Jazz's Jordan Clarkson floated as trade target for former NBA champions
By Matt John
So many teams have been floated as potential destinations for Jordan Clarkson. From the Milwaukee Bucks to his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Utah Jazz guard's name comes up quite often in hypothetical trade scenarios.
Now, here's a new one: the Denver Nuggets. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus floated Clarkson as a "realistic" dream trade target for Denver.
He explained why the Nuggets could be in the market for someone like Clarkson.
"The Nuggets don't have much flexibility in replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who left as a free agent for the Orlando Magic. Any team with Nikola Jokić is a contender, but Denver has a significant payroll."
Caldwell-Pope is a 3&D hybrid wing/guard who gave the Nuggets shooting and versatility. In other words, he filled plenty of holes for them, and now he's gone. Clarkson is not the same player because he's much more of a pure scorer, but debating who's more valuable is apples and oranges because they provide different qualities.
Pincus is aware of this, as he then explained how Clarkson could help even if those two don't share many similarities as players.
"While Jordan Clarkson isn't a defender like Caldwell-Pope, he's a better scorer who could help carry some of the load for the second unit."
How a trade could work between the Nuggets & Jazz
Clarkson will be owed a little over $14 million for the 2024-25 season. The Nuggets will have to match that make a trade work. Pincus outlined how the two sides could make a trade work.
"Denver's only real path to a deal without Porter would be Zeke Nnaji and a few younger players like Julian Strawther (the Nuggets can't take back more salary than they send out). A deal with Utah might be complicated in-season with roster space, but it's not impossible (though it may require a third team)."
Because the Nuggets are below the NBA's second tax apron, they can aggregate contracts to string together a trade for Clarkson unlike other potential Clarkson suitors like the Bucks.
The Nuggets have four first round picks (2026, 2028, 2030, 2031) to dangle in a possible deal for Clarkson. However, the Jazz might be happy simply to get Clarkson's contract off the books as long as it won't cost them much.
In Clarkson's case, it might be good enough for him to play for a team that truly needs what he provides. Again, it's not like he replaces what Kentavious Caldwell-Pope brought to them, but at least he would be put to good use.