AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

NBA Trade Rumors: Jazz Think Bogdanovic, Clarkson, Beasley Are Worth 1st-Round Picks

Paul Kasabian

The Utah Jazz reportedly believe guards Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley and wing Bojan Bogdanovic are worth first-round draft picks in trades.

That's per ESPN's Zach Lowe on his latest Lowe Post podcast (h/t Brad Sullivan of Ahn Fire Digital).

“The second package is Clarkson, Bogdanovic, Beasley,” Lowe said. “From what I’ve been told around the league, the Jazz feel all three of those guys are worth a first-round pick. If that’s the case, then there’s no deal, that’s out.”

The Jazz are in rebuilding mode after trading All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. All told, the Jazz have amassed 13 unprotected or lightly protected draft picks through 2029, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That's in addition to a host of players, such as guard Collin Sexton via sign-and-trade and big man Walker Kessler, a first-round pick in this year's draft.

Naturally, it makes sense for team president Danny Ainge to clean house entirely to completely sever ties with the Mitchell-Gobert era.

All the remaining veterans on the team are best-suited to play for contending teams anyway as opposed to scuffling through losing seasons as Utah gets back on track.

As Lowe noted, though, it appears first-round picks for any of those players would be non-starters, even if they all contributed to playoff teams last year.

Bogdanovic, 33, averaged 18.1 points on 45.5 percent shooting last year. Clarkson, the Sixth Man of the Year in 2020-21, posted 16.0 points in 2021-22.

Beasley was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Jazz in the Gobert trade. He had 12.1 points per game last year.

They're all reportedly on the trading block at this point, but for now, the trio remains part of the Jazz with the beginning of the season approaching in October.

   

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