Grade the trade pitch: Jazz get haul in blockbuster deal for Jordan Clarkson
By Matt John
At this point, entertaining the possibility that the Utah Jazz could trade Jordan Clarkson is beating a dead horse, but there's a good reason why his name always shows up in fake trades.
Clarkson is still in his prime, has experience helping several winning teams, and given how high the NBA's salary cap is rising, his contract isn't too bad. A team trying to win could definitely use him if the price is right. That brings us to the Milwaukee Bucks.
There's no telling how much time the Bucks have left as a contender. Don't look now, but Giannis Antetokounmpo will be 30 in December leading one of the oldest teams in the league. Clarkson wouldn't make them younger, but he could raise their ceiling.
To do that, Behind the Bucks Pass' Dalton Sell proposed the following three-way trade between the Jazz, Bucks, and Houston Rockets that would get Clarkson off the Jazz while the Jazz would get an impressive haul for him, all things considered.
Bucks get: Clarkson, 2025 Rockets second-round pick (Grizzlies can swap)
Jazz get: Steven Adams, Tari Eason, Rockets 2026 second-round pick, 2027 Grizzlies second-round pick
Rockets get: Brook Lopez
Why the Jazz accept that deal
Sell did not go into much explaining why the Jazz would do it, but he summarizes it pretty well.
"The deal makes more sense for the other two teams, as the Jazz add a pair of draft picks and two players who could be flipped in a future trade for more assets."
Instead, he went into further detail explaining why the Bucks wouldn't do this trade.
"Clarkson doesn't fit the current construction of the roster at all. He's a nice player, but Milwaukee doesn't exactly need another microwave scorer off of the bench; they need defenders, and Clarkson is not that. Trading away one of their top defenders for Clarkson would certainly be a headscratcher, even with the second-round pick."
The Jazz would absolutely do this trade
The truth of the matter is, because the Jazz have no need for Clarkson at this point, they'll take whatever they can get out of him. Getting a youngster who projects to be an excellent role player like Eason is an offer the Jazz cannot refuse.
But the funny thing is, getting just Adams and two second-rounders should be good enough for the Jazz because Adams is on an expiring contract.
The fact that they would get Eason on top of that is an amazing trade. Getting anything of value for Clarkson would be unquestionably terrific front office work.
Grade: A+