On Christmas Eve Eve, the Utah Jazz added a key ingredient to its championship run: Jordan Clarkson.
Guys on the Sideline Instant Grade: A
The Jazz traded oft-injured Guard Dante Exum and two second-round picks belonging to other teams (a 2022 San Antonio Spurs second-rounder as well as a 2023 Golden State Warriors second-rounder) to net Clarkson.
Cleveland clearly continues its rebuild, while the Jazz are seeking to bolster its lineup particularly as the team has underperformed this season.
This season, Clarkson is averaging nearly 15 points a game and shooting 37 percent from the behind the 3-point line. The 6 foot 4, point guard / shooting guard is in his sixth season and will become a key addition to the Jazz second-team lineup where the Jazz have struggled to keep pace with opponents while spelling the starting unit.
Dante Exum always showed glimpses, he has battled major injuries throughout his career. The lengthy Australian guard will begin play with his second team after being drafted fifth overall in the 2015 draft.
Guys on the Sideline Instant Reaction: Slam Dunk. While all the attention this offseason went to the Mike Conley trade, the biggest move was landing Bojan Bogdanovic and the second biggest move will be the addition of Jordan Clarkson. Kudos to Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey for not just standing pat but rather actively trying to improve the sixth best team in the Western Conference.
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