The Utah Jazz have undergone some major changes to their roster this NBA offseason as Danny Ainge did what he does best and overhauled the coaching staff and roster. That has been his MO whenever he joins a front office and it continued in Salt Lake City.
Head coach Quin Snyder resigned from his position, which led to the team hiring Will Hardy away from the Boston Celtics. After that, Ainge got busy moving multiple players.
Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic were players from last season’s roster that they got traded and he also flipped Patrick Beverley, who was acquired in the Gobert blockbuster.
Utah was said to be open to business in regards to their veterans following their All-Star duo being moved, as Bogdanovic was the first to be on the move. Is it possible that he will be the last?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jordan Clarkson & Utah Jazz Updates
One of the other veterans that were reportedly garnering some interest was Jordan Clarkson. However, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, it sounds more likely that Clarkson will be remaining with the team. Jones appeared on ESPN 700 on The Bill Riley Show to discuss some of the happenings around Utah’s Media Day. Clarkson trade rumors were one of the topics and Jones disclosed what he is hearing.
“I would say that the Jazz are more likely to extend him than trade him,” Jones said.
“I think that the Jazz think that he can be a real part of recapturing the culture of this franchise that they lost last year. The Jazz really value Jordan. He’s just a prince of a guy in the locker room, for lack of a better term, and he loves Utah, and he wants to be in Utah. And I think that, at this point, the Jazz franchise can use guys in their program who actually want to be here.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jordan Clarkson & Utah Jazz Updates
That is certainly surprising to hear. If Clarkson wants to be there long-term, that is one thing, but signing him to an extension that takes him beyond his prime makes little sense for a rebuilding franchise.
What real use could a rebuilding team have for a 30-year-old combo guard that is going to demand a good amount of money on a multi-year extension? By the time Utah is ready to compete again, Clarkson will be outside of his prime.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jordan Clarkson & Utah Jazz Updates
Jones is correct, however, in the assessment that the Jazz could use more people who want to be there. They haven’t been a free agent hotbed in the past and with how Ainge has handled a few things this offseason, it doesn’t sound like that is going to change any time soon.
