After Brandon Ingram was named Most improved Player on Monday, current and former teammates came out in swarms to congratulate him.
Brandon Ingram was officially named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Monday, an award that many saw coming for much of the year. Ingram’s breakout season included career highs in points, rebounds and assists and an All-Star selection as well.
His journey to New Orleans and this season has been a winding one. After spending three frustrating seasons in Los Angeles, Ingram was dealt to New Orleans in a trade that netted the Lakers Anthony Davis.
But Ingram never wavered in his determination, culminating in Monday’s award. And his hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed as a host of his current and former teammates celebrated him receiving the award on social media.
A host of fellow current Pelicans took to Instagram to congratulate Ingram on their stories, including Jrue Holiday, Jahlil Okafor, Jaxson Hayes and Frank Jackson.
Current Pelican teammates weren’t the only ones to rush to congratulate Ingram. Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Cleveland’s Larry Nance, both former teammates with Ingram in Los Angeles, tweeted messages of support or Ingram.
While Lonzo Ball, arguably Ingram’s closest friend on the Pelicans, did not initially share congratulations for Ingram, no one has a better excuse. Ball was on the Zoom call along with Ingram’s family and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson in which Ingram was told he was named Most Improved Player.
As Hart noted, the award further sets Ingram up for a huge summer as he’s set to enter restricted free agency. His improved play this season likely sets him up for a max contract offer sheet coming in the off-season.
Utah Jazz center Ed Davis opens up about Friday’s conference call between players and why he feels the NBA season should resume as planned.
On Friday evening, 80-plus NBA players got together on a conference call to discuss whether they should go along with the league’s plan to resume the 2019-20 season in July. Utah Jazz center Ed Davis was one of the players on that hour-and-45-minute call (and several other calls like it). The 10-year NBA veteran opened up to HoopsHype about the discussion and why he feels the players should play when the season resumes in Orlando.
Players have brought up concerns about COVID-19, the injury risk, the bubble, shifting attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement and so on. Based on your conversations with players, what’s the biggest issue or concern that players have about resuming the season?
Ed Davis: I think you have to look at it from every player’s own perspective. For me, personally, I’m for the Black Lives Matter movement. I’ve always been for it. When I was in Portland, me and Moe Harkless would go through the inner cities and really try to get involved in police reform. We’d bring black kids and the police together, trying to help them find some common ground and gain respect for each other. Like I said, I’m all for that. At the same time, I know a lot of guys are iffy about playing. But it’s sort of bigger than that because if we don’t play, I honestly think there’s a chance that we won’t play next year. I just had a 2-month-old so of course I don’t want to go away for two months, but it’s just something I feel that we have to do to save the league and for all the people who came behind us and all the people who are going to come after us. This is coming from a 10-year vet; I’m on the back end of my career and I’ve made enough money, so it’s not really about the money. It’s more about the future guys – a guy like Donovan Mitchell, who is looking at a $160 million dollar contract but he might only get $90 million if the cap drops.
If we don’t play, I honestly think there’s a chance that we won’t play next year
I’m looking at it like: With where we’re at as a Black culture and how we’re so far behind when it comes to black people and the wealth we have, the money we have, us missing the rest of this season (and possibly next year), we’re talking about billions and billions of dollars for the black community because a lot of guys in the NBA are black men from the inner cities and things like that. So, the way I look at it, we haveto play for that simple fact. I saw Stephen Jackson say that we can’t play because it’s going to be a distraction. Yeah, it’s going to be a distraction, but we can take that money – those billions and billions of dollars – that we’re going to make and pour it back in the community. You can look at it like that – that us losing out on that money would hurt generations of people.
For me, I make $5 million a year and I’m taking a 25-percent pay cut [due to COVID-19], so I’m losing around $30,000 every two weeks. That’s hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that’s what is creating generational wealth and that’s what is really going to help the black community. I don’t know if guys are looking at it like that. But that’s just my perspective and the reason why I think we need to play. I get it, we need to take a stand; we got to do this, we got to do that. But you got to have money to do some of these things and make some of these things happen. [Change] isn’t just gonna happen because of us boycotting and not playing and shutting it down. And then, we’re really gonna be set back.
If the season resumes, the whole world would be watching. You can make the argument that playing would provide players with a huge platform to make their voices heard and highlight this movement.
ED: Yeah, exactly. I mean, this is really the only time that you’re going to get that and it’s the only time you’re going to get 22 teams together for seven weeks, so we can really get down and meet every couple of weeks and do some really cool things. There’s some really great stuff that we can do for the world. I feel like all of us doing it together and working with the NBA and working with these owners, we can really help out. For me, I want to fight against police brutality. That’s my cause; that’s really what I want to focus on. I hope that when we get down there, we can do that together. So, like I said, I’m all for us playing and I feel like we need to play. I think a lot of these guys know really need to educate themselves on what’s really going to happen if we do take a stand and don’t play.
It’s easy for a guy like Kyrie [Irving] to say that he’ll give everything back [for social reform], but would he really give everything back? It’s easy for Dwight Howard to say that we don’t need to play when he’s in Atlanta in his $20 million mansion. But there are other guys on the rosters who need this money to provide for whoever they’re taking care of and things like that. It’s easy for the superstars in the league to say this and how they feel about this and that. But it means a lot more when it comes from the role players and the guys that [aren’t stars]. There are so many different perspectives because there are so many different levels in the NBA. Like I said, it’s so easy for the superstars to say, “Let’s just not play,” and they’re good. But some guys can’t just do that. There are lives on the line and, like I said, generational wealth on the line. These are the hits that we’re going to take if we don’t play.
It’s easy for a guy like Kyrie to say that he’ll give everything back, but would he really give everything back?
How many players participated in Friday’s call?
ED: It was 80-something. I don’t know exactly how many, but it was in the 80s, for sure. It was a lot of players.
I think some people saw that 80 players were on the call and thought, “Wow, 80 players want to sit out.” But based on what you’re saying, it sounds like some players on the call absolutely want to play and just wanted to hear what the others had to say. Is that accurate?
ED: Yeah, for sure. There were 80 guys on the call and maybe 10 who spoke, and of the guys who spoke, it was probably 50/50 – only half said that we might need to take a stand and that playing might not be the best idea. I can only speak for myself and the guys that I communicate with – and I communicate with a lot of guys in the NBA – but I think they are on board to play. Obviously, it’s a tough situation; we’re in a pandemic. But this is when we really have to stick together and really use our platform and really make a difference. I think that we have so many resources through the NBA and working with the NBA, that’s how we’re gonna make things happen. Taking a stand and not playing, I just don’t think that’s going to better the situation. I guess it might be a little distraction, but it’s on us to turn that distraction into a positive thing.
As you mentioned, if the players sit out, we may not have basketball next season either. The owners could rip up the CBA and then we’d have a lockout. It’s possible that the new CBA wouldn’t be as player-friendly. Do the players who want to sit out understand the financial consequences that could come with not playing?
ED: Yeah, I think a lot of guys understand that. But, like I said, sometimes the guys that are speaking up, those are the guys that [are set] financially. They can say certain things because they made so much money in their career that they can miss a year. They might be on the back end of their career. Like, with me, I’m on the back end of my career and if I don’t play another game or make another dollar, I’m still gonna be fine. But I just know what this is going to do to the future. And it’s more for the guys that came before us and put in so much work and it took so much to get to this point. To throw that down drain because of a quick, emotional decision? I just don’t think that’s a smart thing to do at all.
Sometimes the guys that are speaking up, those are the guys that are set financially
I’m with the movement and with every cause. I even thought about this: We, the players in the NBA, could take a percent of the BRI (Basketball Related Income) and give that back to the community. There are things like that we could do and there are too many powerful people in the NBA – with the owners and the players working with Commissioner [Adam] Silver – that if we take a stand and don’t play, we’re not going to benefit from that. We’re going to lose all the way around. It’s just not going to be good. You don’t have enough players who are willing to do that, and I don’t feel like it’s right for a player to force other guys to do that. It’s your decision. If you want to take a stand, take a stand; if not, it’s your choice. But to try to make a whole group do something? Nah, I ain’t really with that.
You said that there have been a number of calls about resuming the season in addition to Friday’s conference call. How many calls have there been and what have those discussions been like?
ED: There have been a lot of calls; I don’t know off the top of my head. Obviously, the guys who are on the Union’s Board of NBA Player Representatives have been on even more calls, but I’ve been on a lot. The Players’ Association has been doing a hell of a job of letting us know what’s going on and answering our questions. The Utah Jazz had a two-hour Zoom call with Michele [Roberts] and the Players’ Association, so if guys had any questions or concerns, we had an opportunity to ask them. It’s up to the players to get on these calls and ask these questions, and the Players’ Association has been available to us in every way possible.
One player told me that some quotes from Friday’s call were taken out of context, and I saw that Donovan Mitchell seemed to take issue with a tweet saying that he talked about sitting out. Have the reports about the call been accurate?
ED: Yeah, a lot of them have been accurate, but they’re just taking certain quotes and certain things. So, they’re getting real information, but they’re not getting the whole story; they’re just getting bits and pieces of it. When a quote comes out, you can spin it however you want in your head. The quotes are accurate – because I have been on the calls – but there’s more stuff that’s being said before and after that the general public isn’t seeing.
(Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)
Do you guys have another call scheduled or are you planning to have a conversation with the NBA? What are the next steps?
ED: I mean, I don’t know exactly. I’m not on the Board [of NBA Player Representatives] with the Players’ Association, but, like I said, I’m on every call. I got a lot of respect for Chris Paul; I think he’s doing things right. And with CP and Michele working with Adam Silver, I really think that we can do some positive things for the community. But it’s gonna take all of us to do it together. Us taking a stand and not playing, that’s not the answer. There’s too much money that would be lost that can really help a lot of people and feed people who are in these poverty-stricken places and crazy environments. We can take that money and do some great things with it. This is my opinion, but I just don’t think us protesting is the right answer.
Based on the conversations you’ve had with players, do you think the season will resume in July?
ED: Yeah, I’m about 99.9 percent sure that we’ll finish the season. I know a couple guys from the Jazz have concerns, but in our group chat when we talk, everybody’s on board and we’re ready to play. We’re hoping that we can start doing contact stuff soon, so the team I play on, we’re ready to go. I don’t know how it is for some of these other teams. But I’ve played with so many different guys in the NBA and I talk to so many different guys and, for the most part, guys want to play. Obviously, you got some guys that, for different reasons, might not want to play. For some guys, there’s a lot on the line. You got some guys who are in a contract year. If I’m Jordan Clarkson or Donovan [Mitchell], I might not want to play, just for the simple fact that I had a good year and I’m looking for a contract extension, so why would I risk getting hurt? But, at the same time, the reason why we’re in this situation is because we’re in a pandemic. This sh** doesn’t happen often, and that’s life. It could be worse. It could always be worse. But sh** happens in life. You just got to put your hard hat on and get to work.
I’m about 99.9 percent sure that we’ll finish the season
But I do think if we play and go to Orlando, we can sit down with Commissioner Silver and figure out something that we really can do so that these people who are getting murdered on camera can get the justice that they deserve. That’s where all of this started and, like I said, I’m all for it. I’ve been going to the prisons in Richmond for years. I do it all the time – any chance I get in the summer – going in, talking to people, trying to help, trying to bridge that gap. So, I’m all on board. If there’s something that anybody in the NBA wants to do, I’ll support it. But not playing definitely isn’t the right answer; I know that for a fact. That’s how I feel about the whole situation. We’re in crazy times; we’re in a pandemic and black guys are being murdered on camera. And then [the cops] are going home on paid leave, which is not right. That definitely has to change, and this change is not going to happen over a week, over a month or over a year. This is going to take decades. It’s going to take the people who are in their 20s and raising kids to stop the hatred and stop the racism. That’s what it’s going to take. So, I’m not with the quick fixes or emotional decisions; they never really work out well. When you have a plan and find a solution, that’s when you get the most success and that’s when good things happen. I think with CP, Michele and Adam Silver, they’re gonna do that. Because, in my eyes, they’re always doing great work – especially CP. With what he’s dealing with – all of these superstars in his ear, Adam Silver and Michele in his ear and he has his own thoughts on everything – I got a lot of respect for him and I think he’s doing a hell of a job leading us.
You mentioned that this is going to take a long time. I noticed that the final sentence of Dwight Howard’s statement said, “No basketball till we get things resolved.” While I think he has good intentions, I don’t think he realizes what it’s going to take to change this. It’s not as if sitting out the season will suddenly fix all of these things and change the system.
ED: Right. Just because the cop that killed George Floyd may get locked up or even get the death penalty, that doesn’t fix a racist cop in, you know, Mobile, AL. There are so many steps that it’s going to take. But us players getting all of this attention in all these countries [could be good] for the movement. And I’m all for coming back and having everyone take a small percentage of their pay and put it in a fund that goes to the movement. It can be used to help fight police brutality and things like that. That’s where my mind is at. I don’t think sitting out for a year is going to fix it because it’s a broken system. We’re dealing with racist cops and cops that are not really qualified; we’re dealing with cops that have 10 different complaints against them yet they still have jobs. That’s not right! So, yeah, it’s going to take time and it’s going to take a lot of people. I feel like the NBA [can help]. When the NBA shut down, pretty much the whole world shut down. Now, we’re getting back and there are so many things that we can do if we all work together and put all of these minds and all these resources together. Because with the NBA, it’s unlimited, man. Hopefully we can make changes and 20 years from now, we’re looking back like, “Damn, the NBA changed everything, starting with Stephen Jackson and George Floyd (R.I.P.).
For a second time this season, the Rockets lost at home on a stunning last-second 3-pointer. This time, Bojan Bogdanovic did the damage.
For the second time in barely over half of one season, the Houston Rockets lost by one point at home on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Much like the buzzer-beater by Sacramento’s Nemanja Bjelica on Dec. 9, Sunday’s heroics came courtesy of an out-of-bounds play drawn up with less than two seconds left and Houston leading by two points.
This time, the damage was done by the Utah Jazz and Bojan Bogdanovic, who made just his second basket of the game as time expired. His buzzer-beater came with James Harden and P.J. Tucker directly in his face.
It was the fourth lead change in the game’s final 30 seconds. Tucker and Robert Covington each hit 3-pointers to put Houston in front, but Bogdanovic and the Jazz got the last word at Toyota Center.
It’s the second straight loss for the Rockets (33-20), and the second consecutive victory for the Jazz (34-18). With a win, the Rockets would have passed Utah in the Western Conference standings in the race for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
With a victory, Houston also would have clinched the potential tiebreaker over Utah by securing the season series. Instead, Bogdanovic’s buzzer-beating shot over a pair of defenders gave the Jazz an uplifting 114-113 victory (box score), and the Rockets a crushing loss.
James Harden on Bogdanovic game winner: "We all saw it. That's a tough ass shot. I think I probably skimped the ball. PJ was on his body. I don't know. It's one of those tough shots. It hurt." pic.twitter.com/b60CNycBpw
PJ Tucker on Bogdanovic game winner: "I knew it was good as soon as he caught it. I could just tell. As soon as he shot it, I knew it was in." pic.twitter.com/BDr9LxsAcL
The rubber match of three games between the teams is on Saturday, Feb. 22 in Salt Lake City, with the winner earning the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rockets defeated the Jazz in the first meeting there on Jan. 27.
[lawrence-related id=24476]
As for Sunday’s game, Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 39 points on 18-of-33 shooting (54.5%), while Harden had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Both of Houston’s former MVPs recorded assists on the late go-ahead 3-pointers by Tucker and Covington.
Donovan Mitchell makes both at the line… and PJ Tucker buries the GO-AHEAD TRIPLE with 1.6 left!@utahjazz 111@HoustonRockets 113
Harden connected on just two of his 13 attempts (15.4%) from 3-point range, however. On a night when the smaller Rockets were out-rebounded 48-36 by Rudy Gobert (15) and the larger Jazz, they probably needed to win the shooting battle to overcome it. Both Utah and Houston hit 15 3-pointers, but the Jazz did so on four fewer attempts.
Reserve guard Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting (63.2%) off the bench, while Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and took advantage of Harden’s fifth foul in the fourth quarter by repeatedly driving past him and collapsing Houston’s defense, knowing that the NBA’s scoring leader couldn’t risk fouling out.
P.J. on the loss: "The last shot didn't lose the game. We lost the game way earlier in the end of the 3rd Q, beginning of 4th – they scored way too easy. Clarkson got whatever he wanted, Conley got to the rim whenever he wanted, we gave up wide open 3s, I can go down the list."
The Rockets host the Boston Celtics (37-15) on Tuesday in their final game before the All-Star break. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. from Toyota Center, with the game broadcast nationally on TNT.
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"Hats off to that shot," said D'Antoni. He said it was a great game and the Rockets did some things they can build on.
For the fourth year in a row, the NBA has disclosed the vote for All-Star starters of fans, media and players. Since we now have the data of where each player ranked in the final results, we decided to look for patterns. For example, which players …
For the fourth year in a row, the NBA has disclosed the vote for All-Star starters of fans, media and players. Since we now have the data of where each player ranked in the final results, we decided to look for patterns.
For example, which players do better with fans than with their NBA peers?
We found out 16 guys have ranked higher in the fan vote than in the players vote every year since 2017. Only two on the list have made the All-Star Game and they are both members of the world-beating Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Kind of makes you go ‘Hmmm’, right?
The largest disparity between player and fan vote happens with Jordan Clarkson, though, which was kind of unexpected.
For more details, you can check the gallery above. All rankings based on position and conference.
The Utah Jazz acquired Jordan Clarkson via trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 23. He made his debut with them on Thursday night.
The Utah Jazz acquired Jordan Clarkson via trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 23. He made his debut with them on Thursday night.
The main reason for the move is that the Jazz have an anemic offense when Donovan Mitchell is not on the court. Their offensive rating in these minutes (100.4) has been far below the league average (109.1) so far this season. Cleveland, meanwhile, had scored well (110.5) with Clarkson in December. He has long shown he is capable of massive scoring eruptions any given night.
Dennis Lindsey, Utah’s executive vice president of basketball operations, spoke about Clarkson before his debut with the Jazz (via Deseret.com):
“There was a little bit of a duh-factor being 28th in bench scoring. We needed to add someone that could just go and get a shot … He was a player that Quin asked me about this summer so it’s not the first conversation we’ve had about him.”
During his first game for the franchise, he showcased his ability to get a quick bucket off the bench. He scored nine points in his first nine minutes with the new squad.
He was held scoreless for the remainder of the game as the Jazz, though. The beginning of the match showed why the team was willing to move on from a former lottery pick in Dante Exum. The latter half showed why both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so willing to move on from him via trade as too often he can vanish.
While he has shown he can play one-through-three, the 27-yar-old has spent 86 percent of his minutes as the shooting guard this season. That will be his primary position, though his experience as a point guard and small forward will make him valuable as veteran Mike Conley recovers from a hamstring issue over the next few weeks.
He was able to slide into the three alongside Mitchell as well as Emmanuel Mudiay in the backcourt. However, he spent a few possessions as the point with Mitchell and Joe Ingles on the wing.
But more likely than not, his primary role (once Conley returns from his injury) will be as a scoring sparkplug during minutes without Mitchell. This is mostly because he’s a high-usage, ball-dominant player that requires the rock to make his biggest impact. The 6-foot-5 guard has averaged 59.7 touches per 36 minutes during his professional career, indicating it will be hard for him to do much while Mitchell is on the court.
Meanwhile, one of the other advantages of his addition is that it allows Royce O’Neale to play his natural position as their backup small forward. O’Neale has spent 57 percent of his minutes in 2019-20 at shooting guard out of necessity, though it has not been his best position.
According to Cleaning the Glass, for example, the Jazz have been outscored by 1.0 point per 100 possessions when O’Neale has played the two. But they have outscored their opponents by 14.4 points per 100 when he has played at the three.
Jordan Clarkson is shooting 42% on catch-and-shoot 3s this year. Could be a valuable quality if he adjusts well to Snyder's motion offense.
During his debut, the guard was actually held scoreless on catch-and-shoot opportunities. This is another way he can surely make a difference for his new offense once he gets more in rhythm.
Only five teams have taken fewer catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game than Utah (20.8) so far this season. But the Jazz lead the NBA in three-point percentage (42.4 percent) on these attempts.
Clarkson is currently shooting 39-for-93 (41.9 percent) on three-pointers off the catch. Considering how well Utah has been on these attempts, they will have another weapon in the arsenal with Clarkson as a viable option on their team.
Jordan Clarkson is going to Utah and Dante Exum is going to Cleveland but, more importantly, let the NBA trade season begin!
REJOICE, WE HAVE A TRADE! After a dry spell that lasted 160 days, the great NBA trade drought of 2019 is finally over. It wasn’t a major deal that ended the drought, but this could signal more deals are on the way, particularly as we enter January. On Monday,the Cavaliers agreed to send Jordan Clarkson to Utah in exchange for 2014 draft bust Dante Exum and two future second-round picks.
Clarkson will surely provide a boost to the Jazz’s bench scoring, as the explosive guard is averaging 14.6 points this season while shooting over 37 percent from beyond the arc. For a Utah team that ranks21st league-wide in offensive efficiency, Clarkson could wind up being a big addition. What’s more, considering the 27-year-old ison the final year of his contract, this deal looks like it could be a savvy rental for the Jazz.
On the other side of things, Exum heads to a Cleveland team in the early stages of a complete rebuild. The Australian ball-handler is the exact type of player the Cavs should be targeting: He’s young, has upside and desperately needs a change of scenery. Perhaps going to Cleveland will help Exum start to resemble the player who was drafted fifth overall five years ago. His deal is relatively team-friendly, too,with the Cavaliers only owing Exum two years and $19.2 million.
JAZZ WAIVE VETERAN:Utah is reportedly waiving veteran forward Jeff Green, which was surprising, considering the news came out less than an hour after the Jazz lost to the Heat on Monday night. Green was averaging 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds this season.
PARSONS OPENS UP:We had a nice conversation with Chandler Parsons, who opened up about the injuries he’s suffered and the idea that he’s the most overpaid player in the league. Parsons told us: “I think anybody with a brain in my situation would have taken the contract. Should I have predicted that I was going to be hurt and took less or took half the money? That’s psychotic. Now the contract is what it was and, obviously, I didn’t live up to it.”
UNCLE DENNIS: The Athletic dropped a bombshell report on Kawhi Leonard’s free agency,where Sam Amick said league sources told him Uncle Dennis, Kawhi’s infamous uncle/agent, was asking teams for part ownership of whichever team Leonard signed with, a private plane that could be used at any point, a house and a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money. The league reportedly launched an investigation into the accusations,but they found no evidence of wrongdoing by the Clippers.
COLLINS RETURNS: John Collins returned last night after a 25-game suspension related to taking a banned substance.He talked about leaning on his teammates and what being gone for so long was like. Collins went off for 27 points and 10 rebounds in his return game, but the Hawks fell to the Cavs 121-118 in what was their eighth loss in a row.
FIZDALE FINDS LANDING SPOT: David Fizdale has found his next job, but it won’t be as a coach. The former Grizzlies and Knicks head man is returning to ESPN as an NBA analyst,according to SNY.
We break down the deal between the Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers which involved Dante Exum and Jordan Clarkson.
On Monday night the Jazz and Cavaliers reportedly agreed to a trade that will see former No. 5 overall pick Dante Exum traded to Cleveland, along with two second-round draft picks, for Jordan Clarkson. The news was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The second-round picks heading to Cleveland from the Jazz are in 2022 (via San Antonio) and 2023 (via Golden State).
Clarkson, a five-year veteran of the league, spent the majority of his career with the Lakers before joining the Cavaliers in 2018. This season he is averaging 16.8 points per game, and will provide the Jazz with some much needed bench scoring for a team that has struggled offensively for much of the season.
So, that’s the deal. How do we grade it?
Cavaliers: A-
This is pretty clearly an asset grab, and the chance to take a flyer on a player in Dante Exum who has a good pedigree — he was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
Exum has never really put it together for the Jazz. There was a torn ACL, and recurring injuries, and rumblings that head coach Quin Snyder didn’t like Exum. SLC Dunk has a really nice breakdown of everything that went wrong with the relationship.
But now Exum gets a fresh start. He’s just 24 years old, and has shown ability in flashes. In Cleveland, he should get his chances.
Will it work? Who knows.
But it’s not like the Cavaliers were going anywhere with Jordan Clarkson, and they basically got gifted two draft picks (second rounders, but still) to see if they can revive Exum’s career. If they don’t, he’s only got one year left on his current contract. That’s a fantastic gamble, if you ask me.
Jazz: B-
Jordan Clarkson is a nice player, and will provide the Jazz’s laboring offense (currently 21st in the league) with a bit of pop. Mike Conley has struggled to find his game since arriving in Utah, and if the team is done with Exum, they might as well give up a couple draft picks and bring someone in they think can score the basketball.
Still, for a win-now trade, this feels pretty … tepid. The Jazz are currently in sixth in the Western Conference, and this trade should help them get going. But are they winning a title with Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Conley in his current iteration, and Clarkson? I mean, maybe they win a playoff series?
If they felt they needed to get Exum off the team, fine. But to give up two draft picks, even second rounders, to bring in Clarkson — who, again, I like! — feels a bit shortsighted. Assets are assets, and I’m not sure this is a trade that moves the needle.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Utah Jazz have acquired Klutch Sports guard Jordan Clarkson from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Trade season is finally underway in the NBA, only a few days before Christmas and it involves a member of the Klutch Sports family.
The Utah Jazz made a move to add some scoring to their bench by trading for Cleveland’s Jordan Clarkson, who recently signed with Klutch Sports, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In exchange for Clarkson, the Cavs got two second-round picks from the Jazz and former lottery pick Dante Exum.
Clarkson, a free-agent at the end of this season, is having one of his better years in terms of shotting efficiency. His current 53.2% effective field goal would be his best single-season mark by a wide margin. The same goes for his 58.1% true shooting percentage.
