Lakers Rumors: Team convinced Cleveland Cavaliers to take Jordan Clarkson
In recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors, it was revealed that they may have convinced the Cleveland Cavaliers to take Jordan Clarkson in their trade deadline deal.
Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors don’t involve the NBA Draft or free agency. Instead, the latest Lakers rumors take a trip down memory lane, revisiting the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Lakers were involved in the biggest trade of the 2018 deadline. Los Angeles traded Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In exchange, they received Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a 2018 first round draft pick.
At the time, it was a deal looked upon highly for the Lakers. Not only did they get into the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, they shed Clarkson’s contract as well. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka gave the organization a chance to add another young player to their core while making them players in free agency.
The Lakers dream of signing a max free agent over the summer was achievable now thanks to the trade with the Cavaliers. It looked like a coup at the time, and with the recent Lakers rumors that have popped up, it looks even better now.
According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Lakers may have convinced the Cavaliers to take Clarkson along with Nance, the player who they were actually targeting.
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"“They made the trade for Nance. I mean, other than the George Hill thing, which was a separate deal, they made the other trade for Nance.”"
The acquisition of Clarkson was a confusing one for Cleveland. The Cavaliers were reshaping their roster at the trade deadline, but they also acquired shooting guard Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz. Acquiring two shooting guards, in addition to George Hill, was a peculiar decision by the Cavaliers. Knowing that they were seemingly talked into Clarkson makes it, even more, head scratching.
Clarkson was having a great season as the sixth man for the Lakers. Despite playing a career low in minutes per game, Clarkson was averaging 14.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Clarkson was able to replicate those statistics for the remainder of the regular season with Cleveland. In 22.6 minutes per game, which was only 1.1 minutes fewer than he played with the Lakers, Clarkson averaged 12.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists. His efficiency improved in Cleveland, but his production has taken a nosedive in the postseason.
Clarkson has been brutal in the postseason. He is averaging 5.1 points on 32.1 percent shooting overall and 22.2 percent from the 3-point line. Clarkson was adding only 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.6 minutes per game. He was removed from the rotation altogether in Game 2 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Nance, the player that Lowe says the Cavaliers wanted, has played even less in the postseason. Since the first round series against the Indiana Pacers, Nance has played a grand total of 23:48 in six games, two of which he didn’t step onto the court for.
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With each passing day, the trade between the Lakers and Cavaliers looks better and better for Los Angeles. The biggest blow would be if the Lakers convince LeBron James to sign as a free agent this offseason. That would mean that Cleveland paved the path for James to join the Lakers courtesy of taking on Clarkson’s contract to land Nance.