The Utah Jazz are in an interesting spot with their veteran players. Many are on hard contracts to absorb by contending teams, but the Jazz want to offload them for draft capital.
Jordan Clarkson may be the easiest to unload, and there's a contender who needs backcourt depth that could actually save money by trading for him. Would it be worthwhile for the Jazz though?
The Trade
In this scenario, the Jazz would look to Denver as a trade partner. The Jazz would send Jordan Clarkson to the Nuggets in return for Zeke Nnaji, Russell Westbrook, Vlatko Cancar, and a 2026 first-round pick swap, in which the Jazz retain the rights to the higher pick.
The Jazz would like this trade because it would finally allow them to offload Clarkson, a player they like who has embraced a mentorship role in Utah but who doesn't really fit with the team's current goals and vision. The Jazz would also get a young forward in Nnaji, who has flashed at times and could earn more minutes in Utah's rotation.
Nnaji is also on a decent contract, 32 million over 4 years, so it's not too much of a risk for the Jazz to give him a shot. Regarding Westbrook and Cancar, the Jazz could give them minutes if they chose to, but waiving them would likely be the move they choose. Plus, how hilarious would it be for the Jazz to trade for Westbrook only to waive him a third time?
The one concern the Jazz could have is the pick, why would the Jazz take the best pick when the Nuggets would likely have the better record anyway? There is a decent chance the Jazz have a better record at the end of next season than the Nuggets.
The Nuggets have been on a decline since their NBA title because their depth has taken more hits every year, and their complements to Nikola Jokic seem to be regressing as well. There have also been some rumblings that this may be the last season the Nuggets' core will be together, with all their contracts bringing them close to the 200 million mark against the cap. The Nuggets may be due for a down year.
The Nuggets would like this trade because of their need for backcourt depth. While Westbrook is their current backcourt depth piece, he has been very streaky as has been the nature of Westbrook over the last few seasons. As ironic as it sounds, Clarkson could provide much more consistency and can play both the 1 and 2 positions.
Clarkson could be the Bruce Brown replacement the Nuggets have been searching for since their championship run. He's also younger and could also save them money. In this hypothetical, the Nuggets' salary would actually drop $187k.
The Jazz need to find a way to invest in their future through the value of their veterans. Is this enough value for Clarkson, or can they get more elsewhere?