After missing out on OG Anunoby, the Philadelphia 76ers front office is now more incentivized to strongly consider keeping the roster intact. After all, their current deck has been good enough to be profiled as a contender, and even more so when players have been healthy.
But going by precedence, Daryl Morey and company are unlikely to toss aside the prospect of making an in-season trade that easily. Philly is still led by players far from being branded as iron men. Thus, ameliorating the team’s depth further is more of a necessity than a luxury.
That being said, should the 76ers consider trading for this former NBA Sixth Man of the Year?
Should the 76ers consider trading for Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson?
One of those pegged to be available for plucking via trade is Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson. A former Sixth Man of the Year awardee in 2021, the 31-year-old has had a really slow start to the season, posting 16.9 points and 5.1 assists per game on an inefficient 39.9 percent shooting from the floor, including a meager 29.5 percent conversion rate on three-pointers.
However, Clarkson is still a valuable and proven scorer, particularly off the bench. And even a 20-game cold stretch may not be enough for his ship to capsize. Should the 76ers pounce?
While touting one of the league’s best offenses, Philadelphia is traditionally an injury-riddled team — a trend that has so far continued this season. That depletes the bench, giving the front office some legroom to make a move for someone who can start when needed and score in bunches off the bench when the main cogs are healthy.
Can Clarkson be that guy? Well, yes. But should he be that guy is a question that veers toward a big no-no.
No one off the 76ers bench packs the same punch as Clarkson, but between Kelly Oubre Jr. and Marcus Morris Sr., the team already has two veterans who can fill scvoring voids, even if neither of them goes off the way Clarkson does on the cursory.
But perhaps more importantly, Clarkson’s contract will definitely not be something Philadelphia’s brass will find alluring, as he’s signed for two more seasons after the current one at an average annual salary of $23.4 million. For a franchise hellbent on hoarding talent through free agency next year, that’s a huge turn-off.
Ultimately, while Jordan Clarkson is an attractive get for win-now teams with the Jazz starting to double down on their youth movement, the Philadelphia 76ers have little use for his skill set, especially when taking into account his not-so-inspiring pay.