NBA Trade Deadline 2018: The 20 best players available

16. Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers

Since the Lakers are intent on freeing up as much cap space as possible heading into free agency, the writing is on the wall for Jordan Clarkson’s future with the franchise. As such, it appears as though he’s ready to begin the next chapter of his NBA career.

According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers were “hopeful of waiting until the end of the season” to move Clarkson, who’s owed nearly $26 million through the 2019-20 campaign, but “there’s a mutual desire to find something sooner than later.” The 25-year-old combo guard is putting up the best per-minute numbers of his career despite playing behind Lonzo Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which may help grease the wheels on some trade offers.

An Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus that Clarkson “is probably the most attractive of the three” Lakers players whose names are popping up in trade rumors (ahead of Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle), but Los Angeles presumably wouldn’t want to take back long-term salary in a trade. Given the Lakers’ lack of leverage, is any team desperate enough to give up something of value along with an expiring contract for Clarkson?

As Pincus suggested, the Lakers’ best bet may be finding a team that isn’t convinced it can re-sign one of its impending free agents, such as the Detroit Pistons with Avery Bradley. Either way, expect to see Clarkson’s name floated around in the rumor mill over the next few weeks.

Next: 15. Evan Fournier