Los Angeles Lakers: Finding trade partners for Jordan Clarkson
Three-team deal
- Los Angeles Lakers receive: Derrick Favors from Utah Jazz, Nerlens Noel from Dallas Marvericks
- Utah Jazz receive: Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. from Lakers
- Dallas Mavericks receive: Julius Randle
This is easier to understand when broken down into two separate trades, so we’ll start with the Jazz-Lakers side of things.
The Jazz need scoring and shot creation badly, and Clarkson would be a strong option off their bench. He can play next to rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell, and forms a nice slashing duo between the two. Clarkson’s contract would be a long-term question, but the Jazz have room to make it work and would improve their roster with this move.
Utah has considered trading Derrick Favors given the spacing struggles that come with playing him and Rudy Gobert simultaneously, so the Lakers would gladly take Favors’ expiring contract and throw in Nance as a sweetener. Nance has improved in each of his first three seasons, and would benefit from the coaching of Quin Snyder, as well as forming the best dunk duo in the NBA with Mitchell.
I profiled why the Noel for Randle swap could be best for both players, and this is an opportunity to make it happen. The Lakers would revamp their frontcourt in return for another expiring deal, and the Mavs get a hometown player in Randle that needs a change of scenery. Either could sign extensions, or simply walk in the summer. It’s a low-risk move for both sides.
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This three-team trade would satisfy the needs of all three teams in the short-term. Utah gets instant offense and an improving big while ending the Favors saga. Dallas trades a rarely used big for a young player that head coach Rick Carlisle would work wonder for. And the Lakers receive two expiring contracts while offloading two players with multiple years remaining on deals.