NBA Trade Rumors 2015: Lakers' Jordan Clarkson on the Move?
The NBA won't be as colorful as it is right now without the constant talk of trades and player movements. Sometimes, a player who is well-loved in the city or someone who's been contributing a lot may very well become the likeliest to be traded. That seems to be the case for Los Angeles Lakers standout Jordan Clarkson.
Byron Scott's squad is seriously struggling this season, though it's too early to tell if they're going to miss the playoffs once again. When a team struggles, there always is that certain point when management has no choice but to push the panic button. Kobe Bryant just announced he's playing his last season and the team is desperate of finding a replacement star. Unfortunately, the team apparently does not believe that it's going to be Clarkson, currently its leading scorer.
The second year man out of Missouri is reportedly being shopped by the Lakers, along with either veteran Lou Williams or Nick Young. According to multiple reports, it's not that they don't like him, but it is more of dumping some salary this season to reduce the team's payroll, in the hope of luring a big-time scorer once Kobe hangs it up.
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There are still no confirmed talks with any team in the league, but letting the 23-year-old go is something LA is doing as some kind of trade bait. The Filipino-American guard is going to be a free agent, wherein in pro sports it means one player could potentially increase his value. With that in mind, the team couldn't afford to have him, or Young and Williams for that matter, should they hope to get a big fish next season.
In this business where teams are looking to upgrade and improve their roster in every opportunity they get, Clarkson, or any other young player out there, should be prepared to accept their fate. The league's trade deadline is on Feb. 18, and it remains to be seen if Clarkson will no longer be a Laker at that point.
