Former UCLA Star Would Benefit From Major Trade

This former UCLA Bruins star would largely benefit if the Utah Jazz cleared some room for him.

Apr 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) during the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Former UCLA Bruins star Johnny Juzang is not exactly getting a great opportunity with the Utah Jazz.

The swingman has played in eight games this season and is averaging just 15.5 minutes per game playing behind veteran Jordan Clarkson.

The problem for Juzang is that so long as Clarkson is on the Jazz's roster, he isn't going to get a significant opportunity to showcase his talents.

Remove Clarkson, however, and Juzang may finally get a chance to shine.

Utah is a rebuilding team, so it would make complete sense to trade Clarkson, who is 32 years old and still has another year remaining on his contract after this season.

Clarkson does hold value to a contender in need of a microwave scorer, so the Jazz can probably recoup decent value for him.

Doing so would open up considerable playing time for Juzang, who went undrafted but landed with Utah on a two-way contract in July 2022.

Since then, the 23-year-old has signed another two-year deal and, most recently, a multi-year contract with the team, so obviously, Utah likes what it has seen from him in limited action.

Juzang is registering 5.9 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three-point range this season, and last year, he tallied 7.2 points a night on 46.4/41.6/71.4 shooting splits over 20 contests.

The problem for Juzang is his defense, which could prevent him from getting a starting role. While he certainly has the tools to develop into at least a passable defender on the NBA level, he simply isn't there yet. However, the only way he will improve is by getting more action.

Plus, Juzang has a terrific offensive repertoire, as evidenced by the fact that he posted 16 and then 15.6 points per game, respectively, over his final two collegiate seasons at UCLA.

He has a very smooth jumper and seems to have a good feel for the game offensively in general, so, at the very least, Juzang should be able to carve out a niche as a bench scorer.

Of course, that isn't going to happen until the Jazz actually start prioritizing his minutes.

That's why Utah needs to move Clarkson.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.