Jordan Clarkson May Soon Be the Odd Guard Out in LA
Recent rumor suggests Lakers' 'increasingly open-minded' with regards to potential Jordan Clarkson trade
Armed with a second overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and the prestige that comes with being one of the league's signature franchises, the Los Angeles Lakers will have a golden opportunity to shape their immediate and long-term future. But where one player may be added, another may be subtracted.
Currently, most analysts have the Lakers selecting dynamic UCLA freshman guard Lonzo Ball with their pick, according to the Consensus Mock Draft posted on NBA.com.
Being able to add Ball to the team would be a fine outcome for the Lakers as they continue their search for their next great star and hope that he can assume that role.
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Still, Ball is not the neatest fit within the current Lakers roster, especially with young guards D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson already present, but perhaps that may change soon.
Rumors have already hinted previously that there may be teams interested in Russell, and now it seems like Clarkson could be a potential trade candidate as well.
In a recent article, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders passed along some information from a source that hinted that the Lakers are "increasingly open-minded" regarding a potential Clarkson trade. Furthermore, a trade involving Clarkson may even be executed as early as June 22, a date otherwise known this year as draft night.
It probably would not be that surprising if Clarkson was indeed the guard the Lakers opted to trade in order to carve out more for playing time for Ball.
After all, while Clarkson has established himself as a solid scoring option from the bench, he is not exactly thought of as a potential All-Star, at least not from a production standpoint.
The Lakers would be wise to deal him while he still has perceived value around the league as a potential bench sparkplug. Plus, it may become harder to find takers for him later on especially if his minutes are reduced due to Ball's arrival.
NBA teams looking for a young guard who can get buckets may want to give the Los Angeles Lakers a call this offseason, as they may just be willing to part with one they have.
