Jordan Clarkson Linked in New Jazz-Lakers Trade Rumor
NBA insider Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer is reporting that the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers could resume trade talks involving Russell Westbrook.
“Utah has been connected to the Lakers for months, too. League sources say that before the Jazz sent Bojan Bogdanovic to the [Detroit] Pistons, the Lakers offered Westbrook, a future first-round pick, and second-rounders for Bogdanovic and others. Sources expect the Lakers and Jazz to resume talks later in the season with some combination of other players discussed. (Utah has Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gay—three veterans who can all shoot.)”
Clarkson and Conley have increased their trade value as the Jazz have gotten off to a 3-0 start. Clarkson would be the one that could garner back one of the unprotected first-round picks (2027 or 2029) that Jazz executive Danny Ainge is rumored to covet.
Although trading the former Sixth Man of the Year would be a huge blow to the 2022-23 Jazz team, it still may be in the best of the franchise to part ways if they can get a potential lottery pick in return.
Clarkson most certainly will opt-out of his contract next year with the way he’s been performing for the Jazz on the court. So the question is, at age 30, how would Clarkson fit into Utah's long-term plans as it starts its rebuild?
Also, does Utah getting off to an unexpected fast start change how it views Clarkson as a potential trade chip? It would be devastating to the fan base to trade Clarkson at this point, but Ainge has never let emotion get in the way of what’s best for the franchise.
Another issue is the Lakers getting off to a slow start this season. It’s very early in the year, but if the losses continue to pile up, the Lakers may opt to cut their losses and make no trades to upgrade this year's team.
Rudy Gay and Mike Conley would be much easier to part with if you’re the Jazz. Conley is still contributing on the court, but he won’t be a part of Utah’s future when his contract expires in 2024.
Gay would need to be packaged with another player to be moved, as no franchise would give up an asset to get the 17th-year veteran by himself.
There are many moving parts. How the wins and losses stack up over the next couple of weeks will play a big part in the decisions that will be made.
Stay tuned
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.
