EXODUS: Utah’s Roster EVOLVES as Sexton and Clarkson DEPART | What’s Next?

EXODUS: Utah’s Roster EVOLVES as Sexton and Clarkson DEPART | What’s Next?

the Utah Jazz gave up the ghost finally next on Locked on Jazz jazz your daily podcast on the Utah Jazz part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day how are you i’m David Lock radio voice of the Utah Jazz Jazz NBA insider this is Locked on Jazz your daily podcast on the Utah Jazz giving you insight expertise geeky numbers and hopefully making it way better to be a Jazz fan each and every day thank you to the everydayers that are out there each and every day and thank you for making Locked on Jazz your first listen of the day we are free and available on all podcasting apps as well as YouTube thank you so much today’s show is brought to you by FanDuel right now new customers get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins today’s show we’ll look at day one of free agency look back at the Donovan Mitchell trade look at what’s next why now the Jordan Clarkson buyout but let’s start with the concept of giving up the ghost in the last 48 hours the Jazz have traded Colin Ston to Charlotte received very little in return use of Nerkich a backup center at this point plus had to give up a second round draft pick and they got literally released basically for all intents and purposes released Jordan Clarkson the buyout by the way is advantageous to the team it means the Jazz saved a million dollars or so a pure release you just pay him but that’s basically what they did they released them and got nothing in return and when I say the Jazz gave up the ghost what they’ve done is they’ve given up the ghost the quest to get something in value for these players if you look at over the last I mean from Jordan Clarkson we might go back to the last trade deadline when Quinn Snider’s here and the team’s trying to shake it up a little bit trying to get out of its malaise at the trade deadline heading as a playoff team but if you look at Jordan Clarkson um the fact is that the Jazz have probably had him available for somewhere in the range of seven to eight trade windows and Colin Ston has been available for somewhere in the range of five trade windows and in each case the Jazz weren’t able to get what they thought was a value and Austin H was like “Okay that’s enough that’s enough we’re moving on we’re clearing the deck and we’re conceding we’re giving up the ghost we’re conceding that we’re not getting value for these players why now?” Well when you’re doing it in the past and you’re looking at Jordan Clarkson or Colin Ston and you’re trying to get something there’s first of all a chance on both those two players that until they became a free agent or in their final year of the deal that it could have cost the Jazz money to actually or assets to get rid of him so you’re certainly not going to do that the second thing is what was the downside and what I think Austin has decided here is that the downside now is you’re precluding your young players from getting time and minutes and so you’ve got to make the move but in the past when you had Colin Ston it wasn’t as though you’d look back at Keonte George’s last two years and say “Wow he didn’t get enough minutes because Colin Ston and Jordan Clarkson were on the roster.” You wouldn’t look at Isaiah Collier last year and say “Well he didn’t get enough minutes.” You didn’t look at Cody Williams and say “Wow he really needed to get more minutes.” It got awkward it got uncomfortable with the who’s playing who’s not and Jordan getting shut down and all that stuff and that’s worth avoiding again certainly but the timing now is such that there is a moving Colin Saxton and Jordan Clarkson off the roster there was a negative to having them on the roster now that it was going to preclude Rice Sensa Keonte George some of these guys from getting the minutes that you would hope to get and get your final evaluation on who they are the other thing that’s really interesting if you go back to the opening press conference that Austin H and I asked him about what he saw as the landscape being different in the NBA one of the things he said that he no longer thought had value was expiring contracts that you used to hold on to expiring contracts be able to move expiring contracts and have expiring contracts have value clearly that’s not the case and so Austin Ames may have tipped our hat in his opening press conference when he said the expiring contracts don’t have the value that they once had because all of us because here are two expiring contracts that the Jazz just got off of that you used to hold on to because you could move them and someone could do this and they clear cap space and do that and these things that’s not the world we live in anymore that you used to hold on to Jordan Clarkson and Colin Saxon’s expiring contract movement the deadline take on somebody else’s money so that they could clear cap space so they can make the run at Giannis or LeBron that doesn’t seem to be where we are and so the value proposition on the market clearly for Saxon and Clarkson was zero or close to so there’s two questions if I was a Jazz fan I’d be asking one is did we miss the window was there a trade that could have been made in the previous four trade windows with Col Colin Ston once he was healthy that first year then there were probably three or four three windows or with Jordan Clarkson it’s hard to take this in because when you look at Colin Ston averaging 19 points a game and shooting nearly 50% in the way he scores but it doesn’t look like small guards are get that aren’t allstars are getting much of any market right now matt George of Lockdown Kings tweeted out last night he couldn’t believe that Malik Monk had no market former six man of the year and Jordan Clarkson the last two years has really not been good and the question for the Knicks is going to be whether or not he’s cooked or whether that was the situation but Jordan has had an effective field goal percentage the last two years of 47 and last year was a little better at 49% the 47 was one of the least efficient players in all the NBA i’m guessing it was somewhat environment he’s probably a pretty fresh 33 having only played 90 games last years and the Knicks signed him on a minimum frankly so if they don’t like what they’re getting they can just release him so where we sit now is very clear so why now the answer on why now is because roads were being blocked should have the Jazz done this earlier is a very legitimate question because there was an awkwardness to what we were doing last year but I think the Jazz were holding out hope that at some point you could get something increase your asset for section or Clarkson either one of two things is why they didn’t do it earlier one is they were hoping that at some point Saxon or Clarkson would have some value that the market hadn’t let it would yield it or two Sexton and Clarkson actually had negative value and that they would have had to give up assets to get get them off to clear clear and avoid some of the awkwardness of last year here’s the one time that I wonder whether the it would have changed the whole trajectory of this where I wonder if the Jazz could have done something they had traded Donovan they had traded Rudy and there was a trade on the board rumored and I think because of the way it plays out in the future you know it was legit that I believe was Mike Connley Buon Bdonovich maybe some other piece to the Lakers for Russell Westbrook’s contract and if you believe the reports at the time it got caught up on draft picks and I think the reports where the Jazz wanted three first round draft picks and the Lakers were giving two and then the deal kind of gets done that offse at the midway mark when we trade Mike Connley and we get a first round draft pick top four protected and Vanderbilt and a bunch of pieces the only question I have in this whole process is had the Jazz made that deal maybe not getting the best maybe only getting one pick early would we would we have had less of this kind of what are we doing what are we doing what are we doing period rather than the clarity we had of what we’re doing last year as awkward as is and the clarity of what we’re doing next year which is just a bunch of young players trying to develop and get better as a group we had no clarity the first two years and I wonder whether or not had we pulled that Westbrook trade at that point would have that given clarity in this process could have been in a different stage maybe not but maybe because right now where Austin’s position it’s very clear the only question is what’s next and let’s put John Collins and let’s talk a little bit about Jordan Clarkson but let’s put John Collins into the same equation that I just put Colin Ston and Jordan Clarkson in and see what we think is going to happen next on Locked on Jazz tuesday edition of Locked on Jazz is brought to you by our friends over at Murdoch Hyundai located 4646 South State Street also located in Logan and in Lynen the Hyundai car it’s incredible my 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Muroc Hyundai and give you the VIP treatment email me at [email protected] that’s dlock09gmail.com and we’ll get you set up with the VIP treatment in Murray in Logan or in Lynon today’s show is also brought to you by FanDuel fanduel’s official sports book of Locked On and right now FanDuel has you rolling for the summer whether it’s baseball under the lights golf on the greens high stakes soccer WNBA FanDuel is the best way to make every game more exciting following the action want to make it a little more thrilling then get into the game while your friends and families are getting sunburned on the beach you instead do not have to get skin cancer be burned and look like a lobster you can just have the fun of winning and feeling the rush of FanDuel easy to use fast to pay out makes even regular season games feel like mustwatch events whether you’re playing a same game parlay or watching a bet ride in the ninth inning FanDuel makes it feel like you’re part of the action if you’re new to FanDuel new customers get a $5 bet and you get $150 in bonus bets with your first when your first if your first bet wins let’s go with if not when open the FanDuel app today visit fanuel.com to get started that’s fuel.com thanks so much for making Lockdown Jazz your first listen today all right so my premise here on Saxon and Clarkson is that for the last two years the Jazz have been hoping to get value for him we w didn’t have value on the market and then they make a decision can we get value in the future is it disadvantageous for us to keep them on the roster are they blocking someone and having a negative impact on our development or three the possibility that they have negative value in the market so let’s walk John Collins through this because that’s the next logical name so number one it’s clear John Collins doesn’t have a lot of value in the market and here’s why I say this the Jazz got him for free right we’ve got Rudy Gay in a second round draft pick that I think never We got him for free we took his contract for free john has been great last year’s season was amazing almost 50 40 85 awesome john was pretty awesome in Atlanta too john probably has improved what people think of him in the NBA but he was really good in Atlanta and we got him for free it wasn’t like he was coming off a scrap heap being a terrible player everyone knew like that the Duncan Demon was a pretty good player 17th pick of the draft had had some big years had done some good things had been kind of caught in the Quinn Snider Nate McMillan mix but like and was great for us last year great so his value is higher than free but not dramatically so that’s one so I don’t think he has great value out there i think the Jazz are going to run into very similar circumstances they did with Colin Ston and Jordan Clarkson if they just try to move him i don’t think you’re getting a first for John Collins when he was free when you got him it would be nice it would be incredible asset management but it seems unlikely so let’s go to part two does he have negative value maybe in this landscape trying to trade the $27 million of John Collins might be difficult there’s the trade that would have that where I thought the John Collins contract could kick in was the Damen Lillard trade where you send Dame Lillard probably Jordan Clarkson or Colin Saxon to Milwaukee for Dame Lillard eat his contract but it’s got two years left on it and you get a a for I think Milwaukee only has about one first round draft pick they can move and I’m guessing that the Jazz decide they didn’t want to do that because of the cap space next year the flexibility and other things was it worse that first round pick i’m guessing that that’s the decision or it was or Milwaukee decided they’re holding on to Dame milwaukee did some creative things yesterday to get players signed but they’re kind of in a mess so I’m guessing Milwaukee would love to get off Dame right now and get some players so someone decided that deal didn’t work for them that to me was the only out I saw on what you were doing with these contracts the third one that’s most important for John Collins is is John Collins prohibiting jazz players from developing and this is where things are super complicated and we talked about this a little bit yesterday but this is really complicated because the answer is I don’t know and I don’t think the Jazz know either so let’s walk through this if Taylor Hendricks is 100% healthy and if Ace Bailey is ready to give 25 minutes a night and if Cody Williams is ready to play 20 minutes a night then yes John Collins is blocking the route of players to get on the floor but if Taylor Hendrickx actually needs another two months or if Ace Bailey needs a slow ramp up or if Cody Williams is still as far we cannot play Cody Williams if he was like he was at the end of last year it just you can’t ask your teammates to do that then you need John Collins minutes you actually need something that’s viable and so I don’t know the answer on what’s next with John Collins if if let’s say all those things are going right then you’re going to then you would start Lowry at the 34 with Taylor you’d probably have Filipowski back up the four with Ace Bailey and Cody Williams kind of floating around in those in that realm and Cody could probably play a little too if he can handle better and then you you know you have 96 minutes of basketball you need out of that 34 and so let’s give it you know Lowry’s going to play 32 of those 96 and if Taylor’s healthy he’s playing 26 and if Ace is ready he’s playing 24 well now we’re only have 14 left for Filipowski and Cody Williams then John Collins is blocking the route so we’ll see what the Jazz do with John Collins but what is clear right now is there’s not a robust market and there might be a negative market on John Collins in which case I don’t think you want to give up an asset just to move that might as well wait it out see whether people need something see what happens so it’s really it’s stark how little the Jazz are able to turn for some of these players but I think we’re seeing it somewhat universally across the marketplace uh as Jordan Clarkson heads out what a run he was just gave us a vibe and an energy you go back to the bubble quinn Snyder credits Jordan Clarkson for bringing back together a broken team with got caught with all the COVID mess and the Donovan and Rudy and all sorts of behind the scenes shenanigans and problems and this and that and it was Jordan who brought had the keg out at the pool with the pingpong and got everybody back together in the bubble and kind of got that team to be able to make another run follow it I think the next year with the best record in the NBA but Quinn will go back to crediting Jordan jordan will credit credit Quinn for finding something in him jordan was pretty broken when he got to Utah if you remember his last year in Cleveland he had kind of had a they were good and then he had they weren’t good and he had shot 32% and was kind of trying to figure himself out and made a little run at six man of the year in 1718 and then by 1819 he comes to Utah for the final 42 games quinn gets him going in 1920 2021 he wins his sixth man of the year has another good year in 21-22 and the last two years have been not as good with not that kind of players around mike Connley seemed to you know the type of having a Mike Connley to help him was vital but he also chameleoned it he like changed who he was all the time his assists went from 1.6 in his first stretch with us to five by his fourth year so an incredibly smart cared incredible amount amazing passion to play well every night obviously a cool cat had all the vibe and energy and something that Utah hadn’t had before it was a a belief that him saying Utah was okay had valued us so super cool what a run what a privilege and pleasure to have him and root for him every night have the flamethrower ignite the building pretty great so thanks to Jordan um glad he got his like over at the canyons he had his big golf tournament here kind of as his last thing which seems really appropriate because he picked up golf while he was here added that to his life you know he’s the only guy I know who can be on the Milan runway one day and sleeping in a van and Death Valley the next like that’s literally who this dude is super interesting he and I had some really interesting conversations of being a mixed race kid and how that’s allowed him to float amongst different aspects of life half Filipino half black Filipino care culture and his family probably most important society telling him he’s black and this whole mix and match of how he finds himself in the midst of that world some really interesting conversations he’s he’s a very interesting person so awesome to have him appreciate it thanks for the time tip of the hat to JC we will miss you he gave every He gave all of his heart all of his soul to the Jazz and uh much love the Donovan Mitchell trade kind of almost is set now and what it is plus day one of free agency next on Locked on Jazz the Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange they got Lowry Markin Colin Sexton Oiabaji a 2025 first round pick a 2027 first round pick a 2029 first round pick and pick swaps in 26 and 28 so as we sit here on 20 July 1st of 2025 the trade almost is set here’s what it is so Lowry Markin Isaiah Collier and Phoenix’s first round pick that we just acquired in what 2031 i think that’s what it is um here’s why we traded the le least good of our 25 27 and 29 picks to Phoenix for Phoenix’s unprotected first and 31 that was Cleveland’s pick this year it feels like that’ll be Cleveland’s pick in 27 we’ll see whose pick it is in 29 the 26th pick swap which would be next year is not happening we will be projected 30th in the NBA they will be projected second and it seems unlikely that that pick swap happens in 28 either so as we sit here today it looks like neither pick swap will come through and that the 27th who’s going to have a better record in 2027 minnesota or Cleveland i I would guess Cleveland at this point but it they’ll be close and 29 who knows so if Cleveland has the better record each time then they their pick would go to Phoenix so we took Otayabaji along with Kelly Lynn and turned it into Isaiah Collier i think that’s right yeah because Shimone Fonteio was turned into Kyle Philipski so the Jazz Donovan Mitchell trade is now Lowry Markin Isaiah Collier and Phoenix’s first round pick for Donovan Mitchell that’s where that trade sits right now all right first day of free agency by the way if you ever take notes for a show don’t do it in light green pen because then by the time you get in the room to you can’t actually read it uh Denver probably is the big win here so far in the Western Conference Denver is the big win the Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr trade for two reasons one is it cleared enough money that they also got Bruce Brown and if we paid attention to what happened this last year is depth is more important than ever and I don’t know who’s better Cam Johnson or Michael Porter Jr but I do know that Cam Johnson 30 minutes a night plus Bruce Brown’s 24 minutes a night is 54 minutes a night and that Michael Porter Jr’s 30 minutes a night is just 30 cam Johnson doesn’t stay healthy much so that’s worth keeping an eye on but 54 minutes a night over 30 minutes a night is a massive deal of cap management and that changes who Denver is um Atlanta got Luke Canard and Nquille Alexander Walker yesterday so Canard playing off Trey Young could be amazing he also just kind of who is left-handed nails it shoots it makes it uh I think he’s the best three-point shooter statistically like in the league for the last five years or close and Nquille Alexander Walker gives them a hard playing guard who’s pretty awesome he’s really he was like basically when he came to Utah he was basically out of the league so awesome for Nquille super nice guy i remember Nquille came to Utah and the first thing he did was ask for a picture of every staff member so he could memorize every staff member’s name it’s a good kid um so neat to see him get the bag and Atlanta now has kind of built themselves this offensive juggernaut with Trey Young and Kurts Porzingis with some really good defensive players and Jaylen Johnson Nquille Alexander Walker Reach and Dyson Daniels quinn’s got himself a roster there that’s going to be fun to watch and the East is wide open cleveland’s the best team in the East but we’ll see if they have too many scars they got rid of Carris Levert which will actually be good for them houston added Clint Capella and Dorian Finny Smith houston’s going to actually have enough minutes I think out of this whole thing with Durant um I find this just interesting i don’t know why you might not care gary Trent Jr is a minimum player again like that’s where like some of this is like on the Colin Ston and Jordan Clarkson stuff is really interesting gary Trent Jr in Toronto a few years ago averaged 18 points a game shot 38% from three and you would have thought would have had great value the next year he averaged 17 points a game shot 37% from three then he scored 14 points a game and 39% from three he played 35 32 and 30 minutes a night like this was a 30 night a minute player in the NBA and instead he’s been a minimum player now for two years in a row because he doesn’t play a lot of defense but last year he shot 42% for Milwaukee like that Gary Trent Jr at 65 209 as a shooting guard that shoots 40% from three is somehow a minimum player in the NBA is surprising to me i still don’t understand anything New Orleans is doing kavon Looney signed I think Kavon Looney is cooked um watching him i thought he was great in Golden State and Steve Kerr kind of knew how to use him but you also may just need a veteran to be around Zion Williamson and then maybe that’s the answer because he is the ultimate pro from everything I’ve heard but I don’t think his legs work anymore his knees seem to hurt him a great deal and the last one out there is kind of what happens with Al Horford the Malik Beasley situation is really bad hopefully the investigation turns the way Terry Roers did this is three NBA investigations into gambling recently this is real NBA this is real professional sports and I think that’s it yeah nothing the LeBron thing is really fascinating lebron’s pissed it’s Luca’s team rich Paul even said it i know the Lakers need to worry about Luca Donuch but I as LeBron James agent need to worry about LeBron James so they’re pissed because the Lakers have become Luca’s team pretty interesting that is Locked on Jazz Day back with you tomorrow we’ll get you in a little bit more into the summer league and all that’s going on there scott Morrison had some interesting comments about Walter Clayton Jr we’ll have that for you tomorrow on Locked on Jazz this is now time to send you the first ever 247 national NBA channel check out Locked on NBA every day all season long

David Locke, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and Jazz NBA Insider, examines the Utah Jazz’s recent roster moves, signaling a shift in strategy. The team’s decision to part ways with Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, despite their scoring prowess, reflects a focus on developing young talent like Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh. Locke analyzes the timing of these decisions, the changing NBA landscape regarding expiring contracts, and the potential implications for John Collins’ future with the team.

The podcast also revisits the Donovan Mitchell trade, breaking down its current state with Lauri Markkanen, Isaiah Collier, and future draft picks as the key components. Locke provides insights on free agency developments across the NBA, highlighting Denver’s strategic moves and Atlanta’s roster transformation under Quin Snyder. He touches on intriguing situations like Gary Trent Jr.’s market value and LeBron James’ reported frustration with the Lakers’ direction, offering listeners a comprehensive look at the league’s evolving dynamics.

0:00 Intro: Utah Jazz give up the ghost
5:11 Expiring contracts no longer valuable in NBA
10:23 John Collins’ future with the Jazz
15:32 Potential Damian Lillard trade scenarios
20:43 Jordan Clarkson’s impact and departure
24:53 Analyzing the Donovan Mitchell trade return
29:02 Free agency moves and LeBron’s frustration

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