Just in: Utah Jazz Have Shocking Trade Plan for Scoring Machine in…
Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Rex Villas | Last updated 5/30/24
Utah Jazz shooting guard Jordan Clarkson has been constantly finding his name in trade chatter , and that’s going to continue, especially with the NBA offseason just around the corner.
With Clarkson about to hit 32 in June with a contract that is set to expire in 2026, the former Missouri Tigers star guard could be someone the Jazz are seriously considering in a trade move in the summer.
According to Evan of Forbes Sports, Clarkson is an asset the Jazz have special interest in trading away for some building blocks soon.
The Jazz are expected to make Jordan Clarkson available on the trade market.
After renegotiating and extending his contract, Clarkson is owed only $14 million annually over the next two seasons. Utah could fetch additional draft capital from contenders in need of scoring punch.
Clarkson’s a plug-and-play asset that a championship contender could add to its roster without a long-term commitment to an aging player who also would come with a reasonable asking price from the Jazz, who just won 31 games against 51 losses in the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
In four and a half seasons with the Jazz, Clarkson has averaged 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from behind the arc.
He isn’t the most efficient player on offense in the league, but Clarkson is someone who can be relied upon by his team to always make things happen on the court.
Knicks seemingly prioritizing star defensive forward over three-time All-Star in 2024.
In 2020, Kendrick Nunn was a key member of a Miami Heat team that was two wins away from winning the NBA championship.
Nunn would have become one of the few rookies in history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers such as Magic Johnson, Manu Ginobili and Kevin McHale for the rare honor.
While the prestige of an NBA championship will always supersede that of a EuroLeague title, Nunn got to experience the latter last Sunday.
The guard finished with 21 points, three rebounds and three assists as his Panathinaikos defeated Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Final.
During the Greek team’s championship parade, Nunn was visibly overcome with emotions as he tasted title glory for the first time in his career.
In an interview with Basket News, Nunn explained why he felt vindicated experiencing success after his NBA career came to a standstill. “This is the top of my journey, top of my career right now,” Nunn said.
I mean, I’ve been in the [NBA] finals, but I lost. There’s nothing that beats being a champion, nothing.
” Nunn, 28, recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Athens until 2026. Over the next few years, he hopes to win a few more EuroLeague titles.
“I’m just enjoying this moment. We’re going to see [whether I’ll stay long-term]. You saw I signed the extension.”
Nunn’s career got off to a rollicking start in Miami as he became the fastest rookie to reach 500 points in franchise history.
It’s why he received more votes than Zion Williamson for the 2020 Rookie of the Year award, finishing second behind eventual winner Ja Morant.
After spending two years in Miami, Nunn would play for the Lakers and Wizards before taking his talents overseas.
At the time, many felt the talented guard would eventually find his way back to the NBA.
However, he seems very content being on a winning team across the Atlantic.
Pirates rookie starting pitcher Paul Skenes had another excellent outing on Wednesday, capping an incredible calendar year for the young star.
On June 2, 2023, Skenes began LSU’s run to a seventh College World Series title with a complete game against Tulane in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
He followed that with a 0.78 earned run average in his next three starts, including two in Omaha, against Kentucky, Tennessee and Wake Forest.
Nearly a year later, Skenes has emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan noted following Wednesday’s electrifying outing against the Tigers, He’s already establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.
Skenes struck out nine batters and allowed two earned runs in six innings in a 10-2 win.
Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 99th percentile in pitching velocity, and the speed on his fastball was on display when he sent Tigers center fielder Wenceel Perez down swinging on a 100 mph four-seamer.
Baseball analyst Rob Friedman highlighted Skenes’ devastating “,” a cross between a splitter and sinker, that confounded multiple Tigers batters.
Since the beginning of last June, Skenes has led LSU to its first national title since 2009, been named Baseball America’s National Player of the Year, and heard his name called first in the MLB Draft.
He wasted little time in the minors, starting five games combined last year in the rookie league, single-A and double-A, then making seven triple-A starts this year prior to being called up on May 8.
A lot has changed for the flamethrower in the last year, but his domination over hitters hasn’t.
Arizona Wildcats star Caleb Love on Wednesday announced his decision regarding the NBA Draft.
Love announced in a video he will return to Arizona for one more season, taking advantage of his fifth year of eligibility. He had declared for the draft in April, but maintained his eligibility. “
Wildcat Nation, it’s been so amazing the way you’ve welcomed me and showered me with love.
No way I can walk away from all of that right now. The show goes on,” Love said in the video.
Love was unlikely to be a first-round pick, so a return to Arizona makes sense.
He averaged 18 points per game with the Wildcats last season, his first with Arizona after transferring from North Carolina.
Love’s stock was a bit higher a few years ago, when he played a big role on a Tar Heels team that made it to the national championship game.
He ultimately decided to leave North Carolina after the 2022 season.
Arizona should be a strong contender next season with Love back in the fold alongside backcourt-mate Jaden Bradley.
NFL teams typically offer rosy views of their offseason, touting outstanding drafts and impressive signings in free agency.
But we’re here to throw cold water on those overly optimistic outlooks.
We asked Yardbarker NFL writers to highlight the worst offseason move by each AFC team.
A few of these may surprise you.
AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | Signing WR Curtis Samuel | With his impressive rushing ability, Samuel can be a dynamic piece in Buffalo’s offense, but he hasn’t done much in his career to warrant his three-year, $24 M deal with the team.
Samuel has only eclipsed 700 receiving yards once in his career (2020), which doesn’t exactly justify making him the 37th-highest-paid wideout in the NFL.
MIAMI DOLPHINS | Not re-signing center Connor Williams | Although Williams could miss time in 2024 due to last year’s season-ending ACL tear, he’ll still likely be a more effective starter once he returns than free-agent signing Aaron Brewer.
Williams is still a free agent and will likely start negotiating with teams once he’s further along in his rehab, so Miami should strongly consider bringing him back to improve its spotty O-line depth.
NEW JETS | Trading edge rusher John Franklin-Myers to Broncos | The Jets sent a reliable starter in Franklin-Myers to Denver for a 2026 sixth-round pick, which saved them just $7.3M in cap space.
Franklin-Myers took a lower annual salary with Denver, signing a two-year, $17 m deal, which only makes it more head-scratching that the Jets didn’t try to renegotiate his contract.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Not spending more in free agency | New England may have lucked out by not giving WR Calvin Ridley a massive contract in free agency, but the Patriots missed a fantastic opportunity to bolster their roster in preparation for rookie QB Drake Maye’s arrival.
Despite entering the new league year with the NFL’s most cap space, New England barely made any upgrades and now finds itself with the lowest projected win total among teams (4.5 games), per FanDuel Sportsbook.
Dell AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | Replacing safety Justin Simmons with Brandon Jones | The Broncos released two-time Pro Bowler Simmons and signed Jones to a three-year, $23 m deal, a move that could prove to be a mistake. Jones only logged three interceptions in five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and has yet to make a Pro Bowl.
| Trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed | In March, the Chiefs dealt Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, creating a hole in their secondary.
Sneed’s backup, Joshua Williams, may not be a viable replacement, as he has allowed eight passing touchdowns in two seasons.
LAS RAIDERS | Refusing to draft another quarterback | Following the draft, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco indicated they didn’t want to reach on a QB; however, intriguing prospects such as Spencer Rattler (New Orleans Saints) and Joe Milton III (New England Patriots) would’ve provided depth.
Vegas QBs Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell are competing for the starting job, but neither looks like the answer.
LOS CHARGERS | Trading wide receiver Keenan Allen | In March, the Chargers dealt six-time Pro Bowler Allen to the Chicago Bears to save cap space.
But Los Angeles should’ve considered keeping Allen and could regret this move if second-round pick Ladd McConkey from Georgia doesn’t become a No. 1 WR.
Clark Dalton AFC North RAVENS | Not re-signing QB Tyler Huntley | If Lamar Jackson stays healthy, the Ravens won’t have to deal with the consequences of not re-signing Huntley, who joined division rival Cleveland.
However, Huntley has played in 20 games since 2020, a hint Baltimore will eventually have to roll with journeyman Josh Johnson in place of an injured Jackson at some point.
| Trading RB Joe Mixon | Mixon’s name has been tossed around as a potential trade candidate the past two years, but dealing him to the Texans for a 2024 seventh-round pick remains a head-scratcher.
To make matters worse, the Bengals have only signed veteran Zack Moss to help fill the void left by the franchise’s third all-time leading rusher.
CLEVELAND BROWNS | Signing LB Devin Bush | The Browns lost starting linebackers Anthony Walker Jr.
(Dolphins) and Sione (Patriots) in free agency and followed that up with signings of Jordan Hicks and Bush.
Hicks is a reliable veteran, but it’s risky rolling with Bush, who continued to build his case as a first-round bust last season with just 37 tackles in Seattle.
| Trading WR Diontae Johnson | The Steelers got cornerback Donte Jackson, who will play opposite second-year CB Joey Porter Jr., in the deal with Carolina for Johnson, but filling one hole has opened up another.
Pittsburgh still needs a No. 2 wide receiver to pair with George Pickens because new additions Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins are not the answer.
Aaron Becker AFC South TEXANS | Giving DE Danielle Hunter a $55 M contract | The Texans wanted to upgrade their pass rush, but they lost DE Jonathan Greenard (12.5 sacks in 2023) to Minnesota in free agency.
The Vikings are paying Greenard $5.5M less per season than what Houston is paying Hunter, and the latter will be 30 on Oct. 29 and is closer to the end of his career.
COLTS | Drafting a pass rusher over cornerback in Round 1 | The Colts were tied for the fifth-most sacks in the NFL last season, so adding to a group that already produced at a high level was a luxury that came at the expense of the secondary.
First-rounder Latu, a defensive end, may turn into a perennial double-digit sacker, but defensive backs Mitchell, Terrion Arnold, Nate Wiggins and Kool-Aid McKinstry would have made more sense in the draft given the high quality of WR groups Indianapolis must defend in the AFC South.
JAGUARS | Not re-signing WR Calvin Ridley | This one is twofold because losing Ridley makes the Jags’ offense weaker, and his joining the division-rival Titans was just pouring salt in the wound.
Jacksonville compensated by signing Gabriel Davis and drafting Brian Thomas Jr.
in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it took up two roster spots and invested more than $55 m to replace one player.
TENNESSEE TITANS | Failing to add another OT | Using the seventh overall pick on Alabama OT JC Latham and having OT Nicholas Petit-Frere for a full season will help.
But Tennessee is still thin at tackle, with too many players who are a liability if called upon to start for a game or two.
After shoring up guard and center, the Titans failed to deepen their biggest position of need beyond just drafting Latham.
