The Utah Jazz are expected to be extremely busy this off-season with the amount of cap space and assets they have. Jazz fans should anticipate an upgrade to the roster via trade, but if there is an exchange, which players could be on the move?
According to Jazz beat writer Tony Jones of The Athletic, fan-favorite Jordan Clarkson is the name to watch. Jones revealed that Clarkson’s days in Salt Lake City could be winding down when he joined The Bill Riley Show on ESPN 700.
"If I were a Jordan Clarkson fan, I would appreciate the remainder of this season because I expect his time in a Jazz uniform to come to an end this summer," Jones said.
This shouldn’t be a huge surprise, considering Clarkson will be out of his prime during Utah’s projected championship window. Clarkson turns 32 in June, and time is running out on the possibility of being a part of a contender.
Clarkson is no stranger to the rumor mill, and like in the past, this could be just smoke and mirrors. However, Jones was firm on the notion that Clarkson will begin next season in another uniform.
"I just think that no matter what happens whether it be draft, you know trades, or whatever I don’t think that there is a path going forward with the Jazz and Clarkson," Jones said.
Clarkson signed a three-year extension with the Jazz in the most recent off-season. But when looking at his contract structure, a trade this summer may have been the plan.
Clarkson could be a prime trade candidate due to his salary decreasing in 2024-25 to $14,092,577. This is due to the Jazz renegotiating and extending Clarkson while giving him a substantial raise in the 2023-24 season.
It allowed them to front-load his contract this year while having it decline in the 2024-25 season. His original base salary was $14,260,000, and his extension this past offseason added $9,227,629 for a new total of $23,487,269.
His larger salary this year could have made it a little harder to trade him due to many teams around the league being hampered by salary cap issues. But that won't be the case this summer, and expect more franchises to be interested in a team-friendlier contract.
If Clarkson is dealt, it won’t be because of a lack of support from Utah’s fan base. That said, all good things do end, and according to Jones, Utah’s most-tenured player time as a Jazzman has run its course.
"That’s not a bad thing, it’s just, you know a matter-of-fact thing. It’s just kind of when you know that a marriage is over, it’s just kind of over," Jones said.
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