More on DeAndre Jordan Trade?
Jake Fischer: Team executives expect the Knicks to continue conversations on Wes Matthews and DeAndre Jordan’s expiring contracts up until the deadline to gain draft assets and stabilize positioning for top-3 lottery odds. If not, players will be strong buyout candidates.
Shams Charania: Sources: Full players involved in Knicks/Mavericks deal: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, Trey Burke to Dallas. Dennis Smith Jr., Wes Matthews, DeAndre Jordan and likely first-round draft pick compensation to New York.
Adrian Wojnarowski: New York has agreed with Dallas on trade that includes Kristaps Porzingis, Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr., for Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and DeAndre Jordan, league sources tell ESPN. Players and agents are being notified of particulars. Deal may include more draft assets.
Shams Charania: Sources: New York and Dallas have agreed in principle on a trade sending package around Kristaps Porzingis for Dennis Smith Jr. Wes Matthews, other contracts, and picks going to New York, and Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke among players going to Dallas. Sides finishing final terms.
Tim MacMahon: Sources confirm @TheSteinLine report: Mavs closing in on deal to acquire Kristaps Porzingis along with Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. Package to Knicks includes Dennis Smith Jr. and expiring contracts of DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews.
The Knicks would receive Dennis Smith Jr. and the expiring contracts of DeAndre Jordan and Wes Matthews in the proposed trade, according to league sources
Brad Turner: Dallas didn't want to give up multiple draft picks for DeAndre Jordan, per source
Marc Stein: The Mavericks did not want to surrender draft compensation in a potential trade with the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan and prefer instead to pursue him in free agency, league sources say
Marc Stein: DeAndre Jordan update: One source with knowledge of the Clippers’ thinking says they are NOT opposed to the idea of taking back Wes Matthews in a Jordan trade, which does keep some hope alive for an opt-in-and-trade scenario
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: DeAndre Jordan still deliberating his Clippers $24.1M option with deadline approaching at 11:59 PM. Talks on a sign-and-trade could pick up again, but dormant today. Jordan could opt-out and sign free agent deal w/ Mavericks, or opt-in and work with Clippers on a trade.
Bobby Marks: Mavericks could sign DeAndre Jordan outright with cap space but certainly would like 2 bites of the apple by moving a contract like Wes Matthews and also have room to sign another FA.
Should a deal for Jordan get done, Dallas will be out of cap space and likely won’t have much roster space — as many as 13 spots could be filled when the new guys are included. Depending on how the bench develops and whether the team can build chemistry, Dallas should at least have a shot at the No. 8 seed in the West. There’s also this to consider: Nowitzki has not definitively said he’s retiring after next season. The Mavs might be doing more than trying to give Nowitzki one last memorable season. They may be trying to give him two.
Marc Stein: The Clippers are resistant to taking Wes Matthews back in a trade for DeAndre Jordan, league sources say, which means Dallas must either present an alternative trade scenario L.A. accepts or try to sign Jordan in free agency if he indeed declines next season's $24.1 million.
If Jordan opts out of his $24 million deal for next season, LA has a starting center. If he opts in, the Clippers with one stroke of the pen regain some control of his destiny. They'd be fine keeping even a disgruntled Jordan, and using Gortat as a backup, sources say. If they trade him, they can do so without worrying about acquiring a center.
Albert Nahmad: One issue to work around in potential DeAndre Jordan trade rumors: He has a 15% trade bonus. If he exercises his $24.1M player option for next season as a prelude to a trade this salary cap year, it’d pay out $3.6M, allocated $1.8M to 2017-18 and 2018-19. He could waive it.
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.
Three years after Jordan’s controversial decision to back out of a verbal commitment to sign with the Mavericks — choosing instead to stay with the Clippers — Dallas is spending the final few days before the start of free agency trying to execute a trade for Jordan, according to the people, who were not authorized to discuss the trade talks publicly.
If Jordan decides to pass on the option, Dallas would be forced to try to sign him in free agency. Other potential frontcourt targets for the Mavericks in that scenario include the All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans and the restricted free agent Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets. The Clippers have granted permission to Jordan and his New York-based agent, Jeff Schwartz, to explore trade scenarios with other teams as they weigh the pros and cons of opting into the final season of Jordan’s current contract, according to the people.
In the land of second chances, the Mavericks have made it clear they are in a forgiving mood, reversing field to become major threats for free-agent-to-be DeAndre Jordan. Management extended a qualifying offer to Doug McDermott on Tuesday, but then took it off the table when news broke about the Los Angeles Clippers trading for center Marcin Gortat from Washington. An NBA source said that the Mavericks need the roughly $10-million salary-cap hold that McDermott would have required if he had OK'd the qualifying offer and become a restricted free agent.
Gortat gives the Clippers a starting-level center should DeAndre Jordan opt-out of his $24.7M contract before Friday's deadline. Even if Jordan opts-in to the deal, the Clippers and Jordan would work together to find a trade out of Los Angeles before --- preferably well before the February trade deadline.
Marc Stein: One source described a Jordan-to-Dallas trade as a "long shot" ... but the fact it's on the board is the strongest indication yet that the sides are willing to engage again after Jordan's about-face in 2015 free agency when he committed to the Mavs and then went back to the Clips
What lies beyond this season remains speculative because Jordan was unable to reach an agreement on an extension, and the Clippers are attempting to start over without bottoming out. Jordan remains but not from a lack of effort to move him. Cleveland was close to acquiring him at the deadline but opted for a larger, three-team deal with Sacramento and Utah. The Clippers also refused to give him away for nickels on the dollar at the trade deadline. “My name has been mentioned [in trades] for the past few years. So I’m not really tripping on that,” DeAndre Jordan told Yahoo Sports. “I really don’t give a [expletive] at this point. I’m just playing, man, staying locked into the game, playing as hard as I can for this organization because I love this team. And I love where we’re at and the group of guys that I’m playing with, so that’s what makes me happy.”
The Los Angeles Clippers were more motivated to trade Avery Bradley at the deadline than they were DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers sought a first round pick for Bradley. "They wanted a first rounder for him and just couldn't get it," said Marc Stein on the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast.
Alex Kennedy: DeAndre Jordan wasn't dealt. Sources say he could be a sign-and-trade candidate this summer. Or we may see him re-sign and then get dealt during the season (as the Clippers did with Blake Griffin). DJ would get his payday and L.A. would be able to get assets back as they rebuild.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Clippers have no trade for DeAndre Jordan, league source tells ESPN.
Chris Mannix: On DeAndre Jordan, Clippers have told inquiring teams: Make the offer a good one. Message has been there won’t be a Jordan auction before 3 pm. LA willing to hold onto him, evaluate options this summer.
Bobby Marks: Current value of the DeAndre Jordan trade bonus is $1.2M (15% of his 17/18 salary/option year does not count). Acquiring team would be taking back $23.8M in salary. If the bonus is waived, Jordan would not be allowed to extend his contract for 6 months.
Adrian Wojnarowski: The Clippers and Cavaliers continue to discuss the possibility of a trade centered on DeAndre Jordan, including conversations with potential third teams to help create a pathway to a deal, league sources tell ESPN.
If the Clippers somehow find an 11th-hour DeAndre Jordan deal after spending the last several days whispering to anyone who would listen that there is virtually no chance a workable trade presents itself, or if the Memphis Grizzlies abruptly defy their season-long vow to resist all trade interest in Marc Gasol and make their former All-Star center available — fantastic. More fun for all of us. But if not? Let’s all step back to properly salute the extended flurry of big names on the move for all the enjoyment it has provided for the masses.
Los Angeles will now shift its focus toward fielding interest for center DeAndre Jordan and Avery Bradley. Louis Williams held tremendous interest on the market, but he had outpriced himself out of potential offers of a late first-round pick or second-round selection.
Michael Scotto: I wouldn't totally rule [the Suns] out [for] DeAndre Jordan. And I'm sure some people are gonna say 'Why would they go after him? DeAndre is closer to 30.' But Ryan McDonough has talked about knowing some guys that he has there, that are a part of his core, and trying not to wait forever.
The Clippers are telling teams they are fine holding on to DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams through the deadline — though you would be hard-pressed to find too many who believe them. Portland has engaged the Clippers on Jordan. Cleveland and Milwaukee have, too. A team to watch: Washington. There is some buzz that the Wizards could put together a Marcin Gortat/Kelly Oubre-headlined package that the Clippers, who have vowed not to bottom out, could find appealing.
Gery Woelfel: As I reported in early December, Bucks, Wizards, Timberwolves and Raptors were four main courters of DeAndre Jordan. Bucks still interested but unwilling -- for now -- to give up any major player like Brogdon, MIddleton or Parker.
Several teams have shown interest, but the Wizards are looking to improve their team now while not taking on additional long-term money, sources said. Washington has expressed interest in LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, ESPN's Zach Lowe reported. Gortat has one year and $13.5 million left on his contract. Jordan can opt to be a free agent this summer.
David Aldridge: Wizards’ interest in @DeAndre Jordan, like almost every other team—maybe not the Cavs—would be predicated on him opting in for 2018-19 ($24.1M) rather than opting out to become UFA. From what I’ve heard thus far, Jordan has given no indication to anyone that he’d be willing to do that. Jordan hired Jeff Schwartz—perhaps the most powerful agent in the NBA—last year. You generally don’t do that if you’re just going to opt in next summer rather than opt out and seek a max/near max contract.
Sam Amick: And once he did this, I'm told, the Clippers' phones started getting quieter. To DA's point, teams got the message about DJ's mindset when he made that hire. This is why him staying is still very possible. twitter.com/daldridgetnt/s…
According to reporting by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, we can add the Washington Wizards to the list of teams interested in Clippers’ center DeAndre Jordan as this week’s trade deadline approaches. The Wizards have investigated the market for Jordan without gaining any traction, sources say.
As it pertains to the Cavs’ interest in the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan, a person with knowledge of that situation said Cleveland continues to offer only its own first-round pick and this kind of unwanted money in those stalled negotiations. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
One of the roadblocks for a team to trade for him is his contract situation as he could become a free agent by the summer. Teams do not see this as a good sign, as he could turn out to be a very risky loan for them, and could give up assets without the guarantee of him re-signing with them. That was also part of the report made by Zach Lowe of ESPN, as he stated that Jordan would be even more appealing if he opted into his contract for next season. Interest leaguewide would be higher if Jordan signaled he might opt into his deal for next season, but that hasn’t happened, sources say.
Adrian Wojnarowski: I'm told that Portland has backed away a bit from [acquiring DeAndre Jordan]. If you're Portland and you [get] DeAndre Jordan, hypothetically, you're locked in financially—that's your team. You're giving DeAndre an extension at 30 years old for four years or five years, whatever it may be. You better be ready for that to be your team, and is that team good enough? As of this weekend, I've been told that Portland was not—and I wouldn't say they were ever aggressive, I think they have to make the call, everyone is going to make the call—but that doesn't seem to be a road they're going to go down.
Adrian Wojnarowski: [The Clippers are] very much open for business. I think there's probably a little bit more on the board right now for Louis Williams than there is for DeAndre Jordan. I think it's entirely possible that DeAndre Jordan does not get traded this week because, again, anybody who trades for him wants to know what it's gonna cost, what an extension would look like. And not everybody in the world is ready to pay him four years and $115 million. There are teams who want him and I think would pay him, but the Clippers are looking at this—they don't want to take back a bunch of future money. They want to get money off. Their preference ultimately would be to let him walk instead of taking back a bad contract or a couple of bad contracts, just to get back a late first-round pick.
Question: Hello, I was wondering what would Cleveland have to give to L.A in order for it to land DeAndre Jordan? David Aldridge: The Clips are holding out for that Brooklyn first. Now, L.A. now has a 2018 first coming from Detroit in the Blake Griffin deal, so its desire for another 2018 first may not be as great as it was before last week. But what else does Cleveland have that you’d really want (Tristan Thompson, who would almost certainly be part of a Jordan deal in any iteration, aside)? The pressure on owner Dan Gilbert in Cleveland to jettison that pick to make a season/franchise/please-LeBron-don’t-leave-saving move is going to be enormous in the next 72 hours.
My question is: Do you believe the Clippers will make the playoffs this year? David Aldridge: No, I don’t. I expect them to move Lou Williams by Thursday, and maybe Jordan, too. And that won’t leave them with enough, in my opinion, to make a postseason run past Denver and/or Portland -- who both have much more stable core groups, even if either makes a deal by Thursday.
Now in their fourth season since James returned, is mental fatigue taking a toll on the Cavs? Sam Amick: It’s a whole lot more complicated than the fatigue factor, and it has everything to do with the layers of dysfunction that the Cavs are battling. Cavs general manager Koby Altman is trying hard to shed the contracts of Tristan Thompson (two years, $36 million remaining) and J.R. Smith ($14.7 million next season, team option worth $15.6 million in 2019-20 with $3.8 million guaranteed), two players who were re-signed in large part because of LeBron’s omnipresent influence. They’re all represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who built the agency with a huge assist from James. As it pertains to the Cavs’ interest in the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan, a person with knowledge of that situation said Cleveland continues to offer only its own first-round pick and this kind of unwanted money in those stalled negotiations. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers have discussed a trade involving L.A. center DeAndre Jordan but a formal offer was never made, according to NBA officials who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The Clippers have been seeking a first-round draft pick, financial flexibility and young players in return for Jordan, according to the executives.
I keep hearing the Cavs absolutely won't trade the Brooklyn draft pick that was part of the Irving trade with Boston. That's not true. I've heard from top league sources the Cavs will do it -- but not for a short-term answer such as DeAndre Jordan. That's because Jordan can become a free agent at the end of the season. He has a player option for $24 million next season.
Is DeAndre Jordan to Cleveland dead in the water? Brian Windhorst: I would never say dead, because the league is too fluid. But, I'll put it this way, at last check, and I've always got to be really careful in saying that, because I don't tap phones, and I don't know what calls are happening at this moment, but at last check, there was nothing, transavtion-wise, going on between the Clippers and Cavs on DeAndre.
Chris Paul, traded to Houston in a blockbuster deal last June. Blake Griffin, gone to Detroit in another mega-deal earlier this week. What does it mean for DeAndre Jordan? He likely will be moving on by this week’s trade deadline, marking the end of "Lob City." Milwaukee, in win-now mode, and Cleveland, always looking to make moves at the deadline to keep LeBron James happy, remain the two favorites, sources say. Sources say Miami, Portland and Orlando recently made inquiries about Jordan as well.
Brad Turner: Doc Rivers on keeping DJ focused with trade rumors swirling: “Listen, DJ is human, just like we all are. I can tell you with DJ, I have talked with him multiple times, because DJ is a very emotional player and I want to just try to keep his head right as much as possible.”
The Bucks have been active in trade talks, including for DeAndre Jordan, and adding another huge long-term salary would likely cost one of their core players this summer. (Talks with the Clippers have not gotten anywhere near serious.) They could rent a center on an expiring contract -- Derrick Favors, maybe -- but it's unclear if they have the assets to work that sort of deal.
The prevailing thought around the NBA is the Bucks would be open to and are pursuing a major player trade and have been linked to the Clippers and DeAndre Jordan. They also continue to be mentioned in NBA circles as having eyes for Miami’s Hassan Whiteside.
The LA Clippers are not planning on tearing down the roster and trading away their best players before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, according to head coach Doc Rivers. "We make this trade and then everyone thinks we're just trading everybody away. That's not true," Rivers said Tuesday when addressing the Griffin trade for the first time publicly.
President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank took a different stance than Rivers and was hesitant to declare the Clippers are finished making further trades, given the team initially had no intention of trading Griffin until talks with the Pistons materialized within the past week.
"You never know," Frank said. "If you were to ask me the question a week ago whether we were going to trade Blake Griffin, the answer would have probably been different than why we're standing here today. You never know how it's going to unfold with the trade deadline looming. There will be a lot of activity, so we'll see how it plays out."
Don’t be surprised if Jordan and hot-scoring guard Lou Williams both obtain change of address cards by the Feb. 8 trade deadline. A source said the Clippers are still open to re-signing the two free-agents-to-be at the right price. To acquire Jordan or Williams, talented young players, talented veterans with short contracts and draft picks would be attractive trade bait.
League sources say that the Clippers are still pursuing deals involving DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams. Packaging an unsavory contract (e.g., Austin Rivers or Danilo Gallinari) along with Williams’s bargain of an expiring deal is a possibility.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Clippers will continue to discuss contracts extensions at the right price, while engaging teams in trade talks on DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams. They'll try to do a hard thing in the NBA: Rebuild on the fly with younger players/picks, without gutting roster.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: Clippers will continue to pursue packages of young players and picks in talks for DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams.
It’s been previously reported that the Cavaliers, Bucks, and Blazers all have interest in DeAndre Jordan. There are also rumblings about a swap with the Heat for Hassan Whiteside, which doesn’t entirely make sense for either side, but is out there nonetheless.
When Jordan hired Schwartz, some league insiders initially thought the decision paved a path to Milwaukee. The Bucks have a history with Excel Sports Management clients: They’ve reached in the draft for both Rashad Vaughn and Thon Maker, and longtime Schwartz client Jason Kidd was the coach. But now that Kidd has been fired and bridges have been burned, Milwaukee is a less viable destination. If he is traded, a team like the Cavaliers or Bucks will have to go all in.
"Whatever they decide to do, they decide to do," Jordan said. "I can't control that. I can only play basketball and that's what I do. My love for the game will be wherever. For me, the most important thing is being wanted and appreciated where you are. And wherever that is, I'm going to be happy. And if it's here, that's amazing. If not, then it's a business sometimes."
Speaking of Jordan, one name that came up in a conversation between members of the Rockets organization and the Clippers in a Jordan deal was Clint Capela, according to sources. Those talks, sources say, went nowhere because of Houston's affinity for Capela.
Marc Stein: The Trail Blazers are among the teams that have tried to engage the Clippers in trade talks for DeAndre Jordan, according to league sources
The Cavs contacted Sacramento about a possible trade for guard George Hill, and the New York Times reported that Cleveland has also engaged the Los Angeles Clippers about DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams. The Times said the Cavs have floated J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, and Iman Shumpert in possible trades -- all of them have been here for each of Cleveland's last three Finals runs and have seen their roles diminish this season for one reason or another. The Cavs are 1-4 in their last five games and privately their marquee players have suggested the team needs a roster upgrade or two. "I like our group,"Tyronn Lue reiterated. "Until we figure out rotations and getting guys healthy and what we have ... I like what we have."
League sources told Cleveland.com weeks ago that the Cavs would consider trading him to the Clippers as a part of a deal to bring DeAndre Jordan to Cleveland. Similar reports resurfaced Friday. "It doesn't bother me at all," Thompson said. "At the end of the day you only control what you can control. That's when coach calls me in the game, go out and play hard and compete. That business side, people get paid to do that stuff. I get paid to be out there on the court and compete and do my job. Guys get paid to make decisions and move pieces around.
"For me, seven years in the league and seeing guys get traded and just understanding the business of basketball, it doesn't faze me at all," he said. "I know what I need to do, just play and be myself."
As teams pick up trade activity before the trade deadline, the Cavaliers are shaping up to be perhaps the most fascinating contending team. They have two first-round draft picks — including the heralded Brooklyn Nets’ selection via the Irving trade — but the superstar player whom the franchise could pursue with that pick has not been made available. Multiple NBA teams have cited Tristan Thompson as an asset Cleveland is willing to move in the right deal, such as one for the Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan.
During an appearance on ESPN’s Outside The Lines, Adrian Wojnarowski said that his sources indicate the Cavs will not move the Brookyln pick for DeAndre Jordan. Their own first round pick, perhaps. But for the Brooklyn pick to be moved it will need to be a player that truly puts the Cavs “over the top,” something Jordan really doesn’t do against the versatile Warriors.
So far, serious offers to Los Angeles have been slow to come. "He's a difference-maker, but I'm not sure anyone thinks he puts you over the top," one GM said.
Add to that DeAndre Jordan’s potential free agency this summer -- he has a player option for next season that would pay him $24.1 million. The sense that everybody is auditioning for their jobs next season is palpable. “With that, it’s a positive, too,” Jordan said last week. “Everybody’s playing for something, playing with a chip on their shoulder. When you’ve got a group of guys like that, it’s great. I don’t know (what’s going to happen). That’s out of my control. I’m just focusing on playing right now and winning as many games as we can, and individually, focusing on being a better player.”
I've heard the Clippers would strongly consider (acquiring Isaiah Thomas for DeAndre Jordan) if the Cavs added the Brooklyn 2018 first-round draft pick that they acquired in the Kyrie Irving. I've heard the Cavs don't plan to trade that pick.
Alex Kennedy: Do you think we see DeAndre Jordan get moved before free agency this upcoming summer? Michael Scotto: I think certainly the Clippers will gauge his value in the trade market. That said, it's funny because around the league you hear conflicting things. I think the people who want DeAndre Jordan are pushing the narrative that the Clippers are trying to get rid of him. I don't necessarily get that vibe if you're the Clippers. Because I've heard from some people, they want to keep DeAndre and make him a Clipper for life with Blake Griffin. So really, it depends who you talk to.
Jordan has a player option worth $24.11 million, and while most insiders don’t believe there will be a very robust free agent market for traditional centers, there is something to the idea of trading in $24.11 million for a multi-year deal. With the Clippers beginning to accept that a rebuild is more than necessary, Jordan’s future with the Clippers is anything but clear, especially with the notion of him expecting a new deal north of $100 million.
Steve Kyler: There has already been some speculation that Jordan could be on the move to the Milwaukee Bucks in a package built around John Henson and possibly Jabari Parker, who is getting closer to returning to action after a second ACL tear. The Cleveland Cavaliers have also been in the mix with an offer built around guard Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson and a first-round pick. It’s been reported that pick was possibly the Brooklyn pick obtained in the Kyrie Irving trade, although sources close to the situation say it was never discussed and that the Cavs were open to moving their own pick in any trade scenarios.
It will be fascinating to watch how they evolve. Milwaukee will investigate DeAndre Jordan, and that is another future version of this team: Antetokounmpo running pick-and-roll with a lob dunker, shooters surrounding them. That would also require something of a stylistic overhaul; Kidd has favored a more egalitarian motion offense, with cuts and handoffs swirling around the elbows. The Bucks can't pay all of Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe, Parker, Middleton, Tony Snell, and Jordan. They almost certainly can't get Jordan without giving up one of their good and expensive rotation guys, anyway. (I would be very surprised if they flipped Parker for Jordan, to be clear.)
After the season, Jordan can opt out of the four-year, $87.6 million deal he signed with the Clippers in 2015. And with the Clippers situated precariously in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, numerous teams have inquired about Jordan's availability as the February trade deadline approaches. Both are scenarios that Jordan, 29, would be ill-suited to navigate without an agent. "It's so hard to know otherwise what's going on," a person who advises several NBA stars told B/R. "I look at it like this: If you play for a team, is the team ever really going to tell you, 'We're trying to trade you?' How do you get a guy to buy in after that?"
"If a team's trying to trade for you, they're going to want some kind of commitment if they're going to give away significant pieces," the adviser said. "How do you do that without an agent involved?" Among the teams "kicking the tires hard" on Jordan's availability in a trade, according to a Western Conference executive, are the Milwaukee Bucks. Having added Bledsoe to a rising young core that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, the Bucks are an intriguing potential destination. According to the Western Conference executive, Milwaukee is intent on adding size and rebounding at the trade deadline. Jordan would provide both, and the Bucks have the pieces to get a deal done. They also have something else that should not be underestimated: head coach Jason Kidd's close ties to Jordan's agent.
The Clippers are listening to all incoming calls about Jordan but not making calls of their own. Their price will be high, as the prospect of re-signing him this summer (when league-wide salary cap space is limited) remains possible in their eyes. The activity could heat up come Dec. 15, the first date on which players who signed new deals last summer can be included in trades.
To Jordan’s credit, he’s receiving rave reviews internally for keeping an upbeat spirit during this challenging time and doing all he can as a locker room leader. “We’ve got to stick with it and find a way to keep this ship afloat while these guys get healthy,” Jordan told USA TODAY Sports. “I’ll let (the front office) handle what they handle. That’s out of my control, so I’ll focus on what I can control. Like I said, I’m happy being here and you know, we’ll see what happens. If they come to me and they want to talk about (a possible trade), we can talk about it, you know? I don’t believe nothing in this league until it happens.”
After two years without an agent, LA Clippers All-Star center DeAndre Jordan has hired new representation with trade discussions and free agency on his immediate horizon, league sources told ESPN. Jordan, 29, has signed with Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, sources said, who will help navigate the processes expected to determine Jordan's future with the Clippers.
The franchise's devastating batch of injuries and an 8-14 start to the season has inspired rival teams to start reaching out to the Clippers front office on the availability of Jordan, league sources told ESPN. The hiring of an agent can be a facilitator for teams wondering whether Jordan would have interest in signing with them long term should they trade significant assets to the Clippers to acquire him.
Jordan’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors for several weeks and, as one might expect, there isn’t a shortage of teams interested in him. According to sources, the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves and Bucks have shown the most interest in Jordan.
