As the NBA season enters its second quarter, teams are beginning to understand better, before the trade deadline in February, who will be the buyers and sellers.
What does the Utah Jazz’s trend of not tanking the year signify for upcoming trade possibilities?
According to NBA expert Michael Scotto of USA Today’s Hoops Hype, despite Utah’s strong start, they may still trade shooting guard Malik Beasley this season.
Malik Beasley has led the NBA’s top bench scoring unit with 14.1 points and a career-high 43 percent from outside the arc and 61.4 percent of his shots with the accurate shot, despite Utah’s unexpectedly strong start to the season. Beasley’s deal makes him a possible trade piece for Utah because it has a team option for $16.52 million next season and will pay him $15.56 million this year.
It could be a better take. Due to Utah’s quick start and Beasley’s team-friendly contract, the Jazz should consider extending his deal soon. Beasley possesses a skill set that is challenging to match, so replacing his productivity through the draft is far from a given.
Additionally, if the agreement is completed before the 2023–24 season, Utah should be able to lock up Beasley at a fair price because it controls the option year. Beasley is 25 years old, which falls within Utah’s window of opportunity to challenge for the championship, and I’d be shocked if he weren’t wearing a Jazz jersey next season.
Scotto then changed the subject to Jordan Clarkson’s prospects in Utah.
According to HoopsHype, Jazz owner Ryan Smith is a fan of Jordan Clarkson. The NBA is rife with rumors that Utah will want to extend Clarkson’s contract rather than trade him.
The fact that Clarkson has control over the option year makes this position less clear-cut. Utah will undoubtedly want to extend Clarkson’s contract as the past Sixth Man of the Year, but will he consider signing with a free agent in search of a higher salary?
If the Jazz wanted to stop Clarkson from going down that road, they would have to put in the time and money to do it. Clarkson would be the most probable player to be traded if they cannot resolve this before the trade deadline.
Does it make sense for Utah to offer Clarkson a three- or four-year contract, given that he will turn 31 the following year? The Jazz’s inner circle will be debating that issue behind closed doors, but Clarkson has the upper hand because he can opt-out in a year with a weak class of free agents in 2023 and an increase in the salary cap of 8.4%.
In other words, Clarkson has compensated either way handsomely.