NBA Rumors: Jordan Clarkson To Timberwolves For A Trade Package Centered On Tyus Jones In A Suggested Deal
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Jordan Clarkson is expected to be one of the players who will be traded before the February 8 trade deadline. The Lakers have been planning to free enough cap space to sign two superstars in 2018 free agency. Should the Minnesota Timberwolves consider trading for the Filipino-American guard?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the NBA teams who dreamt of becoming a title contender in the 2017-18 NBA season. In the recent offseason, they engaged in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Bulls to add Jimmy Butler on their young and promising roster. Also, the Timberwolves signed Jeff Teague to boost their backcourt.
So far, there is no doubt that Minnesota is a legitimate playoff contender in the Western Conference. They currently sit in the 4th spot with a 29-17 record. However, the Timberwolves obviously need a massive improvement in their chemistry in order to beat powerhouse teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets in a best-of-seven series. Another issue that they need to address is their bench.
Christian Rivas of SB Nation’s Silver Screen And Roll suggests that the Timberwolves could trade for Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers are expected to move Clarkson and other young players in order to create enough cap space for two superstars in 2018 offseason. Rivas has a simple explanation why trading for the 25-year-old Filipino-American guard makes a lot of sense for the Timberwolves.
“Clarkson would give the Timberwolves the go-to bench scorer they thought they were getting in Jamal Crawford. Clarkson would also be able to play stretches at point guard when Teague is inactive. Teague has missed 11 of the 44 games Minnesota has played this season.”
Jordan Clarkson emerges as a strong candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. In 43 games, he averaged 13.7 points and 3.0 assists on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc. He will undeniably be more useful for a playoff team like the Timberwolves than the rebuilding Lakers.
In a suggested trade scenario, the Timberwolves will be sending Tyus Jones, Cole Aldrich, and a 2018 first-round pick via Oklahoma City Thunder to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Ivica Zubac. The deal works on the ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. If this trade becomes a reality, it will definitely help both teams in filling up the needs to improve on their roster.
So far, there is no official confirmation if there is an ongoing deal between the Lakers and the Timberwolves. However, rumors involving Jordan Clarkson are expected to heat up as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
