SANTA BARBARA – The moment could have called for Jordan Clarkson to go on a shopping spree. Or he could have enjoyed a late night in Los Angeles. Or he could have felt validated, going from second-round pick to key part of the Lakers’ young core in just two years.
Yet, Clarkson maintained he did not harbor any of those thoughts when he and the Lakers agreed to a four-year, $50 million contract on the first night of free agency in early July. Instead, Clarkson soon went to sleep to squeeze in a few hours of rest.