Ex-Laker, 20-Point Scorer Named Among ‘Most Likely to Hit the Trade Block’

“The Jazz have him under contract for two more seasons, but if the aim is to eventually reach championship contention, it’s virtually impossible to picture that happening before his deal expires,’ Bailey wrote in a March 20 story.

Bailey then outlined how the Jazz should play out a potential Clarkson trade.

“The smart move would be another of those like-minded swaps 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 might eventually get there by flipping him for roster-building assets while also freeing up more minutes and touches for young perimeter players like Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Brice Sensabaugh.”

He then concluded by previewing what Utah could get in return for Clarkson and what his new team would get in him.

“Clarkson won’t command a king’s ransom, but win-now teams looking to beef up their backcourt production and bench should covet his scoring punch and secondary playmaking. 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 they traded him to the Cavaliers.

Jordan Clarkson Trade ‘Very Likely’ & ‘Seems Inevitable’

The Jazz sport a record of 29-40, which puts them seven-and-a-half games behind the Warriors for the last play-in spot. Because the Jazz are trending downward, Jazz reporter Sarah Todd of the Deseret News believes that his days in Utah will come to an end.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush here — it is very likely that this is Clarkson’s last season with the Jazz. With the direction the team is headed and the structure of Clarkson’s contract, it seems inevitable that the Jazz will look to trade him in the offseason,” Todd wrote in a March 8 story.

Clarkson has 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 a game. He also will start a two-year contract extension in 2024.

Analyst Urges Jazz to Trade Jordan Clarkson

The Jazz will likely finish outside of the playoffs in 2024. Because their roster may not get better as currently constructed, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz urged them to trade Clarkson (and John Collins).

“Moving Clarkson and Collins should still be priorities this summer, although the former will fetch more in a trade than the latter.

“Asking for a first-round pick for Clarkson, 31, is reasonable after he’s put up 17.4 points and 5.0 assists per game this season. A team-friendly two-year, $28.3 million contract is easy to digest as well,” Swartz wrote in a March 18 story.

The Lakers could potentially get in on acquiring Clarkson. However, acquiring him when they have D’Angelo Russell may be a little redundant.