AMID a whirlwind two, three days before the NBA trade deadline that saw one of the biggest and most shocking deal ever made, a Fil-American guard in Utah who for years has been mentioned in trade rumors somehow stayed put.
When the trade deadline passed early Friday, fans looked back on an eventful few days that saw the LA Lakers send Anthony Davis to Dallas for Luka Doncic and disgrunted star Jimmy Butler finally get moved out of Miami to Golden State.
READ Will Jordan Clarkson end up with a contender before NBA trade deadline?
But somehow, Jordan Clarkson, who along with fellow veterans Colin Sexton and John Collins was expected to be moved by the Jazz, stayed in Utah for the remainder of what had been a challenging season for the rebuilding franchise.
Clarkson marked the occasion with a cryptic tweet.
LOOK:
It was not like the Jazz didn't try to move any of the three. Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was an active player in the trade market and Utah, in fact, was part of the stunning deals that sent Doncic to LA and Butler to the Bay Area.
But the Jazz's role, it turned out, was more like a facilitator.
Ainge ended up trading two major pieces he got from both deals - Dennis Schroder to Detroit and waived Jalen Hood-Schifino who it got from the Lakers - and kept only KJ Martin, Kenyon's son, and five future second-round picks.
So what does the future hold for JC?
Well, the development means Clarkson will likely spend the rest of the season at Utah, which has the second worst record in the Western Conference at 12-37 and perhaps is more excited about next year's draft than the playoffs.
But it isn't an entirely bad situation to be considering Clarkson wil still make over $12 million this season from the $51.5M deal he signed with the Jazz in 2020 that still has a season left at $12.2M before he turns UFA in 2027.
READ Lakers get their big after acquiring Mark Williams from Hornets
Whatever he felt about the trade, JC will always be the consummate pro.
A day before the trade deadline and amid all the uncertainty, Clarkson went off for a season-high 31 points behind five treys to go with five assists and four rebounds in a 131-128 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Watch JC at his best:
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