I've been critical about this trade, but the more I've thought about it the more it starts to make sense why DA would look deep into this.
Contractually it makes sense, since we would likely have to pay Clarkson similar money to what JC is getting right now to extend him, especially if he keeps playing like he has. At 30 that is a big risk to take. We dont even know if he wants to stay. Beasley is on a club option next year, but beyond that there are no guarantees. Collins cap number is not gonna be that big of a deal once the cap goes up, and he is signed through 2024-25 season with a player option for 25-26.
Defensively it seems to make sense. According to Hawksquawk JC is a very solid defender, which cannot be said about Beasley or even Clarkson. Our biggest area of concern is defending the paint and athletic wings and bigger guards, and adding JC would probably make life easier for Lauri as well on that end of the court. I also like the fact that he seems like a very versatile defender, who you can switch to guard a smaller guy and he still has the athleticism to stay in position and contest shots.
Rosterwise it makes some sense. I feel like KO and Vando get more criticism than any guys in this team, and at the very least Collins would add depth to our forward position, which we really dont have atm. Vando or KO are not stellar in attacking the paint, and they dont command extra attention from opposing wings or bigs. The biggest issue is that we would lose bench flamethrower options and our guard position would get thinner and THT and NAW would have to step up.
Personalitywise it makes sense. I read some articles that state that he is a happy and positive guy, who is generally liked. Sounds like a guy who would fit the bill. He has voiced his displeasure this year, but I wouldnt see that as a red flag since he obviously suffers from the 2 dominant guard syndrome that the Hawks are going through. He would also come to town with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, which is the whole theme of this Jazz team.
Playstyle-wise I feel like we would be forced to play the style and brand of baskeball we want to play. While Clarkson and Beasley can both get hot and score a lot of points, they both can also turn into black holes.
Fit with Lauri is a questionmark. It could be that he helps with the spacing so that Lauri gets more touches than now, but on the other hand they could end up stealing each others touches. They have a lot of similarities and pose a threat on all 3 levels, so I would still argue that our frontcourt turns much more dangerous with Collins and Lauri in there, regardless who the 3rd guy is. Collins has also allegedly improved his handle so he can score both on and off ball depending on matchup.