1. Will Jordan Clarkson be in Utah for 2022/23?
Jordan Clarkson has been a standout for this Utah team for years, offering them a spark off the bench and a capable starter if needed alongside Donovan Mitchell or Mike Conley, but if this team isn’t ready to compete in 2022/23, or the following season, there’s no reason to keep him around. Despite being in the NBA for eight seasons, Clarkson is still just 29-years of age, and if a contender, like the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors or anyone with an intent to win the NBA Championship in 2023 can bring him in, he will offer incredible value to them as a versatile sixth man.
In his three seasons representing the Jazz Note, Clarkson has notched 17 PPG, and with so many contenders in either conference, there’s no way that a potential Donovan Mitchell trade doesn’t trigger more moves and a smaller bidding war for such a valuable player. Clarkson still has two years left on the contract he signed with the Jazz, and carrying a cap hit of just $13 million makes him a very cheap piece that any playoff team would love to have, and may be a way for Utah to further stock their picks for the future.
At this point, this would be a huge disappointment for the Jazz franchise if they had to move Jordan, as he was the focal point of the ads that promoted Utah’s return to the iconic purple mountain jersey, but if Mitchell and Gobert are gone, there’s just no reason for a player in his prime to be on a team like this that’s clearly headed towards a rebuild.