Getty Jordan Clarkson, Boston Celtics
Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics front office have a $17.2 million traded player exception, courtesy of Evan Fournier moving to the New York Knicks last season, burning a hole in their pocket. And considering it expires on July 18, time is ticking down for the team to make use of such a significant TPE.
According to Jeff Pratt of CelticsBlog, one player the Celtics should be targeting with their mammoth exception is Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz. Considering Boston’s need for additional scoring off the bench, Clarkson could be an ideal pickup for the Celtics, especially if they believe his ability to operate as a sparkplug off the bench gives them an additional dimension ahead of the 2023 post-season.
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“The 30-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal as Utah’s sixth man, averaging 18.4 and 16.0 points per game over the last two seasons. While he’s not an elite shooter, Clarkson gives the Celtics a bench scorer who can get them a bucket when needed. As much as fans may love Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, neither of those guys have the scoring ability that Clarkson boasts. The 6’4 guard has two years left on a team-friendly deal and would provide exactly what Boston is looking for with the Fournier TPE,” Pratt wrote.
Clarkson is a career sixth man, having only started 142 of the 600 regular-season games he’s participated in, and to cap off an impressive 2020-21 season, the Flordia native was named as the Sixth Man of the Year due to his 18.4 points, four rebounds, and 2.5 assists per night while shooting 34.7% from deep and 42.5% from the field.
Is Clarkson a Realistic Target
The Utah Jazz are going through a state of flux right now. Their long-time head coach Quin Snyder decided to call time on his tenure with the team, Utah’s two star players are rumored to have issues with each other, and for the second straight season, the team fell short in the playoffs.
While it’s difficult to envision Donovan Mitchell being available for trade, Jordan Clarkson would most likely be an achievable target, assuming the offer comes correct. For instance, trying to offer a package of draft picks isn’t going to entice Utah’s front office – they’re retooling, not rebuilding.
But, the notion of creating their own TPE could be something that intrigues them, as it would allow them to become players in multiple trade discussions around the league, while also providing them a bargaining chip if they wanted to enter a deal as a third-team or facilitator.
So, while Clarkson has many admirers throughout the Jazz organization, it’s fair to assume that Boston could indeed create a satisfactory package to bring the bench scorer to the East Coast this summer.
Celtics Still Have Time
It might seem like time is running out for Stevens and the front office to make use of their largest TPE, but in reality, they still have a couple of weeks to get a deal over the line.
There are a plethora of potential trade candidates that would fit inside of their exception, and it’s only logical to expect the Celtics to be doing their due diligence on every potential candidate.
However, it is worth noting that according to Keith Smith, Brad Stevens has also mentioned his willingness to let the exception expire if the team is unable to find a deal they deem worthwhile.
More from Brad Stevens on the $17.1M TPE: “If that thing vanishes because we don’t find the right deal, we still have two other TPEs that don’t expire until the trade deadline.”
Still, Clarkson projects to be a solid fit for Boston, and would certainly improve their bench in terms of both scoring and playmaking. Unfortunately, at this juncture, there is nothing concrete between the two teams, and that means there will be more rumors to follow in the coming weeks.