Jazz Rumors: Jordan Clarkson to Exercise $14.3M Contract Option for 2023-24 Season

Jordan Clarkson will be returning to the Utah Jazz after exercising his $14.3 million player option for the 2023-24 season, according to Sarah Todd of Deseret News.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise considering the Jazz are only one year into their full-scale rebuild, a process that began last offseason with the trades of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

Clarkson presumably would've earned more money on the open market by opting out as well. In that scenario, he could still turn around and re-sign with Utah, albeit on a bigger contract with long-term security.

The 6'4" guard has clearly found a comfort zone in Salt Lake City.

Prior to his trade to the Jazz in December 2019, Clarkson had established himself as a dynamic scorer but hadn't enjoyed a ton of team success. He was on the Cleveland Cavaliers when they reached the last of their four straight NBA Finals in 2018, but for the most part the jury was out on whether he could be a meaningful contributor on a contender.

Then Clarkson emerged as an elite reserve in Utah, winning Sixth Man of the Year in 2020-21. Through four seasons with the team, he has averaged 17.8 points and 2.8 assists and shot 33.8 percent from beyond the arc. His efficiency didn't fall off in the postseason, either, as he hit 35.3 percent of his threes in 24 playoff games.

In Ochai Agbaji, the franchise might have its long-term solution at 2-guard. The 2022 first-round pick, who came over in the Mitchell trade, averaged 7.9 points and shot 35.5 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie.

Sooner or later you'd expect the Jazz to elevate Agbaji to a starting role to get a better idea of where he fits in their overall plans.

For now, Clarkson figures to be the primary option at the 2.

Beyond what he contributes on the court, the front office might consider him to be an invaluable presence in the locker room for a younger squad. Having the right veteran leaders around can be critical when an organization is embarking on this kind of process.