LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 19: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)
Jordan Clarkson is returning to the Utah Jazz this offseason.
Quin Snyder and the Utah Jazz were one of the best defensive teams in the league, but the lack of offensive creativity outside of Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson on the perimeter is what doomed them against the Denver Nuggets in the postseason. Not willing to let Clarkson leave in free agency, Utah ponied up a hefty multi-year deal for the young sixth man.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that Dennis Lindsey and the Jazz fulfilled their main goal this offseason, as Clarkson was re-signed on a four-year, $52 million contract.
Jordan Clarkson is a terrific bench scorer that is only 28 years old
While Clarkson spent the first three years of his career on some bad Lakers teams, he really started to show his worth when he was traded to LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, as he helped Cleveland make it to the NBA Finals. While they lost that series, and Clarkson himself was criticized for his quick trigger, his time in Cleveland cemented him as one of the best bench scorers in the league.
Clarkson might have only played 42 games for the Jazz following a trade, but his 15.6 points per game showed them that they had to re-sign one of the better offensive players on this defense-first team. Utah is still a playoff team in the West, and Clarkson re-signing was the first box they needed to check this offseason.
Clarkson, who still has plenty of good basketball left in his future, is not a transformative offensive player, but he can create his own shot, get to the rim and be trusted to shoot from deep. If the Jazz add one more player of his ilk alongside Mitchell, they could challenge for a spot in the top half of the Western Conference playoffs.
