It's been no secret that the Utah Jazz would like to get rid of Jordan Clarkson. He doesn't fit the team's current timeline, and they want to see what they have in some of their young guards like Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier.
Alas, as Tony Jones put it, Clarkson doesn't have much of a market, meaning the Jazz may have to swallow that contract whole. However, aspiring title contenders getting pushed to the point of desperation is a tale as old as time that a Clarkson trade can't be completely ruled out.
A team that fits that bill is Clarkson's former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who the Jazz originally acquired Clarkson from. Sports Illustrated's Matthew Schmidt proposed the following trade that would send Clarkson back to "The Land."
Cavalier receive: Clarkson
Jazz receive: Isaac Okoro (sign and trade)
Why the Jazz do this trade according to Schmidt
Schmidt explained briefly why the Jazz would complete this trade for Okoro.
"The Jazz were one of the few teams said to express interest in Okoro, who has generated very little buzz as a restricted free agent. They would surely love to exchange Clarkson for a younger player, so this package may intrigue them."
He went into more details explaining why the Cavaliers would do it, but it is a good summation of why Utah would agree to a deal like this.
But would the Jazz do this trade?
Cutting right to the chase, yes, they would. Earlier in the offseason, the Jazz were tabbed as the ideal destination for Okoro. It's not hard to see why.
The funny part is, for Utah, this trade is a slam dunk. At 23 years old, Okoro fits a need and their timeline. Even if his three-point shot isn't all the way there, the Jazz can afford to see if he can develop into a two-way wing because they have the time to do that.
To get him for Clarkson, who they don't need and whose skillset is better utilized on a contender, they'd be fools to pass that up for their sake and his.
This deal more or less hits two birds with one stone. They get rid of someone they don't need for someone they do. On the Cavaliers' end, it's a little harder to say if this is the best trade for them.
Why would they add Clarkson when they already have a player who effectively plays his role in Caris LeVert? He's already their scoring sparkplug off their bench, which is the perfect role for Clarkson. While one could argue it's better to have two of those players than one, basketball's not played in a vacuum, so it's not a guarantee that they could co-exist.
But hey, that would be the Cavaliers' problem in this scenario, not the Jazz's.
Grade: A+ (for the Jazz)