Jordan Clarkson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Notes: Mitchell Trade, Knicks Talks, Conley, Bass

September 9th, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Within their Thursday press release officially confirming the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, the Jazz‘s top decision-makers explained why they felt it was necessary to move the club’s leading scorer, a three-time All-Star who just turned 26.

“It was clear that in order to optimize our opportunity to create a team that could truly contend and establish sustained success, we needed to transition our roster,” Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said in a statement. “In trading Rudy (Gobert) and now Donovan, it was a rare opportunity to maximize our ability to get quality talent and picks to best position us moving forward. We have a plan in place to help us assemble the championship team our fans deserve. It will take time to craft our roster. We all understand the work ahead and are committed to our vision.”

General manager Justin Zanik, meanwhile, referred to Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and Ochai Agbaji as three “exciting young players,” suggesting the front office views the trio as part of the Jazz’s long-term plan.

“We believe that they fit the Jazz culture and hard-nosed, competitive brand of basketball we’ve built here in Utah,” Zanik said. “They give us versatility and athleticism on both ends of the floor as we grow toward the future. We look forward to our fans getting to know them.”

Here’s more out of Utah:

Previous reports suggested there was some level of “animus” between the Jazz and Knicks, due in part to Knicks executives sitting courtside at Utah’s first playoff game vs. Dallas in the spring, as well as to New York’s decision to extend RJ Barrett while the two teams were negotiating his possible inclusion in a Mitchell trade. However, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast that any hard feelings between the Jazz and the Knicks weren’t the reason why Utah made a deal with Cleveland instead of New York.
“Emotions can play into this,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “I’ve been assured by the Utah side that ‘No, look, we’re mature people. Yes, we were upset with particularly the Mavs’ game incident, but we’re not going to make decisions based on those kind of things that now happened four months ago or whatever. We’ve made the best deal possible.'”
In a column for The Salt Lake Tribune, Robert Gehrke focuses on the off-court impact of the Mitchell trade, arguing that Utah has lost a “conscience of our community.”
Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com considers what Mike Conley can still bring to a contending team and explores which clubs might be realistic trade suitors for the veteran point guard. Meanwhile, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune weighs where Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Jordan Clarkson could land if they’re traded.
The Salt Lake City Stars – Utah’s G League affiliate – acquired the returning rights to Paris Bass and Elijah Cain in a trade with the South Bay Lakers, per a press release. Bass is reportedly signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Jazz, so the team clearly intends to have him play for the Stars — it remains to be seen whether Cain is also in SLC’s plans for 2022/23.

Lakers Interested In Jazz Vets, Hope To Preserve 2023 Cap Room

September 2nd, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have “some interest” in Jazz veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson, but are still trying to maintain their cap room for 2023, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports (Twitter links). The Lakers currently project to have about $30MM in cap room next summer.

As Zillgitt observes, Conley’s $24.36MM salary for 2023/24 is partially guaranteed at $14.32MM, while Clarkson has a player option worth $14.26MM, which may affect how much interest L.A. has in the two guards.

Bogdanovic is on a $19.55MM expiring contract, and several teams are reportedly pursuing the 33-year-old forward, a talented scorer and shooter who has converted at least 38.7% of his three-point tries in each of the last five seasons.

In order to match salaries, Russell Westbrook‘s $47.1MM expiring deal would have to be sent to Utah, because the Lakers don’t have any tradable mid-sized contracts. If they don’t want to take on money beyond next season, a package of Bogdanovic, Malik Beasley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker theoretically works for salary-matching purposes, and all are on expiring or pseudo-expiring deals (there’s a ’23/24 team option for Beasley at $16.52MM).

However, it’s unclear if the Lakers would be interested in that scenario, considering the Jazz might ask for both of the Lakers’ available first-round picks (2027 and 2029). Utah is in the middle of a roster teardown, with a particular emphasis on accumulating unprotected first-rounders.

In other Lakers-related news, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reassesses the team’s depth chart and rotation after acquiring Patrick Beverley from Utah in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. Sources tell Buha that Thomas Bryant and Austin Reaves have been “standout performers” in offseason workouts, and Buha currently has both players slotted in the starting lineup at center and shooting guard, respectively.

Jazz Continue To Engage In Trade Discussions

September 2nd, 2022 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have traded three starters from last year’s roster so far this offseason, but even after moving Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Royce O’Neale for a boatload of draft picks, the team isn’t necessarily done with its offseason work.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz continue to engage in trade conversations about a number of their remaining veterans, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson.

In the latest episode of his Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report confirms that Bogdanovic, Conley, and Clarkson are “definitely on the trade block.” Fischer says he has also gotten the impression that the Jazz would “love to move off” Rudy Gay and has heard Leandro Bolmaro‘s name come up in some trade rumors.

Even beyond those five players, Utah would likely be willing to listen to inquiries on many others members of their roster, including Malik Beasley, according to Fischer. Jarred Vanderbilt is another player the club could theoretically move, though Fischer says a team might have to “knock Utah’s socks off” to acquire the young forward.

Based on the deals they’ve made so far this summer, it’s safe to assume the Jazz would be prioritizing draft assets as they continue to gauge the trade market.

Among Utah’s veterans, Bogdanovic might be the one with the most trade value. He’s on a reasonable $19.55MM expiring contract and is a talented frontcourt scorer, having averaged 18.4 PPG over the last three seasons (204 games) with the Jazz. The 33-year-old forward is also a major threat from beyond the arc — he has made at least 38.7% of his three-point tries in each of the last five seasons.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported on Thursday that the Suns had inquired on Bogdanovic, but Phoenix is hardly the only team with interest. Gambadoro tweeted late last night that several teams, including the Lakers, are eyeing Bogdanovic.

Any trade sending Bogdanovic to the Lakers would have to involve Russell Westbrook for salary-matching purposes, and would require at least one or two other players to go to Los Angeles — the Jazz would likely try to pry away the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in that scenario, though L.A. has been reluctant to attach more than one first-rounder to Westbrook.

Bogdanovic’s cap hit of nearly $20MM will make it tricky for certain teams to seriously pursue him. For instance, while he might be a good fit in Boston following Danilo Gallinari‘s injury, the Celtics probably can’t make a viable offer for him that doesn’t include at least one key rotation player whose value matches or exceeds Bogdanovic’s.

Pacific Notes: Beverley, Westbrook, Saric, Kings

September 1st, 2022 at 11:20pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Since the Lakers traded for veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, the future of 2021/22 starter Russell Westbrook has seemed murky. Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register wonders if the duo can actually share the floor together, or at the very least both stick around on the team this season.

Swanson reads tea leaves in recent public statements from head coach Darvin Ham and team owner Jeanie Buss that seem to suggest they appreciate Westbrook and his contributions to the club last year. Swanson writes that, because Beverley can function so well off the ball as a catch-and-shoot long range sniper, and can defend at least both guard positions, he could theoretically play alongside Westbrook, who tends to be significantly more ball-dominant.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

With Donovan Mitchell headed to the Cavaliers, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times opines that the Lakers could look to move Westbrook (and draft compensation) to the Jazz, who have already offloaded four of their best veteran players in separate deals this summer, including both their All-Stars. Woike writes that combo forward Bojan Bogdanovic should be L.A.’s top priority, and also floats the possibility of adding some combination of Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley and Rudy Gay into such a deal.
Suns reserve big man Dario Saric missed all of the 2021/22 season while he recovered from a ruptured ACL in his right knee suffered in the first game of the 2021 Finals. The 6’10” big man played well during the Croatian national team’s FIBA EuroBasket 2025 pre-qualifiers in August, writes Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
Three reserve point guards will be duking it out during the Kings‘ training camp later this month. James Ham of Kings Beat assesses each player in terms of their relative strengths and weaknesses on the current Sacramento roster. As a former lottery pick, defensive-oriented second-year guard Davion Mitchell seems guaranteed to get some run behind pricey starter De’Aaron Fox. Ham predicts that Quinn Cook could have an edge over Matthew Dellavedova as the team’s third point guard option.

Jazz Notes: Sexton, Mitchell Trade Grades, Rebuild, Veterans

September 1st, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After landing combo guard Collin Sexton in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers as part of the package for All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz intend to keep Sexton in Utah, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an emergency edition of his podcast The Hoop Collective.

Sexton had been a restricted free agent this offseason, and negotiations between the 6’1″ guard out of Alabama and Cavaliers brass reportedly remained far apart in recent weeks. The team had offered him a deal in the range of a three-year, $40MM contract, which he had turned down. He’ll be inking a four-year, $72MM contract in the sign-and-trade that is sending him to the Jazz.

Sexton, still just 23, was unavailable for all but 11 games last season for Cleveland after tearing his meniscus. When healthy, he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 0.9 SPG, on .450/.244/.744 shooting splits. Through his four NBA seasons, he boasts career averages of 20.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3 RPG, and 0.8 SPG, with a .458/.378/.827 shooting line.

There’s more out of Utah:

Zach Harper of The Athletic doles out trade grades to both the Cavaliers and the Jazz following the team’s exchange earlier today. Harper is higher on the addition of Mitchell for Cleveland than he is on the return acquired by Utah, noting that he sees the Cavaliers as a potential Eastern Conference contender.
The Jazz now appear to be going all-in on a full-bore rebuild, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Todd takes stock of the team’s new assets thanks to its four offseason trades to date. The Jazz now have bolstered their roster with six players aged 25 or younger, plus two young players from the first round of this year’s draft, eight future first-round draft selections, and three upcoming draft pick swaps. Todd notes that this rebuild could be an extended process.
Following these summer deals that have sent away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Mitchell, the Jazz futures of veterans Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay appear to be up in the air. On today’s edition of his podcast The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Zach Lowe talks to colleague Bobby Marks about the potential trade destinations for these various players.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Westbrook, Randle, Suns, Curry

August 24th, 2022 at 5:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Now that Kyrie Irving is reportedly off the table for the Lakers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic breaks down the team’s other potential options for dealing Russell Westbrook.

As Buha writes, a trade with the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield makes sense for the Lakers, but they’d likely have to include both their 2027 and 2029 first-rounders to make that happen, which hasn’t transpired to this point. Buha wonders if Indiana would be interested in the move if the Lakers put protections on the ’29 pick or perhaps include a pick swap instead.

Turner and Hield would instantly become the Lakers’ “third- and fourth-best players on the roster, upgrading the starting lineup, depth and collective shooting,” Buha states, adding that Turner would complement Anthony Davis in the frontcourt due to his defensive versatility and ability to space the floor (.349 career 3PT%).

The Lakers could also get involved as a third team in a potential Donovan Mitchell trade, or target Jazz veterans like Bojan Bogdanovic, Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson and Jarred Vanderbilt, Buha notes.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Within the same piece, Buha says the Lakers aren’t interested in a potential reunion with Knicks forward Julius Randle, whom L.A. drafted No. 7 overall in 2014, due to his long-term contract and “less-than-ideal fit” with Davis and LeBron James. According to Buha, New York, Charlotte and San Antonio are all unlikely trade partners for Westbrook for various reasons, even though the three teams theoretically make some sense.
With Kevin Durant said to be sticking with the Nets, at least for now, a trio of Suns players whose names were floated in trade talks for the star have a big opportunity entering 2022/23, per Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic. Moore thinks Mikal Bridges likely won’t be affected by the rumors, but wonders if Cameron Johnson and Deandre Ayton should have bigger offensive roles next season to improve the team’s versatility as Phoenix looks to win its first championship.
Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area details why Warriors star Stephen Curry, the reigning Finals MVP, is underpaid despite having the largest salary in the league in ’22/23 ($48.1MM). Golden State’s franchise valuation has increased a little more than 12-fold over the past 12 years ($450MM to $5.6 billion), the team is immensely popular both locally and nationally, and the Warriors have won the championship four times in the past eight years largely due to Curry’s impact, making him worth more than double his current contract, according to Poole.

Western Notes: Clarkson, Pelicans, Dieng, Elleby

August 10th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson will join the Philippines national team for the next two qualifying games for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, according to an announcement from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. The Philippines will be matched up against Lebanon on August 25 and will face Saudi Arabia on August 29.

Young center Kai Sotto, who committed to the G League Ignite in 2020 and then joined the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers for the 2021/22 season, will also suit up for the Philippines in those World Cup qualifying contests.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

After beginning last season with Devonte’ Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as their starting guards, the Pelicans will enter 2022/23 with a more talented and deeper backcourt thanks to the acquisition of CJ McCollum and the emergence of Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy as rotation players, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic. With Graham, Garrett Temple, Kira Lewis, and lottery pick Dyson Daniels joining McCollum, Alvarado, and Murphy in the backcourt mix, head coach Willie Green will have some difficult rotation decisions to make, as Guillory details.
Gorgui Dieng‘s new one-year contract with the Spurs is worth the veteran’s minimum and is fully guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Dieng will earn a $2,641,682 salary in 2022/23, while San Antonio takes on a cap hit of $1,836,090. The club remains more than $30MM under the salary cap, but there’s no indication that there are any immediate plans for that cap room.
CJ Elleby‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Timberwolves is now official, Hoops Rumors has learned. As expected, the deal includes Exhibit 10 language, meaning Elleby could become an affiliate player for the Iowa Wolves or could have his contract turned into a two-way pact.

Western Notes: Clarkson, Huerter, Bertans, Brooks

August 9th, 2022 at 6:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the future of the Jazz uncertain following the trade of Rudy Gobert and news that the team is open to moving its other 2022 All-Star (Donovan Mitchell), 2021 Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson is keeping an even keel, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News.

“My vibe is always good,” Clarkson said of his attitude while dealing with the Jazz’s tenuous outlook. “This is my ninth year going into the league. I know how the business of basketball works… This is all part of what it is. But my preparation never changes and I’m going to wake up every morning and be me and do what I do. Everything is good.”

There’s more out of the West:

New Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter is bringing his playoff pedigree to Sacramento and hopes to help Sacramento reach the postseason, writes Jarrod Castillo of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I feel like I’ve been through a lot there, having that playoff experience,” Huerter said. The 6’5″ wing added that he’s “hungry to win” with his new club.
In his first full season for the Mavericks, power forward Davis Bertans needs to return to the level of long-range shooting that earned him his current $80MM contract, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. During the 2019/20 season, Bertans connected on 42.4% of his 8.7 three-pointers a night. Last season, in 22 games for Dallas, he connected on 36% of his 3.9 looks a game, a solid but not elite percentage.
Veteran swingman Dillon Brooks appears likely to earn a contract extension offer from the Grizzlies, writes Chris Herring of the Daily Memphian in a subscriber-exclusive story. However, Herring expects Brooks to reject such an offer. During the 2021/22 season, Brooks was limited to just 32 games. When he could suit up, he averaged 18.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.1 SPG.

Jazz, Knicks Still Far Apart On Donovan Mitchell Trade

August 6th, 2022 at 9:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rumors continue to emerge regarding Donovan Mitchell trade talks involving the Jazz and Knicks, but little progress has been made, according to Tony Jones of the Athletic. Appearing Friday on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, Jones was pessimistic that a deal will get done soon.

“I don’t think the two sides are close. I don’t think they have been close,” Jones said. “We’ll see what happens as the urgency of training camp looms. The Jazz want what they want, which is picks out of this deal, and they want young guys on short or rookie contracts.”

Knicks players who fit that definition include Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, but New York has been unwilling to part with significant young talent in addition to substantial draft assets. Jones said keeping Grimes is a priority for the Knicks, along with veteran guard Derrick Rose, who is a longtime favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau.

“The sense I get right now is it’s probably not going to happen on an imminent level,” Jones added. “The two sides aren’t close. To me, I think if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen closer to training camp or the start of the season. If it doesn’t happen then, we’ll see what happens closer to the February trade deadline.”

There are more Jazz-related notes from the podcast:

Matching Mitchell’s salary of $30.35MM for next season becomes trickier if Rose’s $14.52MM contract isn’t involved. Scotto notes that Utah doesn’t want to take on long-term money, which eliminates Julius Randle ($23.76MM) and Evan Fournier ($18MM). Jones said the Jazz don’t have any interest in adding Randle and “I’m not sure there’s much of an appetite for (Cam) Reddish ($5.95MM).” He adds that the Jazz would rather keep Mitchell and hold onto a possible $36-$40MM in cap room for next summer than accept unwanted salary.
Looking at the rest of the roster, Jones believes Utah can easily find deals for Bojan Bogdanovic, Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley if the team decides to move them before the start of the season. He thinks there’s less of a market for Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.
Udoka Azubuike may have the inside track to be the starting center if Utah trades Mitchell and commits to a youth movement, Jones adds. Sources tell Jones that Azubuike has been working with coaches in Salt Lake City all summer and has been showing improvement. First-round pick Walker Kessler would also be in the mix for the starting job. If the Jazz keep Mitchell and try to make the playoffs, Jones expects them to find a more experienced center in free agency.

Lakers Talked To Knicks, Jazz About Possible Three-Team Trade

August 5th, 2022 at 7:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers spoke to the Jazz and Knicks a few weeks ago about a hypothetical three-team trade scenario that would see Donovan Mitchell land in New York, with Russell Westbrook going to Utah, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto explains, the proposed deal would involve at least two Jazz players (likely some combination of Bojan Bogdanovic, Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley) going to Los Angeles, while the Knicks would send out players to both teams for salary-matching purposes. New York would need to trade at least $24.2MM in outgoing salary to match Mitchell’s $30.35MM cap hit.

The Jazz – who would buy out Westbrook if they acquired him, according to Scotto – would receive significant draft compensation from both the Lakers and Knicks for trading Mitchell and taking on Westbrook’s $47MM+ salary.

According to Scotto, the Lakers have had interest in Knicks forward Cam Reddish in the past. Additionally, New York previously expressed interest in Beasley and now employs Gersson Rosas, who acquired and re-signed Beasley when he was working in the Timberwolves’ front office. So if the three teams were able to work out a deal, it would be worth keeping an eye on whether the Lakers could land Reddish or the Knicks could get Beasley.

However, it sounds like it’s probably a long shot that the Jazz, Lakers, and Knicks will be able to reach an agreement.

Utah, of course, wants a substantial haul for Mitchell, having reportedly asked the Knicks for three players and six draft picks last month. And teams that have talked to Los Angeles about Westbrook are believed to be seeking the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks (with as little protection as possible) to accommodate the salary dump. According to multiple reports, L.A. has thus far resisted attaching more than one first-rounder to Westbrook in any proposed trade.

For the Lakers, Jazz, and Knicks to make a deal, they’d have to find common ground on the price tags for both Mitchell and Westbrook, which will be extremely challenging.

It’s unclear, based on Scotto’s report, whether or not the three clubs are still actively exploring this scenario or how viable they consider it to be.