Lakers Rumors: Which trade destination is the best for Jordan Clarkson
By Jason Reed
Lakers President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, recently said Brandon Ingram is their only untouchable. This has caused Lakers rumors around every other player.
Jordan Clarkson finds himself in a weird spot heading into the 2017-18 NBA season. Clarkson, who had exclusively been a bench player, was called upon late in the season to make 19 starts for the Los Angeles Lakers. Because of this, many think that Clarkson;s spot on this roster is guaranteed, however, with the NBA Draft comes some difficulties.
First, Clarkson already has backcourt competition in the likes of D’Angelo Russell. Despite seeing more time a point guard to end the year, Clarkson still has to compete with the face of this young franchise. As Russell gets better, it will only be harder for Clarkson to state his case.
However, the biggest issue arising from the NBA Draft is one man, Lonzo Ball. Ball is the popular consensus to head to the Lakers with the second overall selection. Heck, even if the Lakers pass on Ball this draft class is point guard heavy, which entails they would pass on him for a guy like De’Aaron Fox.
This selection would lead to a starting backcourt of Ball and Russell, leaving Clarkson to the bench. Don’t get me wrong, Clarkson would be a great bench player for the Lakers, but with the third highest contract on the Lakers we may see the team look to part ways.
It is evident, nobody except Ingram is safe on this Lakers roster. Instead of paying a bench player over $12 million, the Lakers may look to flip him to address a different area of need. Therefore, if Clarkson does get dealt, what five destinations would be the best fit for his talents?