I’m terrified to trade Clarkson for 2 reasons:
1- Prior to acquiring Clarkson, our bench scoring was downright awful and would most likely go right back to awful the second Clarkson is moved. To be a championship contender, you absolutely need consistent points off the bench and a guy who can catch fire at any given moment and go for 20+. This team has flaws, but I’m hoping we try to improve on those while being able to leave Clarkson alone. The very second he’s gone, we’re once again talking about where Utah’s bench scoring is going to come from.
2- The Donovan factor. It seems like we’ve already entered the realm of keeping one eye on Donovan as we make moves in order to meet his approval and keep him happy. Donovan loves JC and I think the initial trade for Clarkson along with his re-signing was viewed by Donovan as the Jazz doing what it takes to lessen his load and get him some help. Just like the Jazz are gonna struggle to find bench points if JC is dealt, Donovan is gonna feel the scoring load weigh heavier on his shoulders and I doubt he will view that as a positive.
Hopefully improvements can be made by finding an upgrade for Niang’s minutes and other possible deals that don’t include JC.