NBA Rumors: Lakers could target Jordan Clarkson in free agency this summer
NBA Rumors: As a fringe move during the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers could target Jordan Clarkson in free agency.
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the postseason with hopes of shocking the Western Conference. They have a tough first-round draw against the Memphis Grizzlies but with how well they’ve been playing in their last 25 games or so, they’re going to have a shot to pull off the unlikely upset.
Even more so considering that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both relatively healthy heading into the series.
No matter what happens in the playoffs, though, the Lakers will be looking to add on the fringe this offseason. Will how good the Lakers have been since the NBA Trade Deadline, for better or worse, it would be surprising if they made a big move to blow up their momentum heading into next season.
According to a recent report, Jordan Clarkson is a player that could be on the Lakers’ radar heading into free agency.
Would Jordan Clarkson be worth the investment for the Los Angeles Lakers?
Clarkson has to make a decision on his player option for next season but considering the season he just had in Utah, there’s a strong chance that he decided to decline it and test free agency. And if he does hit the open market, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Lakers emerged as a potential landing spot.
Clarkson is coming off a season in which he averaged 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 44 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent shooting from 3-point range. He’s still only going to be 31 years old by the time the 2023-24 NBA season begins and could play a defined role for a team off the bench.
The big question is whether or not the Lakers would be able to afford Clarkson. I he does opt out of the final year of his contract with the Jazz, it would likely be for a contract in the $15-20 million range. Quite frankly, if I had to guess, the Lakers are more likely to give that level of deal to Austin Reaves, a rising star for the team, more so than Clarkson.
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Either way, he’s certainly going to be on the Lakers’ radar. And if things line up during the offseason, perhaps he could make his way back to Los Angeles.