THE Utah Jazz are caught between the rock and the franchise. The rebuilding Jazz are heading into the 2024-25 season and want a top-five draft decide within the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. Nonetheless, they might have too many established veterans to complete this season. One method to remedy this drawback is to commerce their longest beginning participant, Jordan Clarkson.
In keeping with Andy Baily of Bleacher Report, THE Milwaukee Bucks buying the previous Sixth Man of the Yr would make sense for each franchises.
“Jordan Clarkson is a spark plug scorer who has come a good distance as a distributor lately. And he is a part of a tanking staff that should contemplate shifting some veterans earlier than the February commerce deadline The issue, after all, is that his arrival might imply dropping the warmth management man who’s already there (Bobby Portis), however the entrance workplace might take a look at this roster and fairly suppose that backcourt assistance is extra necessary. .
When Clarkson opted out final summer season and obtained an extension by means of 2026, it appeared like a win-win for either side. Clarkson obtained the lion’s share of the three-year, $55 million deal in yr one, and by doing so, the Jazz would have a tradeable asset that might be used of their subsequent rebuild. However what a distinction a season makes.
Shifting on from the previous Sixth Man of the Yr has grow to be extra sophisticated on account of his poor play on the sector and recurring accidents. Clarkson is coming off his worst season in a Jazz uniform, and it will likely be troublesome to discover a purchaser prepared to surrender an asset for his companies.
Clarkson averaged 17.1 factors and dished out 5 assists per sport final season. His discipline aim share (41.3) and three-point share (29.3) are profession worsts. Moreover, Clarkson has been the worst defender on a staff that ranks final within the league in defensive score. Utah has given up an embarrassing 120.4 factors per 100 possessions, and with Clarkson on the ground, that quantity rises to 124.1.
So far as sturdiness goes, it wasn’t fairly both. Clarkson has missed 48 video games over the previous two seasons. This doesn’t bode nicely for a participant who begins the 2024-25 season at 32 years previous.
Clarkson’s commerce inventory might enhance if his play improves on the sector to begin the brand new yr. Throughout this yr’s preseason, he seemed extra just like the participant the Jazz had been hoping to get when signing the three-year extension. Time will inform if this leads to a commerce sooner or later.
Clarkson’s presence ought to add wins to the Jazz’s backside line. His play will be inconsistent, however he scored a minimum of 30 factors seven occasions final season. The Jazz had been 4-3 in these contests.
In a yr the place dropping is the brand new profitable, the Jazz needs to be lively in attempting to maneuver Clarkson to a greater scenario. The Jazz’s profitable basketball video games aren’t doing their rebuild any favors, and Clarkson is at a degree in his profession the place enjoying for a contender makes extra sense. Jazz followers can count on extra commerce hypothesis because the season progresses.
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