Jordan Clarkson expressed contentment about returning to the Knicks on a one-year, $3.9 million deal without considering other offers. He signed this contract after negotiating a buyout with his former team, the Utah Jazz, and while attending Wimbledon. Despite facing competition from players like Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, and Miles McBride for playing time, Clarkson is prepared to embrace a defensive role that he found rewarding last season when it helped him become part of an NBA championship team.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
“It was pretty chill, honestly,” Clarkson said of his summer.
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Clarkson → say → summer
“I knew I wanted to come back here, so it was easy.”
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it → know → ?
No other meetings or offers were considered by Clarkson or his representative, Rich Paul.
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meetings → consider → Clarkson
“We really didn’t listen to anything else,” the guard said.
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guard → listen → anything
“I told my agent and everybody that I wanted to come back here, and if the money situation worked out, I wanted to come back.
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I → tell → agent
It worked out for a second straight year, as the unrestricted free agent signed a veteran-minimum deal with the Knicks.
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agent → work → Knicks
In 2025, he first had to negotiate a buyout with the Utah Jazz and agreed to the Knicks deal while attending Wimbledon.
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he → have → Wimbledon
This time, Clarkson’s one-year, $3.9 million deal arrived later in free agency — July 9 — but without much surprise.
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deal → arrive → surprise
The Knicks, according to sources, appreciated his locker-room presence.
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Knicks → accord → presence
Even if Clarkson doesn’t play, he’s encouraging his teammates, getting along with everybody, going with the flow.
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he → play → flow
That’s not always the case with veterans who are suddenly faced with dips in opportunities — especially those with Clarkson’s resume.
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who → ’ → resume
He ranks seventh in the NBA in all-time bench points and needs just 39 more to surpass No. 6 Thurl Bailey.
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He → rank → Bailey
Sacrificing with grace will probably be important again this season for Clarkson, who is part of a crowded backcourt with no guarantee of playing time.
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who → sacrifice → time
Barring a trade, the Knicks have Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride above Clarkson on the depth chart.
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Knicks → bar → chart
But Clarkson can separate himself as a longer body — he’s 6-foot-5 — who can press the ball handler on defense and sometimes create a shot for himself.
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who → separate → himself
The big difference, as Clarkson noted, is a clearer understanding of his fit.
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Clarkson → note → fit
Whereas a year ago Clarkson was being sold a volume-scoring role off the bench, the 34-year-old now understands his path to playing time is geared toward defense and rebounding.
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path → sell → defense
It took a benching to understand that last year.
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It → take → that
Now he’s ready.
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he → ’ → ?
“I know it’s not my regular role that I’ve played before I got here,” Clarkson said.
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Clarkson → know → that
“But it’s something I’ve fallen in love with, and I love playing my role and playing for this team and playing for each other.
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I → ’ → other
I think that was the biggest thing last year that I’ve learned.”
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I → think → that
Per 36 minutes, Clarkson averaged his fewest points and field goal attempts since he was a rookie in 2014-15.
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he → average → 2014
What’s happening on and off the Garden court
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happening → happen → Sports+
Thank you
Defense was never part of Clarkson’s reputation — if anything, he was considered a negative on that side of the floor — but a transformation turned him into a rotational piece of an NBA champion.
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transformation → thank → champion
Clarkson liked it so much he wants to do it again — even after averaging career lows in minutes, points and shot attempts.
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he → like → minutes
“For us, it’s not about numbers.
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it → ’ → numbers
It’s all about winning the game and doing anything to win the game,” Clarkson said.
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Clarkson → ’ → game
“And I think a lot of us put things behind us to make that common goal happen.
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goal → think → us
“And that’s from the coaching staff to everybody down the line.
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that → ’ → line
I think we all got to understand on what it means to be a part of this team and a part of the Knicks.
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it → think → Knicks
So I think that’s been set, and that’s why I wanted to come back.
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I → think → ?
I love the standard.
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I → love → standard
I love the culture here.”
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I → love → culture
The Aporia
