Report: Suns Inquired About Jordan Clarkson in Potential Jae Crowder Trade with Jazz

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly "inquired" about Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson as part of their trade talks centered around forward Jae Crowder.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported Wednesday that Crowder, who's away from Suns training camp while awaiting a deal, is the "main transactional domino front offices across the league are waiting to see fall" ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.

The key question surrounding the Utah-Phoenix talks is whether the Suns would be willing to attach draft picks for the Jazz to take on the final season of Crowder's three-year, $29 million contract, per Fischer.

If that type of swap is made, the expectation is Crowder would be waived by the Jazz and head to free agency to pick his next team, according to the Yahoo report.

Clarkson is one of the few proven veterans left on the Utah roster after an offseason headlined by the blockbuster trades of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, which signaled the franchise was entering a full-scale rebuilding phase.

The 2021 Sixth Man of the Year has averaged 16.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 threes and 2.3 assists across 189 games for the Jazz since being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2019-20 campaign.

He ranked tied for 47th among all NBA players in FiveThirtyEight's Raptor metric (6.1) last season, placing him alongside Mitchell, the Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball and Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton.

Clarkson would likely slide into the same sixth-man role in Phoenix, playing both in the backcourt and on the wing behind the starting trio of Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges.

Having that type of offensive firepower off the bench is something the Suns lacked last season, ranking 18th in points per game from their reserves (35.4).

Fischer mentioned the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat as other potential suitors for Crowder, with Phoenix working the phones ahead of its Oct. 19 season opener against the Dallas Mavericks.

"You would have to really think he takes you over the top," an NBA assistant general manager told Fischer. "Phoenix either has something in its pocket, that they know is good enough for them, or they're bluffing. We'll see what happens come D-Day, come opening night."

The Jazz also open the new campaign Oct. 19 with a visit from the Denver Nuggets.