The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Dante Exum from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Jordan Clarkson, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Also headed to Cleveland, Wojnarowski adds, is a pair of second-round picks.
The move gives Cleveland a highly acclaimed former lottery pick that has struggled to stay healthy throughout the last five years of his career.
While Exum has long shown upside given his length and athleticism, he’s played more than 42 games just twice in six campaigns.
Exum remains a relatively intriguing building block with two years left on his current contract but the Jazz are better positioned to attempt to contend in the west than develop long-term assets. The Aussie guard has seen less action this year, just 7.6 minutes a night, than he has in any previous season.
The Jazz, in exchange, land an offensive catalyst that’s proven himself capable of filling the stat sheet across stints with the Cavs and Los Angeles Lakers. Clarkson has averaged 14.6 points in just 23.0 minutes per game this season.
Clarkson’s $13.4 million deal expires at the end of this season.
