After seeing close friends like D’Angelo Russell and Lou Williams traded by the Lakers during the offseason, Jordan Clarkson says he has grown accustomed to the business side of the NBA, as Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times details. As for the trade rumors that have swirled around him this year, Clarkson isn’t ignoring them, but he’s also not letting them negatively impact him.
“To me it’s motivation,” the Lakers guard said of those trade rumors. “It’s a business, you’re either going to be here or you ain’t. Wherever I am, I want to be productive.”
Clarkson’s name hasn’t surfaced much recently in trade rumors, but it’s possible that could change as the trade deadline nears. The Lakers remain focused on clearing as much cap space as possible for the summer of 2018, so any non-core players could become expendable.
While we wait to see what Clarkson’s future holds, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Pacific division…
- In a Q&A session with Nick Friedell of ESPN.com, Suns guard Devin Booker discusses the trade that sent Eric Bledsoe out of Phoenix, becoming the face of the Suns, and several other topics. The highlight of the conversation may have been Booker’s “no comment” when asked about the hair salon that Bledsoe supposedly didn’t want to be at when he published his infamous tweet last month.
- While some players around the NBA might feel pressure to play through injuries, that’s not the case for Warriors players like Kevin Durant, who missed a game last week due to a leg issue. Golden State’s talent and depth allows the club to rest players to avoid making minor ailments worse, as Durant explains to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. “We have such a deep team. Guys can go out and get those knick knack injuries taken care of,” Durant said.
- It has been a while since the veteran-heavy Clippers have had to lean on rookies, but they’ve done just that with Sindarius Thornwell and Jawun Evans lately, says Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The rookie guards have been forced into action as the Clips deal with backcourt injuries.
Booker For President