DeAndre Jordan decided to give a verbal commitment to join the Dallas Mavericks last week right before the fourth of July holiday. It was reported he ‘wanted to be the man’ with a team and he decided to leave the Clippers to join the Mavs on a max contract.
Well, it appears the Clippers might not be out of it yet.
Yes, DeAndre Jordan can do this. Do not be alarmed and think this is a crime against the Dallas Mavericks. There’s a moratorium period for a reason, maybe not this exact reason, but there is a reason The Los Angeles Clippers are playing the final card in their hand, the one that they hope can keep Jordan with the Clippers.
The desperation card.
No player at Jordan’s level has ever gone back on his commitment to a team. The last guy to do it was Hedo Turkoglu in 2009 when he left the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic to join the Toronto Raptors but he initially agreed to become a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Now the Clippers are trying to get Jordan to pull a Turkoglu and reverse his decision to join the Mavs and stay with the Clippers.
Following from ESPN’s Marc Stein.
The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to convince DeAndre Jordan to reconsider his decision to sign with the Mavericks after Jordan verbally committed to join Dallas last week, according to league sources.
Free agents are traditionally considered off limits once they strike a verbal agreement with a team during the NBA’s annual moratorium period, but sources said that the Clippers have pushed to secure a meeting Wednesday in Houston for coach/team president Doc Rivers and possibly owner Steve Ballmer to make one last face-to-face pitch to Jordan in an attempt to convince him to walk away from the four-year, $80-plus million max deal he committed to with the Mavericks and instead stay with L.A.
Sources say that some Clippers players have been in contact in recent days as well with Jordan, who informed both teams of his decision last Friday and then flew to his offseason home in Houston.
And from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Source close to D.Jordan started having 2nd thoughts on leaving LAC early in week, source said. Loves LA, Team closeness. @ESPNSteinLine 1st
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 8, 2015
DeAndre having second thoughts would be a complete game changer on many fronts. It would force the NBA and NBPA to take a look at the moratorium period and how long that period should actually be. Mark Cuban would undoubtedly have a few things to say about this in more than one way. Finally, the Clippers would go back to being a championship contending team in the Western Conference as opposed to a team who would be fighting for a playoff spot in the west.
As of now, reports indicate that Jordan will be meeting with a Clippers contingent at his summer home in Houston. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are expected to be involved with the meeting to keep Jordan in LA.
Hearing Blake Griffin will be in Houston with Clippers to pitch DeAndre Jordan again.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) July 8, 2015
Sounds like Chris Paul will be there too according to a league source. Crazy turn of events.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) July 8, 2015
The Clippers are trying to meet with DeAndre Jordan before he goes out of country on a vacation tomorrow, a source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 8, 2015
