THE The Cleveland Cavaliers They didn’t make any major additions this offseason outside of selecting Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick.
It’s not like the Cavaliers entered the summer without any needs, either.
Cleveland clearly had holes in its roster, and while it was certainly busy extending its own players, it didn’t spend time strengthening the surrounding pieces.
But luckily, the Cavs still have time to make some moves, and they still have a potential sign-and-trade featuring Isaac Okoro on the table.
That’s why the Cavaliers should seriously consider trading Okoro to the Utah Jazz in exchange for their old friend Jordan Clarkson.
The Jazz are one of the few teams that have shown interest in Okoro, who has drawn very little interest as a restricted free agent. They would certainly like to trade Clarkson for a younger player, so this package could intrigue them.
Meanwhile, Cleveland would add a much-needed scorer off the bench to replace Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland for stretches.
Clarkson spent parts of three seasons with the Cavs between the 2017-18 and 2019-20 campaigns, but didn’t really blossom until he arrived in Utah and won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020-21.
The 32-year-old has not averaged 20.1 points per game in two seasons.
Yes, Clarkson has struggled to be efficient, especially last year, when he averaged 17.1 points per game on a measly 52.1 percent true shooting percentage. However, he is a microwave scorer who can create his own shot, something the Cavaliers could really use as a backup.
Not only that, but Clarkson can facilitate, as evidenced by the fact that he recorded five assists a night last season.
With Garland being somewhat injury-prone throughout his career, Clarkson could step in and provide Cleveland with some insurance.
To top it off, Clarkson is very affordable. He’s set to make $14.1 million in 2024-25 and has $14.3 million remaining on his contract for 2025-26.
Clarkson may not be the flashiest addition in the world, but he would certainly help the Cavs.
