Jordan Clarkson has silently been putting up career numbers through the first three weeks of the 2017-18 NBA season. The fourth-year guard has been a bright presence for the Los Angeles Lakers off the bench, averaging 15.4 points on 51 percent field goal shooting and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Clarkson, who is playing in the second year of the four-year, $50 million deal, is taking Magic Johnson’s challenge of winning the Sixth Man of the Year award head on. More importantly, Clarkson’s inspired play as of late has significantly increased his trade value, giving the Lakers more leverage in future negotiations.

After struggling to find his role these past two seasons, the former second-round pick spent most of the summer sharpening his on-ball defense, ball-handling and outside shooting. The departure of Lou Williams also opened the door for Clarkson to assume the role as the primary scorer on the Lakers’ second unit.

Clarkson’s development into a reliable scorer has made himself a viable trade target for contenders looking for some scoring punch off the bench. The Lakers are expected to clear most of their cap space next summer as they attempt to lure in max-level free agents like Paul George and LeBron James. Unloading the guard’s contract will free up $12 million in cap space for the Lakers, but they could get more than just a cap relief in return if they strike a deal with the right team around February.

Hassan Whiteside

The success of Miami Heat’s campaign this season will hinge on center Hassan Whiteside. The 28-year-old center is putting up 16.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 55 percent from the floor. Despite the solid numbers, Whiteside’s work ethic and lack of focus continue to be the lingering issues in his third season with the Heat.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra barely played Whiteside in the second half of the Heat’s game against the Golden State Warriors on Monday. Coach Spo decided to bench the center after he noticed that he looked disengaged mentally right from the opening tip-off. Although the Heat still considers Whiteside one of their cornerstones, the possibility of trading him for a bona fide star is not out of the picture.

Heat general manager Pat Riley even admitted in a recent interview that he isn’t ruling out the possibility of trading for a star should the opportunity arises. Whiteside, who is still coveted big man, will draw interest from multiple teams and command a competitive trade return.

Iman Shumpert

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ ‘surprising’ start to the 2017-18 NBA season continues with another loss against the Houston Rockets. LeBron James was again phenomenal (33 points on 15-of-24 shooting with four rebounds and seven assists), but again he got little support from his teammates. While it’s still too early to push the “panic button,” the Cavs are already exploring several trade options.

Shumpert, who earns $10 million per year, is one of the players the Cavaliers have been trying to move since last summer.

The veteran two-guard is averaging 6.1 points on 47 percent FG shooting in 20 minutes per game. The market for Shumpert is thin to non-existent at the moment. However, the Cavs could use his contract as filler in future trade discussions with the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder serving as the centerpiece of the potential deal.
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