The Lakers didn’t even let Jordan Clarkson have a chance to sign an offer sheet, locking up the guard to a four-year contract
Jordan Clarkson shocked everyone as a rookie in the 2014-15 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The guard out of Missouri came seemingly out of nowhere as a second round pick to look like a viable asset for the Lakers moving forward. Clarkson only further proved that as one of the bright spots in a 17-win 2015-16 season for the Lakers.
However, the biggest question about Jordan Clarkson coming out of last season was just how much money the Lakers would have to pay to keep him and simply if they’d be able to keep him as the guard entered restricted free agency. If Clarkson signed an offer sheet, would any amount of money be too much for the Lakers?
Luckily for the Lakers, they were never put into a situation where they had to answer that question.
According to a report from Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Lakers have agreed to re-sign Jordan Clarkson to a four-year deal that’s worth $50 million:
Jordan Clarkson has reached agreement on a four-year, $50M deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016
All things considered, that seems like a fantastic price to get Clarkson at this early in free agency and without him having signed an offer sheet.
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First off, that contract looks mighty curious in comparison to the Timofey Mozgov contract that the Lakers agreed to right at the start of 2016 NBA free agency that pays the center $64 million over four years.
Moreover, there have been rumblings throughout the league to start free agency that players like Jeremy Lin are going to command over $12 million per year in free agency and that players such as Kent Bazemore could approach $20 million per year with their deals. So for the Lakers to be able to agree to a deal with Clarkson at just $12.5 million per year sounds like a steal.
Now the young core that Lakers fans have been salivating over taking the floor together is almost officially (stupid moratorium) going to be in-tact heading into next season. Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr.—I like the sound of that.