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Cleveland Cavaliers: Should the Cavs trade Jordan Clarkson?

By Doug Patrick

Cleveland Cavaliers Jordan Clarkson (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers Jordan Clarkson (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 8: Jordan Clarkson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers arrives before Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 8, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 8: Jordan Clarkson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers arrives before Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 8, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson is a confusing player to assess.

At one moment, he seemed like a promising contributor for a title contender. At the next, he was unplayable. What do the Cleveland Cavaliers do with him next season?

Beginner’s Luck?

When he first arrived from Los Angeles, Clarkson made an immediate impact. Debuting against the Celtics in February, he went 7-for-11 and 3-for-4 from deep for 17 points. He averaged 12.6 points, 1.7 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in his 28 games with the club.

While it was no secret the Lakers were actively shopping Clarkson to unload the next two years/$26 million of his contract to open cap space for a star, many fans rejoiced at his acquisition. The team finally found a playmaker that could create his own shot.

Playoff Clarkson:

Clarkson looked more like a player on the trade block in the playoffs. Actually, worse than that. He reached historically bad depths. On top of scoring roughly five points per game on 30% shooting, he had a 3.5 player efficiency rating.

According to Basketball-Reference, this number ranks third worst in NBA Playoffs history

Reddit wondered: “[Serious] Is Jordan Clarkson Having the Worst Playoff Run in NBA History?”

Since February, the joy over Clarkson’s arrival has long dissipated. Now, he looks to Cleveland the way he looked to L.A., an overpaid/underperforming player.