Clarkson likes Walton, eyes new Lakers deal

Jordan Clarkson will be a restricted free agent in July, and he said at the end of the regular season that he wants to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. That was before the Lakers replaced coach Byron Scott with Luke Walton, though.

In an interview with ESPN’s Jovan Buha, Clarkson said that the coaching change “makes it even better” to stay in Los Angeles, and he’s excited about playing for Walton:

“It really impacts it a lot,” Clarkson told ESPN.com on Friday in a phone interview when asked about how the hiring affects his free-agency decision. “That style of play fits me, as well as the other guys. I definitely want to stay here in L.A. and be here. I said in my exit interview, I don’t want to be that guy who bounces around from team to team.

“I want to be here in L.A. — a place where I can call home — and leave a legacy. The hiring makes it even better.”

…

“It’s just an understanding,” Clarkson, 23, said. “He’s played the game, and he’s …

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