The Los Angeles Clippers haven’t had the services of Kawhi Leonard this season and lost Paul George over the summer to free agency. Despite this, the team has a 12-8 record to open the season and is looking well-placed to stay in the Playoff battle all season. James Harden is leading the franchise while Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac have excelled in expanded roles, leading to strong performances by the franchise.
Even with the positive energy in the franchise, they aren’t strong enough to compete amongst the best teams in the West with their current roster. It’s very defense-oriented, with major expectations on both Harden and Powell to carry the squad offensively. Instead of waiting around for Kawhi to return and give them an offensive boost, the Clippers can make a trade move that will shore up their offense.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Jordan Clarkson
Utah Jazz Receive: PJ Tucker, Bones Hyland, 2030 Second-Round Pick (UTA), 2031 Second-Round Pick (LAC)
Clarkson is on an expiring contract and is gradually seeing his role be minimized within the roster as guards like Keyontae George emerge as the future of the franchise. To salvage some assets for a player who’s been on the franchise for over five years, the Jazz can send Clarkson to a contending team in an attractive market.
The Clippers Add A Veteran Scorer
The Clippers have a 111.2 offensive rating this season, ranking 19th in the NBA while their 108.8 defensive rating is top four in the NBA. They are capable of shutting down almost every offense in the NBA with their diverse set of defenders, ranging from guard stoppers like Kris Dunn to wing presences like Derrick Jones Jr. They focused their summer moves on adding defenders, and if they make a trade this season, it needs to be for a scorer.
Clarkson is averaging 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this season. He is phasing out of the Jazz, watching his minutes go down as players like Keyontae George emerge as bigger parts of the team’s future. Clarkson has been a great veteran for the franchise and their only holdover from the Quin Snyder era, but a move to the Clippers right now will be perfect for both the player and the franchise.
Clarkson would fit in nicely as the designated sixth man for the Clippers. The team needs players off the bench to be high-volume contributors offensively. It would help bring down some of James Harden’s inefficient shots over this season and give him another option to make plays for, which is his best skill at this moment.
The Jazz Start Moving Veterans For Assets
The Utah Jazz might not improve from being the worst team in the West this season. They’re 4-14 and rooted to the bottom of the West, committing to tanking despite extending Lauri Markkanen on a max contract this offseason. While the team seems to have a great long-term direction, they are not going to make any noise in the NBA this season until the results of the NBA Draft Lottery come out next June.
Holding onto Clarkson before he hits free agency in the summer where he likely will be a player a contender can sign for the non-tax mid-level exception is silly. Instead of holding onto him for another year, they can work out a move to a contending team like the Clippers where he can secure a future contract as well.
PJ Tucker is already away from the Clippers after making it clear he doesn’t want to be on the franchise, so it would be an easy salary dump to the Jazz for the veteran. Bones Hyland could provide some long-term upside, averaging 4.9 points this season. He could be re-signed on an extremely affordable contract or the Jazz can let him go to reclaim the $14.1 million in cap space Clarkson is taking up this season.
Utah has moved off winning veteran players at the deadline in the last two seasons, accepting the Russell Westbrook salary dump in 2023 and moving off stretch big Kelly Olynyk last season. Trading Collin Sexton or John Collins will be more challenging, so moving off Clarkson and sending him to a favorable destination might be the best move for the franchise.
One Of The Few Moves For An Asset-Strapped Clippers Franchise
The Clippers don’t have any flexibility. They don’t have a single first-round pick they can trade without protections or swaps because of how aggressively they’ve acquired players since their trade for Paul George in 2019.
The second their asset cabinet replenished in some way, they moved all those picks for James Harden last season. The investment in Harden is paying off this season as he’s kept them competitive without Kawhi Leonard, but he needs reinforcements.
This would be a great move for Clarkson as the Clippers are one of the few contending teams where he can have a defined role off the bench because of their inconsistent offense. The Clippers would be foolish to not explore such a deal while it’s in the best interests of the Jazz to move off him as well.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
