The Utah Jazz’s longest-tenured player is on his way out.
Clarkson is finalizing a buyout with the Jazz for the final year of his contract, the Deseret News confirmed Monday. A number of teams have expressed interest in the 33-year-old guard, but league sources have indicated that the New York Knicks are the likely landing spot for Clarkson following the buyout.
In December 2019, Clarkson came to the Jazz in a trade that sent Dante Exum and two second-round picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During his time with the Jazz Clarkson averaged 17.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Clarkson was the final holdover from the era of Jazz basketball before the rebuild and won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2020-2021 season. In addition to being a key part of the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert Jazz squad that earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference that year, Clarkson has been an integral mentor to the new wave of young players on the current Jazz roster.
Now, the longest-tenured player on the Jazz roster is Walker Kessler.
The Jazz have been looking to clear out space on the roster for the younger players to have ample opportunity this coming season, without having to force other players to sit out games.
On Sunday the Jazz agreed to trade Collin Sexton and a second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic.
The Jazz also waived Johnny Juzang on Monday.