Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
Considering that this season has gotten away from the Utah Jazz, it would be surprising if they didn't at least explore the option of trading some of their most veteran players. One natural trade candidate that is going to emerge for the team over the next few weeks is Jordan Clarkson. Even though he's not the player he once was in his prime, there's reason to believe he could still have something left in the tank at the age of 32. In what could be labeled as somewhat of an up-and-down year for Clarkson, he's still managed to average 16 points and four assists per game on 41 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent shooting from 3-point range.
With just one year left on his contract after this season (and at an affordable number, $14 million, at that), Clarkson is going to naturally emerge as a premier trade candidate heading into the deadline. Of course, that's assuming the Jazz are going to be willing to discuss Clarkson trade offers in good faith. Utah, in the past, has been known for being stingy in trade discussions in the past. Because of that, it's probably not a guarantee that Clarkson will be traded. However, if he is, there could be a big winner at the deadline on the Clarkson front.
Why Jordan Clarkson could be a trade deadline game changer: As mentioned before, Clarkson is not the fringe All-Star player that he was earlier in his career but there's reason to believe that he could provide a huge boost off the bench for a team looking for depth on the wing or an added scoring punch. Even though the natural scoring talent is there for Clarkson, I do believe that there has to be a right fit for this experiment to work. That's what teams have to be patient about with the possibility of pursuing a trade for him.
In theory, it would be good for a contending team to add a scoring punch like Clarkson ahead of the stretch run. But it may not be as simple as it could be. I would imagine teams without a clear sixth man should look in the direction of Clarkson. But, again, it could come down to what the asking price ends up being for Clarkson. In theory, he could end up being a huge game-changer for a playoff hopeful heading into the second half of the season.