3 trades the Utah Jazz would absolutely have to consider

Utah Jazz acquire guard Eric Gordon

Remember when we said we aimed to improve the Jazz’s defense without compromising their spacing? We may be stretching the truth a little with this one.

Eric Gordon’s career DBPM of -1.4 barely edges out Clarkson’s -1.5, and Clarkson is actually faring better in that statistic in 2021-22. Still, it intuitively feels like Gordon is a better defender. At 215 pounds, he is certainly more stout than the 197 pound Clarkson. It’s likely that Gordon’s 2021-22 DBPM of -2.5 is mostly a result of his being employed by the Houston Rockets. With a 116.6 Defensive Rating, they are the second worst defensive team in the NBA.

Nonetheless, the Jazz wouldn’t be acquiring Gordon for his defense.

Eric Gordon is hitting 45.2% of his three-point attempts this season. Jordan Clarkson is hitting a meager 31.1% of his. There is no overstating how significant that difference is. Furthermore, Gordon provides much of the same shot creation that Clarkson does. He’s not as deft a ball handler, nor does he have as deep a bag of layups. If aesthetics are your concern, this trade isn’t for you. If on-court impact is, keep reading.

Gordon creates baskets for himself as a power guard, barreling into the lane with his aforementioned thick frame to create easy layup or dunk attempts. He may not be quite the creator that Clarkson is, but his vastly superior three-point shooting would more than make up that menial difference.

Gordon spent years spacing the floor alongside James Harden in Mike D’Antoni’s pick-and-spread system. That experience would translate perfectly on the Utah Jazz. It may be painful to part with Clarkson one year after his Sixth Man of the Year campaign, but acquiring Eric Gordon would be worth the trouble.

As for the Rockets, they’d likely look to reroute Clarkson to a contender in the offseason. They’d have little use for his services. However, as a rebuilding club, they’re in a perfect position to take a flier on Azubuike. That’s the draw for them in this deal.