazz indicating their rebuilding plans, ex-Laker Jordan Clarkson could be on his way out. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey explained why he thinks Clarkson could enter the trade market.
“The Jazz have him under contract for two more seasons, but if the goal is to reach the title, it is virtually impossible to imagine that happening before his contract expires,” Bailey wrote. in a story from March 20.
Bailey then explained how the Jazz should proceed with a potential Clarkson trade.
“The smart move would be another one of those like-minded exchanges, involving a small step back now for a potentially big step forward down the line. The Jazz aren’t winning big with Clarkson, but they could possibly get there by flipping him to bolster their roster while freeing up more minutes and touches for younger perimeter players like Keyonte George, Collin Sexton and Brice Sensabaugh.
He then concluded by providing insight into what Utah could get in exchange for Clarkson and what his new team would get in him.
“Clarkson won’t demand a king’s ransom, but winning teams looking to bolster their backcourt and bench production should covet his scoring punch and secondary play. If Utah moved him this summer, those buyers would get two full seasons with Clarkson, which should motivate them to give up more for him than they would at next season’s trade deadline or during the 2025 offseason.”
The Lakers drafted Clarkson in 2014, where he played three and a half years before trading him to the Riders.
Jordan Clarkson trade ‘most likely’ and ‘seems inevitable’
The Jazz are 29-40, putting them seven and a half games behind the Warriors for the final play-in spot. Because the Jazz are on a downward trend, reporter Sarah Todd of the Deseret News believes his days in Utah will be coming to an end.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush here – it’s very likely that this will be Clarkson’s final season with the Jazz. With the direction the team is going and the structure of Clarkson’s contract, it seems inevitable that the Jazz will look to trade him this offseason,” Todd wrote. in a story from March 8.
Clarkson had some of his best statistical seasons with the Jazz. This includes the 2022-23 season, where he averaged a career-high 20.8 points per game. It will also start a two-year contract extension in 2024.
Analyst urges Jazz to trade Jordan Clarkson
The Jazz will likely finish outside the playoffs in 2024. Because their roster might not improve as currently constructed, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz urged them to trade Clarkson (and John Collins).
“Moving Clarkson and Collins should still be a priority this summer, even if the former will fetch more in a trade than the latter.
“Asking a first-round pick for Clarkson, 31, is reasonable after he averaged 17.4 points and 5.0 assists per game this season. A two-year, team-friendly $28.3 million contract is also easy to digest,” Swartz wrote. in a story from March 18.
The Lakers could potentially participate in acquiring Clarkson. However, acquiring him while they have D’Angelo Russell may be a bit redundant.
Matt John covers the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy.com. A Massachusetts native, he has covered the NBA since 2018, with stops at FanSided, Basketball News and Basketball Insiders. Learn more about Matt John