Mar 19, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

Knicks’ New Addition Highlights How Fast Free Agency Happens

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 11:09 AM ET

Jordan Clarkson needed two minutes to land his next destination when he became a free agent this offseason.

The veteran forward recently opened up on his free agency experience with the New York Post. That’s when he explained just how fast the NBA free agency period can work when everything clicks.

via NY Post: Jordan Clarkson was attending a Carlos Alcaraz match at Wimbledon when his agent, Rich Paul, called with an important question. ‘Where you wanna go?’ Paul asked. ‘I said, ‘I wanna come to New York,’’ Clarkson recalled Saturday night. Paul then reached out to the Knicks to relay Clarkson’s interest. ‘It all happened in two minutes,’ Clarkson said. ‘Then I was a Knick.’”

The 33-year-old has been in the NBA since 2014.

His college stint included runs with two teams. Clarkson started at Tulsa in 2010, before moving to Missouri for the 2013-2014 NCAA season.

During his final run in college, Clarkson started 35 games. He posted averages of 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He shot 45 percent from the field and knocked down 32 percent of his threes throughout his college career.

During the 2014 NBA Draft. Clarkson passed through the first round. He was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 46th overall pick in the second round. Clarkson’s rights were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he started his NBA career.

Clarkson’s run with the Lakers would last four seasons. Amid the 2017-2018 season, he was moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He wrapped up the LA tenure, putting up 14.3 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the field.

After spending time with the Lakers, Clarkson played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for three seasons. In 138 games, he put up 15.5 points per game, knocking down 45 percent of his field goals.

In 2019, the Jazz landed Clarkson in a trade. They ended up becoming a long-term home for the forward, who became one of the NBA’s top bench players. In 2020-2021, Clarkson was named the Sixth Man of the Year. He was back in the conversation the following season.

In six years, Clarkson appeared in 342 games with the Jazz. He produced 17.5 points per game, while knocking down 34 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. With the Jazz failing to make the playoffs since 2022, Utah has been stepping into a rebuild.

Back in June, Clarkson reached a buyout with the Jazz. Once he ultimately decided where he wanted to go, his agent, Rich Paul, made it work in no time. Clarkson is slated for year No. 12 in New York City.