As the Utah Jazz prepare for a blockbuster offseason trade, several players may be on the move this summer.
This week, the Jazz revealed their desire to build around 2023 All-Star Lauri Markkanen, 2023 All-Rookie selection Walker Kessler, and 2023 No. 16 pick Keyonte George. While there aren’t any concrete details on how they plan to achieve that objective, the futures of players like seven-year pro John Collins, sixth-year guard Collin Sexton, and 10-year veteran Jordan Clarkson are in question.
The most likely course of action is that they put at least one veteran in a trade package for a star player.
In that event, Collins could end up with the Charlotte Hornets in a trade for Miles Bridges. Sexton could find himself back in his hometown if the Jazz trade him to the Atlanta Hawks in a package for Dejounte Murray. Clarkson could land with the Houston Rockets in a deal that brings 2022 All-Star Fred VanVleet to Utah.
6MOY Winner Reveals Career Goals Amid Jazz Rumors
Speculation aside, Clarkson appears prepared for the possibility that he’s traded this offseason. During the Jazz’s end-of-season media interviews, Clarkson addressed his on-court legacy in Utah:
“Not a knock on Thurl (Bailey) but best Sixth Man ever to come through a Jazz uniform,” he says, smiling.
A few minutes later, Clarkson was asked about his career goals.
“It would be nice to win another Sixth Man of the Year (Award),” he reveals.
Winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2021, Clarkson has long been one of the better bench scorers, earning three top-7 finishes in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The first time he garnered recognition as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate came in 2017-18, just his fourth season. Traded by the Los Angeles Lakers midway through the season, he averaged 13.9 points per game on 45.1 percent shooting from the field. With LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Clarkson’s seemingly empty points took on more substance.
It tends to happen that way when players are on playoff and NBA Finals contenders.
To that point, Clarkson also announced his desire to win an NBA championship. This isn’t breaking news, although there are multiple NBA veterans who downplay the significance of winning a ring. Nonetheless, it’s a glimpse at Clarkson’s competitive spirit, one that’s not necessarily displayed on a rebuilding team.
“Hopefully win a championship. Compete for something. All those things, in the back of my mind, are something that I do want to achieve. Those two things sound really good because I know I’ll be winning if we doing that.”
True Love
Directly addressing the possibility that he’s spent his last season with the Jazz, Clarkson says, “Whenever I’m not on the floor.. It ain’t what you wanna be (in). The situation.”
“But I don’t know,” he continues. “Tomorrow is tomorrow. Don’t really look too far forward but I’m here. I love this organization… the state (and) city. I love playing for this team… So, if it is the last, that’s just what it is.”
Clarkson has played for the Jazz since the 2019-20 season, the Cavs trading him for pennies on the dollar.
Last season, he was a full-time starter for the first time since 2015-16, averaging a career-high 20.8 points per game. However, rapidly improving his play recognition and passing ability, Clarkson has proven he’s more than an instinctive scorer the last two seasons. Indeed, the 31-year-old averaged a career-high 5.0 assists per game in 2023-24.
After 305 regular season games and three playoff appearances, Clarkson has played more for the Jazz than he has with either the Lakers or Cavs. In many ways, though it’s his most recent team, it’s the closest thing he’s had to an NBA home. With that said, he truly has love for the organization and community. As a result, if Utah does decide to trade him, it’ll be bittersweet at best.
A necessary sacrifice for a team looking to win its first championship in franchise history.
