Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson is finalizing a buyout agreement with the Jazz, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Clarkson plans to prioritize contenders when he becomes a free agent, which will occur two days after he’s officially released by Utah. “Multiple playoff teams” are expected to be interested in the 33-year-old, Charania adds.
Clarkson was on an expiring contract that will pay him approximately $14.3MM in 2025/26. It remains to be seen how much of that he’ll be giving back, but the Jazz could have about $30MM in breathing room beneath the luxury tax line to make further moves, notes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (via Twitter).
The Knicks are a team to monitor for Clarkson, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link), who says New York has expressed a level of interest in the former Sixth Man of the Year winner in prior trade talks.
Multiple recent reports indicated that Utah was looking to find a trade partner to take on Clarkson’s contract, but the team was unable to find a deal to its liking.
A former second-round pick (46th overall in 2014), Clarkson has spent the past five-and-a-half years with the Jazz after previous stops with the Lakers and Cavaliers. He’s known for providing instant offense off the bench, but appeared in a career-low 37 games last season due to a left foot injury (Utah was also trying to improve its lottery standing).
Overall, Clarkson averaged 16.2 points, 3.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds in his 37 appearances (26.0 minutes per contest). His shooting slash line was .408/.362/.797.
The Jazz clearly plan to give major backcourt minutes to their recent draft picks for the upcoming season, having traded Collin Sexton to Charlotte for Jusuf Nurkic. They’re also waiving Johnny Juzang and, once the buyout is complete, Clarkson.
Go sign with Phoenix and buddy-up with Jalen Green. They could kick it, maybe find a nice spot to get a manicure from time to time.
I wonder how Masai Ujiri will do in Utah after the Ainge fam gets the heave-ho the day after next season is over. Lol just playing I know (we all know) he’s not getting that job.
Too old, too washed, never deserved 6MOY award, belongs in Euro or Australian league. It sucks Trez Harrell isn’t in the NBA, but Jordan Clarkson still is.
He would have a big role in Milwaukee…not saying they are a “contender”, but in the East anything is possible.
and what would he do in that role? Stink up the joint.
lol I can’t reply directly since the joke blocked me, buy Davey literally never has a good opinion
Never has, never will
He will sign somewhere for a low paid contract. Utah tried to trade him and nobody wanted him for $14 million a year
Ainge has been trying to pass Clarkson off as an asset since he got to UTH. But, as is his m/o, he over priced the guy and thus was never able to move him. I guess he’s finally capitulating.
He had a memorable game against the Kings on February 26th where he missed 13 straight shots before finally getting his first and only bucket of the night on a layup with 69 seconds left.
At this point I just want a list of who davey J likes in the league outside GSW n Durant.
You forgot Giannis
And brook Lopez, the guy who will bring you a ring 100%
You are seeing more and more teams just buying players out rather than paying with draft picks to move unwanted contracts off of books.
Edward Scissorhands moving on.
Complete fail by Ainge here no matter how you would slice things. Either he should’ve traded Clarkson and Sexton sooner—no idea if there were slightly better offers available, but it seems plausible that he could’ve gotten at least a 2nd for them at one point in time or another—or he should’ve cut them loose years ago and allowed the team to go into full tank mode sooner. Ultimately, he gets nothing for them while reducing their draft odds in prior seasons. Can’t really defend that even if he simply misjudged the market for those players.
This, of course, is on top of some clear misses in the draft recently (although I don’t have a problem with the Ace pick) and other strange decisions he’s made since he first arrived in Utah. Seems more and more like he was overrated based on his time in Boston. And it’s exactly why you don’t blindly idolize people based on past work done elsewhere without evaluating them with your own eyes as you would any other candidate. Not saying that’s necessarily what happened with the Jazz, but I would find it hard to believe his stature around the league didn’t hold hold some sway in and of itself.
Slightly off topic, but I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had family and friends say “oh, so and so was highly recommended to me, had won a bunch of awards, was extremely qualified, etc., but turned out to be terrible” because they ignored obvious warning signs like terrible communication, shoddy guarantees, poor interpersonal skills, etc. Recommendations are fine and can help to narrow down to a prospect list, but when they cloud your judgment they are more of a hinderance than a help.
Jazz tanking again….. get rid of all vets ….
This is a G-league team. Have they traded Collins and Markkanen yet. Don’t see how Danny gets away with it ….
Jazz owe a protected pick to OKC next year. Unbelievable right !!!! It is protected 1–8 in next yrs draft. So they don’t care about winning again.
Thibs came to an awful Knicks team. Had them in playoffs in his second year. Then traded and changed whole team. And had them in East Finals in his fifth year. For that he got FIRED …..
Danny has been in Utah since Dec 2021. Took over a team that went to West Finals. And has dismantled it. Then has tanked 4 straight years. And is about to tank another year. This nonsense could never happen in NY. Why does Utah even have a team ….
link to yardbarker.com
I think Denver makes sense off the bench as a scorer