The Utah Jazz's goal this offseason was to clean house, and that's exactly what they did. While they managed to trade Collin Sexton and John Collins, Jordan Clarkson was waived, most likely because they couldn't find a trade that didn't interfere with their long-term goals. A parting of the ways was coming, but Clarkson's decline as a jump shooter this season has proven Utah was right to get rid of him no matter what.
It's not like Clarkson was ever Stephen Curry by any means, but a telling statistic revealed how much Clarkson has fallen off on jump shots this season compared to last.
Here are the 10 players who have seen the greatest spikes 📈 and dips 📉 in eFG% on jumpers from last season pic.twitter.com/T1bYcUuIxN
— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) December 17, 2025
Even if Utah didn't get any value out of Clarkson, this could have been a problem if they had kept him on the team. Not only would he have taken minutes from their young guards, but he may have dragged them down if he wasn't hitting his jumpers. They should have gotten rid of him earlier, but at least the move itself looks better in hindsight.
Many have criticized the Jazz for how much they've played their veterans with so many young players on the team this season, so, in that respect, getting Clarkson off the roster no matter how was the right idea. The fact that their young guards have actually fared pretty well after doing so only make the choice look even smarter.
This is nothing against Clarkson, as he was loyal to the Jazz through the good and bad times. However, after it has now become clear the Sexton and Collins trades weren't as bad as everyone initially thought, waiving Clarkson, even if it wasn't how Utah would have preferred his time with the team ended, was the right move, warts and all.
Last night shows why Clarkson was better off on a playoff contender
Full context: that stat was shared before the Knicks beat the Spurs in the NBA Cup last night. It's fair to say that Clarkson has probably improved his numbers after that game.
With all that out there, the NBA Cup Final showed precisely why the Knicks were quick to scoop up Clarkson when they had the chance. Because of how awesome he was, the Knicks won the third NBA Cup. It may not count for much, but there were still some stakes in this game, and Clarkson thriving in minutes like those show why both the Knicks got him and why the Jazz were hesitant to give him away.
As smart as Utah was to get Clarkson off the team, Clarkson's performance shows why, even if he had no trade value, the Jazz alum is still quite an effective basketball player.