Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz are not done dealing. Rudy Gobert is in Minnesota, Donovan Mitchell is in Cleveland, and now every other Jazz veteran is on the trade block: Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Malik Beasley.
And Jordan Clarkson — who could be the first one traded. The Grizzlies, Bucks, and Kings are known to have interest.
Whatever happens, Clarkson told Complex that he is ready for it.
That’s the attitude of an NBA veteran who understands this is a business and at times he has no control. The Jazz are going to trade him to the team that gives them the best package of draft picks back (probably multiple seconds, although Ainge will push for a first-rounder), and that could be anywhere. Clarkson is set to make $13.3 million this season and has a player option for $14.3 million next season, a very tradable deal. The former Sixth Man of the Year averaged 16 points a game last season and has a clearly defined NBA role as a scorer off the bench — a role that would help several teams.
In the interview, Clarkson also addressed those Lakers fans who would have preferred — or at least wonder — what would have happened if Los Angeles had kept the core of Clarkson, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and DeAngelo Russell together.
The Lakers traded many of those players to land Anthony Davis, who was at the heart of the Lakers 2020 title.