The Utah Jazz undoubtedly want to find Jordan Clarkson a new home. However, it is less certain whether they feel the same way about Lauri Markkanen. Clarkson should be on a team trying to win at this stage in his career. Markkanen is younger and considerably better, but no one knows Utah's long-term plans for him.
Markkanen's young, but not too young. While many are open to him staying, those same people would understand if they traded him. If the Jazz decide to cash in on Markkanen's value, they could use that as the opportunity to also get Clarkson off their payroll.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz proposed a trade between the Jazz and Miami Heat that would send Markkanen and Clarkson to South Beach.
The following trade would give the Jazz some draft assets along with some cap flexibility.
Heat receive: Markkanen and Clarkson
Jazz receive: Kel'El Ware, Nikola Jovic, Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, 2025 Warriors top-10 protected first-rounder,
Swartz explained why the Jazz would agree to this trade.
"Utah should ask for (and receive) a collection of young talent and draft picks for Markkanen, especially with Clarkson going out as well," Swartz wrote. "Ware, 20, is nearly averaging a double-double in 18 starts as a rookie (10.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) and Jović, 21, is putting up a career-high 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his 25.1 minutes a night. Both Robinson and Rozier will be on expiring deals."
To be fair, Clarkson will also be on an expiring deal, but Robinson and Rozier make more than him, so there'd be more cap flexibility. However, one can only wonder how much Jazz values it since they already have one of the NBA's lowest payrolls
The Heat would be an intriguing trade partner for Lauri Markkanen
Even after trading Butler, the Heat aren't constructed for an immediate rebuild. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are in their primes now, and both have made All-Star teams. Adding Markkanen to that duo would make the Heat a tougher team, as Markkanen brings star power and positional versatility.
Best of all, he fits the timeline with Adebayo and Herro, having come into the league around the same time. He's definitely not the same player as Butler, but the Heat would become a tougher team to beat, which is what they prided themselves on during the Butler era.
Adding Clarkson on top of him gives the Heat another solid bench scorer also capable of putting up 20 points on any given night. Just not every night. It has to better than what Rozier has been giving them for the past year.
The Jazz get promising players in this deal, though it might be a stretch to suggest they are future stars. Jovic and Ware could be long-term starters, which doesn't sound too great, but the Jazz are still sorting out who should stay long-term.
The Jazz wouldn't get the best player in the deal, but they would get players who fit better with their current timeline. With Markkanen, there are still so many questions about how he fits with the team. They would probably want a player who projects to be a star in the making, but that might not be available if they put Markkanen on the trade market.
This deal is solid for what it is. If the Jazz trade with Miami, or anyone else for that matter, they would want more promising young talent than draft assets. The Heat have promising young talent, but the Jazz could make Jaime Jaquez Jr. the dealbreaker.
Remember that Danny Ainge and Pat Riley don't have the best personal history with each other, though that didn't stop the Jazz from being involved in the Jimmy Butler deal. It's not a perfect deal for the Jazz, but it's one where the fanbase could get behind it as long as it's clear that Miami had the best package for him.
Grade: B