The Utah Jazz were their own worst enemy in Monday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It was a winnable game, especially after Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson came alive. Despite scoring 17 points combined in the first half, the backcourt duo doubled their output in the second half. Unfortunately for them, the offense tightened up in the clutch, which has been a problem throughout the season.
Sexton was overthinking. Clarkson wasn’t thinking. Jazz head coach Will Hardy’s play-calling was preposterously redundant. Then there was Lauri Markkanen. Though considered the face of the franchise, the Finnish marksmen tends to disappear when it’s time to be a finisher. To that point, Markkanen finished the game with 26 points but had four total points and no shot attempts in the fourth quarter.
However, for all of their flaws and mistakes, the Jazz trio were able to send a message to both teams. Scoring 77 points to Donovan Mitchell’s 22, the Cavs should still be wondering whether they made the right move in trading them. When considering the trade rumors surrounding Utah these days, the Jazz have to wonder whether to make the move Cleveland did.
Cavs-Jazz Showdown Repaints Donovan Mitchell Trade
When the Cavs sent Clarkson to Utah, it wasn’t the fact that he was traded that was surprising. Cleveland had acquired Clarkson during LeBron James’s last stint with the franchise, a time in which he was a valuable bench piece. At 27 years old though, he wasn’t seen as part of their impending rebuild.
That being said, the package that the Jazz had to give up for Clarkson was so light it might even be considered disrespectful. Utah sent Cleveland a player who would soon be out of the league in Dante Exum and two second-round picks. Those second-round picks became Khalifa Diop and Emoni Bates, neither of whom have accomplished much since being drafted.
Meanwhile, Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year the season after being traded. Though he wasn’t part of the Mitchell trade, his move set the stage for what was to come for both teams.
Sexton and Markkanen were part of the Cavs’ package for Mitchell, a perennial All-Star. From that perspective, they have less to gripe about than Clarkson. Nonetheless, like Clarkson, they were slighted and may have had the last laugh.
Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen had significantly improved his reputation in his time with Cleveland.
The Chicago Bulls treated him like a draft bust, shipping him off after his rookie contract expired. With the Cavs, his numbers weren’t stellar but he had made impressive defensive strides. Regardless of that, or him landing with Cleveland in a sign-and-trade, he was moved after one season. It was an interesting turn of events, especially considering how complementary they were of him publicly.
Then, Markkanen became a first-time All-Star the following season.
Collin Sexton
Sexton’s tenure with the Cavs was particularly complex.
The former top-10 pick was drafted as Kyrie Irving’s replacement and there was hope James would stay in Cleveland to play alongside him. Sexton’s star power was relatively high even though he had yet to play in the NBA, his once in a lifetime 3-on-5 game with Alabama becoming all but an urban legend.
Of course, James opted to leave the Cavs for the Los Angeles Lakers. As a result, Sexton’s weaknesses were emphasized. In college, he wasn’t a floor general so much as an on-ball scorer with playmaking ability. Being tasked with being the primary facilitator due to James’s departure took him out of his element and steepened his learning curve.
On a team that had become used to a veteran approach, his reputation became tainted with questions about his basketball IQ. So much so that it even overshadowed him averaging 20-plus points per game in his second and third NBA seasons. Then when it came time for the Cavs to offer him an extension, they lowballed him and he balked.
After being sent to the Jazz in a sign-and-trade, the Young Bull didn’t hit the ground running. However, he’s averaged 19.9 points per game as a starter the last two seasons and has made significant improvement as a facilitator.
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
Despite trading for Mitchell, there’s been drama in Cleveland. Talk about his future with the team was incessant. Questions about his ability to coexist with Darius Garland in the backcourt were real. Had Mitchell refused to sign a contract extension with the Cavs in the offseason, they might have had a few sleepless nights.
However, he did. With that assurance and them currently have the best record in the NBA, there’s no reason for Cleveland to complain. Still, it’s fair to wonder how Clarkson, Markkanen, and Sexton would look in the Cavs’ revamped offense.
Looking at the Jazz, they’ve actually received more talent from the Cavs than they’ve given up. However, with a head coach whose biases affect his coaching decisions and a front office with a blurry big picture, they might have been better off with an established star like Mitchell. Cleveland didn’t defeat Utah on Monday due to having more talent but because they were more polished.
They now have to answer the same question as the Cavs.
Trading a key player might generate the type of assets they want. Yet, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. That’s true now and it was true when they traded the former Jazz cornerstone. Considering Markkanen and Sexton’s youth and upside in particular, maybe they would be better off keeping them instead of shuffling the deck again.
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