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SALT LAKE CITY — Jordan Clarkson is sticking around.
The Utah Jazz guard opted into his final year of his contract, according to the Deseret News' Sarah Todd, keeping him on the roster for at least another season.
Clarkson is coming off a career year in 2022-23, where he averaged a career high in points (20.8), assists (4.4) and rebounds (4.0), and was seen as a candidate to opt out to test the free agency market this summer. He is due to make $14.2 million this season.
Clarkson is the longest-tenured Jazz player, and has been with the team since being traded to Utah in December 2019. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021, during Utah's run to the No. 1 seed in the West. His production last season was worth more than his current contract, so why opt in?
The move allows a path for the Jazz to sign the fan-favorite shooting guard to an extension; also, the market for Clarkson might be dry with contending teams mostly lacking the cap space needed to get into Clarkson's range.
With Clarkson back in the fold — and Utah also reportedly giving a fully guaranteed contract to Kelly Olynyk this week, and guard Talen Horton-Tucker opting into his final year of his deal — Utah's cap space for free agency is becoming more clear.
The recent moves leave the Jazz with, potentially, as much as $14 million in cap space; though, if they choose to guarantee Kris Dunn, Luka Samanic and Vernon Carey (which they won't have to decide on until October), that number would fall to about $8 million. The Jazz will also have the $7.7 million cap space exception to use during free agency.
