'I wanted to keep continuing to grow here': Jordan Clarkson explains why he came back to the Utah Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY — On Nov. 20, in the opening hours of free agency, Jordan Clarkson agreed to a new four-year deal with the Utah Jazz. If he had his way, that would have happened much sooner.

"I wish the free agency was earlier — we could have got it done earlier or something," Clarkson said. "But they wanted me to be here, and I wanted to be here as well. So, you know, that's probably why it happened so fast."

It was an easy decision for the Jazz. Clarkson's arrival via trade helped kickstart a struggling bench unit. From the time he played his first game for Utah on Dec. 23 to the season shutting down on March 11, the Jazz had the No. 1 rated offense.

Clarkson's decision wasn't too difficult, either. He didn't want to lose the relationships he had built with his teammates. He didn't want to leave a coaching staff that he had connected with. He knew his role, he liked the team, he liked the fan base and city. So, despite offers from what Jazz executive vice president Dennis Lindsey called "glamour markets," Clarkson was quick to agree to come back to the Jazz (the $52 million deal probably didn't hurt, either).

"I wanted to keep continuing to grow here," Clarkson said, "keep continuing to do great things here in Utah with this team. I definitely didn't want to leave these guys. It's crazy how fast I connected with these guys and this group. But it's been great for me, and I just didn't want to lose that."

Clarkson was valued highly by the team for more than just his scoring punch off the bench — he averaged 15.6 points for the Jazz last year — Lindsey credited him for being a conduit to relationships among players and coaches.

You may remember a widely reported spat between Utah's two All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. On Wednesday, Clarkson specifically mentioned his relationship with both of those players as a reason he was so quick to want to stay. According to Lindsey, Mitchell even co-signed on the decision to bring back Clarkson.

"We've grown so tight. That just makes a lot of the things on the court easier, makes us communicate better, talk with each other," Clarkson said. "Even in heated moments where stuff is going bad, or adversity, we know we always got each other's back. So when you have a group of guys that are able to do that, it's a good formula for wins."

It's been a good situation for everyone involved. The Jazz got one of the league's best bench flamethrowers, and Clarkson found a team that valued who he is — as a player and a person.

"Everybody accepted me with open arms and told me to be who I am and 'go out there and do what you do, be who you are around the guys,' and everything," Clarkson said. "It was really big for me, and I think that's why it translated so early for me when we played. So, I'm just trying to continue to have that impact in this coming year and try to help us win some games."

He wants to have a bigger one. Clarkson knows his role — he's a bench scorer above all — but he's trying to be even better in that area. He said he wants to continue to take more efficient shots; his improvement in that area was one of the reasons the Jazz pulled the trigger on trading for him. That means corner 3s and shots at the rim.

On Wednesday, Clarkson said he focused on being a more consistent 3-point shooter and adding some paint finishes in the abbreviated offseason. It was work done with a team in mind, one that quickly became his home.

"You look at the key players here: we're all kind of still young in years," he said. "It definitely gives us some time to accomplish what we want to accomplish. That's to try to win a championship soon here."

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