It's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to trade Russell Westbrook. The team has been actively shopping the former MVP for months now. No team has been willing to give the Lakers what they want… except for one. The Utah Jazz have a bevy of players they could trade if they start a rebuild. Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mike Conley are three of the names that will likely fetch a high return if they were traded.
It's no wonder, then, that fans have been speculating a potential reunion for Jordan Clarkson and the Lakers. The most recent three-team trade rumor involving LA and the Jazz only adds fuel to this fire. However, there's plenty of reason why this move should be met with trepidation. Let's take a look why the Lakers should not try to acquire Clarkson in a trade.
2 reasons a reunion with Jordan Clarkson-Lakers via Jazz trade makes no sense
Awful fit with the team
This is perhaps the biggest reason why the Lakers don't really need Jordan Clarkson. Based on what we've seen from both JC and LA, the two are simply not a good match. Here's why.
First off, we need to remember that the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook last season for one purpose: to hand him the keys to the bench. LeBron James' workload ballooned the year prior, and it became clear that someone else needed to be the captain of the bench mob. What they need is a playmaking guard who can help set the table on offense, someone who can take over LeBron's minutes without sacrificing too much.
Clarkson… is decidedly not that guy. Jordan Clarkson's career is built off of his ability to get buckets… and more buckets. Simply put, he's basically a bench chucker for the team. He's really damn great in that role, don't get wrong. Most teams definitely need a scoring punch like Clarkson off their benches. There's a reason why he won the Sixth Man of the Year award. However, the Lakers don't need a pure scorer like him. Add to that his sub-par defense, and it should be clear that Clarkson is not that guy.
Better options from the Jazz
Another reason why the Lakers shouldn't pick up Jordan Clarkson is because the Jazz literally have two players that can help them better with their goals. As mentioned earlier, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley are available. Both men can fill a specific need for the team that Clarkson just can't do.
Let's start with Conley, the former All-Star point guard. At this point in his career, Conley is best suited as a back-up point guard. Unlike his Memphis days, he can't carry a team by his lonesome. Thankfully, the Lakers are in dire need of Conley's skills in handling the rock and distributing it. There's also the added bonus that is Conley's marksmanship from deep, allowing him to play in LeBron-led lineups.
Bodganovic, on the other hand, is a bit of an interesting case. Over the last few years, the Croatian has developed a reputation for being a sub-par defender at best. Last season, thought, Bogdanovic broke out as a semi-reliable three-and-D wing for the Jazz. His ability to playmake with the ball also fits well with the Lakers' need for bench creation.
There will definitely be teams looking to trade for Jordan Clarkson once he's available. The Lakers just shouldn't be that team.
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