Jordan Clarkson is among the players many expect the Utah Jazz will dangle during the offseason. That's been the case for the last three years. However, despite Clarkson's contract set to expire next season, which would make him more appealing in a trade, it appears that nothing has changed regarding his trade value.
Andy Larsen revealed on "Locked on Jazz" that, despite Clarkson being on an expiring contract, teams still aren't interested in him because players with similar skillsets can be had for much cheaper
"Jordan Clarkson's tough," Larsen said. "No one's that interested in Jordan Clarkson's level of output over the last two years at his salary number. Even though that has a declining contract, there are just cheaper ways to get low-efficiency bench-scoring, frankly, and that's what Jordan Clarkson has brought over the last two years."
Clarkson will be owed a little over $14 million next season, and while he still is in his prime, there are free agent guards who will have more appeal than him simply because they can come cheaper. Players like Dennis Schroder and Malcolm Brogdon do many of the same things Clarkson does. If they can be had for less than $14 million, teams would rather sign them than trade for Clarkson.
The unmentioned snag is that teams don't want to mess with their rotation, which would be risky if they considered trading for Clarkson. It's not what he can or cannot do. It's how much he's paid for what he can do.
This further reinforces that if anyone trades for the former Sixth Man of the Year, it won't be because of his skillset, but because his expiring contract allows for cap flexibility. Larsen's intel would indicate that that's not enough.
Will Clarkson be a midseason buyout candidate?
Because no one is interested in Clarkson, the Jazz may have to welcome the possibility that he will still be on the team when the 2025-26 season starts. It's not like that's the end of the world, but Clarkson talked about how he would like to play for a winning team during his exit press conference.
It all makes sense. Clarkson has been loyal to the Jazz, but it's not going to shock the world to suggest that someone like him are better off on a team that would benefit from his services. Even if he can be had for exactly nothing, that contract still turns oiff any suitor.
If he's still on the team, and there won't be any interested suitors when the trade deadline passes, it's very possible Utah will simply buy him out for a contender to scoop him up. It's a shame that things may turn out that way, but the Clarkson situation is a reflection of the new CBA environment.
He isn't overpaid, but because teams are much more cautious with how they spend their money, Utah has basically had no choice but to keep Clarkson around. Clarkson's time in Utah shouldn't have to end in a midseason buyout, but for reasons out of everyone's control, there's a strong chance it just might.