3. Can Philadelphia get Jordan Clarkson on a discount?
Utah may not be willing to trade their best player despite having peak value at present, but that doesn’t preclude them from seeking deals for their other high-end role players. In fact, that should be their modus operandi at this point given their stubborn refusal to start from ground zero and their seeming desire to simply continue building around Lauri Markkanen.
One player they could easily extract a first-round pick from is Jordan Clarkson, who is signed to a very reasonable deal over the next two seasons. The former Sixth Man of the Year just three years ago saw his season cut short due to injuries, but he still managed to turn in a very productive season as the Jazz’s nominal leader off the bench.
For the cost of absorbing Clarkson’s salary amounting to just a hair above $14 million, dangling a first-rounder seems reasonable for the 76ers, especially in account of the fact that they had one of the least scoring bench units this season. While his efficiency took a hit this season, the 10-year veteran is still a bona fide three-level scorer who can easily get hot while also capably functioning as a secondary table-setter.