Though it remained to be seen whether Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan would stick around beyond last season, it appears on the surface that his days in LA are numbered.
The Clippers recently swung a trade for center Marcin Gortat, all but sealing their future with Jordan. On top of that, NY Times’ Marc Stein reports that the Dallas Mavericks are hoping to make a trade for the sky-scraping big man ahead of free agency.
The Dallas Mavericks are actively exploring trade possibilities with the Los Angeles Clippers and the former All-N.B.A. center DeAndre Jordan in hopes of finding a workable deal to acquire Jordan this week, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
Jordan has a deadline of Friday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time to decide whether to invoke his player option for next season, which is valued at $24.1 million. If Jordan decides to opt in, Dallas can trade for him before free agency begins Sunday at 12:01 a.m., with the veteran swingman Wes Matthews and his $18.7 million contract likely to be the centerpiece of any offer.
As highlighted by the report, DeAndre Jordan must first opt in to his contract and bypass free agency prior to any trade taking place. As we know from the controversial free agency fiasco between Jordan and the Mavs years ago, the two have had mutual interest before and it wouldn’t be surprising for that to be the case again.
Though the Mavs find themselves in the middle of a rebuild, they have solid pieces to work with. Recent draft picks Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic paired with the potential offloading of Wesley Matthews’ contract could help expedite this process, especially if they get a contributor like Jordan in return.
While Jordan is likely in the final portions of his prime, he still provides value for a Mavs team in desperate need of a body on the inside. Fitting Jordan in the frontcourt with veteran Harrison Barnes to complement their exciting young backcourt could have the Mavs back on the upswing quickly.
