Since the offseason started, many proposed trades have already involved Utah Jazz spark plug Jordan Clarkson. One trade idea even sent him to his first NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers. However, if it comes to that, the Jazz aren't sending Clarkson back to LA if it's going to hurt them in the process, and this proposed trade below does just that.
ClutchPoints' Bailey Bassett proposed a trade between the Lakers and Jazz in which the following would occur.
Lakers acquire: Clarkson, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George, two second-round picks
Jazz acquire: Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, 2031 first-round pick
Why would the Jazz make a trade like this? Bassett explained why the Jazz would want specifically Reaves.
"Lauri Markkanen has All-Star experience, but the Jazz need another elite player, especially because Markkanen had a down year," Bassett wrote. "Considering Reaves scored 20.2 points on a team with other ball-dominant players, he could become a legitimate star for a team like the Jazz. On top of Reaves, the Jazz might be able to squeeze a future first-round pick out of the Lakers."
Reaves is definitely an intriguing young talent who has impressively risen through the ranks over the past few years. If the Lakers dangled him to the Jazz, there is a fair argument that Utah should get him if the opportunity presents itself as long as the deal is fair.
But not in a trade like this.
This immensely helps the Lakers but only hurts the Jazz
To summarize, a deal like this fills the Lakers' biggest hole. Not only does LA get a big man, but they also get an excellent one in Kessler, and still on a rookie deal. Given how desperate they are, that's a home run in and of itself. Not only that, but they would only slightly downgrade from Reaves to Clarkson and George in the process.
That, in turn, shows why the Jazz wouldn't do a trade like this. Kessler reasserted himself as one of the league's best rim protectors while flat-out dominating as a rebounder. There's no way they are giving him up, knowing that he may only get better from here, for someone like Reaves. While the Lakers guard would certainly be an interesting target, it should never come at the cost of Kessler.
Another reason is that the Jazz also take their chances of ruining the pick the Lakers owe them in 2027. They already hurt that pick enough by assisting the Luka trade. There's no point in risking that damage any further, especially because the Lakers still have big question marks.
One of the underrated reasons why they would laugh at this offer is that there's no need to pull the plug on George two years in. He may be coming off a disappointing sophomore year, but giving up on him this early would be very drastic on the Jazz's part. Even if Reaves is better now and may be better going forward, the Jazz have time to figure out what George is.
Getting back to Reaves, he is an interesting prospect, but his ceiling is more or less a guy that a contender would put next to its two best players, much like the Lakers have done with him. That's how he thrives, but he's given no indication that he's a franchise player.
If he were put on the Jazz next season, they would maybe win a few more games, but they're not a playoff team, and worse, the Jazz owe the Oklahoma City Thunder a top-eight protected first-round pick in 2026. His ceiling is limited, for as good as he is, so currently, that's not the kind of player the Jazz should target.
It's definitely not ludicrous to believe that the Jazz and Lakers could reach a deal this summer involving Clarkson, but if the Lakers approached the Jazz with this specific offer, Utah would hang up and unplug the phone.
For all the things Danny Ainge is, he's not Nico Harrison.