Hoops Nightly
A.J. Lawson
Free agent · G · 26
A.J. Lawson
vs
2025-26
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

A.J. Lawson vs Jaylen Clark

8-7categories
Lawson · Clark
A.J. Lawson
Lawson
Free agent
2025-26
Clark
Timberwolves
Jaylen Clark
24
Games
availability
68
9.4
Minutes
per game
13.1
4.2
Points
per game
4.0
1.8
Rebounds
per game
1.8
0.3
Assists
per game
0.6
0.7
Steals + blocks
per game
0.8
0.3
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
0.3
43.6%
Field goal %
43.4%
42.2%
Three-point %
1.9 vs 1.5 attempts
32.7%
77.8%
Free throw %
65.7%
58.8%
True shooting
TS%
53.4%
17.2%
Usage
USG%
12.6%
4.6%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
6.4%
9.6%
Rebound %
of available
6.2%
-3.1
Net rating
on court
+4.1
9.1%
PIE
player impact estimate
5.4%
-0.4
Plus-minus
per game
+1.1
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

A.J. Lawson scored more in 2025-26, 0.2 points a game apart (4.2 vs 4.0), on Lawson's heavier usage (17.2% vs 12.6%).

Lawson is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 58.8% to 53.4%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Clark (0.6 vs 0.3 assists), the glass to Clark (1.8 vs 1.8 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Clark played 44 more games (68 vs 24 of 82).

With Clark on the floor his team outscored opponents by +4.1 per 100 possessions, against -3.1 for Lawson; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Lawson — through —, Clark $3.1M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Lawson
2025-26
Clark
12-12
Record when playing
40-28
3.9
Points at home
4.3
4.7
Points on the road
3.8
3.8
Points in wins
4.7
4.7
Points in losses
3.1
14
Season high
12
0
30-point games
0
0
Double-doubles
0
Lawson · last 5
Sun, May 3 at CLE2 pts · 2 reb · 0 ast
Fri, May 1 vs CLE6 pts · 1 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Apr 29 at CLE0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Sun, Apr 26 vs CLE0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Thu, Apr 23 vs CLE0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Clark · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 at MIA1 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Fri, Oct 16 at CHI18 pts · 7 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Oct 14 vs DET6 pts · 1 reb · 0 ast
Mon, Oct 12 at NYK2 pts · 2 reb · 0 ast
Sat, Oct 10 at MIA6 pts · 2 reb · 5 ast
Lawson · contract
No contract on file (free agent, two-way, or not yet signed).
Clark · contract
2026-27$3.1M
2027-28$3.3M
2028-29$3.6M

More comparisons

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Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).