DeAndre Jordan To Meet With Clippers Brass Who Hope To Lure Him Back To Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Clippers are fresh off one of their best seasons in recent memory, finishing with a 56-26 record while claiming the third seed in the Western Conference. The Clippers went on to lose in the second round of the playoffs to the Houston Rockets, but shooting guard J.J. Redick says the team has lost out even bigger in free agency, he told Bleacher Report Radio via ESPN.
“Listen, we had one priority this summer, and that was to re-sign D.J., and we missed out on that. So barring some miracle, [the] makeup of our team is completely different now.
Is there an F-minus?
He was such an integral part of what we did, not just defensively but offensively with his screening, his rolling, his offensive rebounds. His presence down low essentially made teams either commit to the 3-point line when Blake [Griffin] or Chris [Paul] penetrated or commit to him, and that either opened up lobs for him or 3s for guys like me and Jamal [Crawford] and Matt [Barnes].
So he was a huge part of what we did, and missing out and having him leave for Dallas gives us a failing grade.”
Even though Los Angeles has acquired Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson, and Lance Stephenson since the end of the NBA Finals, the team did not retain its top target, DeAndre Jordan, who wound up signing a four-year, $80 million maximum deal with the Dallas Mavericks, as the Inquisitr previously reported.
During the 2014-15 regular season, Jordan lead the league in rebounds at 15.0 per game, while posting 11.5 points to go along with 2.2 blocks. DeAndre was named to the All-Defensive 1st Team.
Now, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Head Coach Doc Rivers are set to meet with Jordan in Houston, with the hopes of getting him to back out of his deal with the Mavs, per Marc Stein.
Story going online now: ESPN sources say Clippers lobbying DeAndre Jordan to reverse his decision to join Dallas and stay in LA with Clips
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 8, 2015
ESPN sources say Blake Griffin has already huddled with DeAndre Jordan on the matter and that Chris Paul could also still join the process
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 8, 2015
ESPN sources say Chris Paul has been pushing hard to change DeAndre Jordan’s mind in recent days and is expected to join today’s meeting — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 8, 2015
ESPN sources say Mavericks owner Mark Cuban arrived in Houston earlier today as Dallas tries to fend off the Clippers’ 11th hour push — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 8, 2015
Here are some immediate reactions from Twitter.
Paul Pierce is expected to be at the meeting with DeAndre Jordan today. (via @DanWoikeSports)
— NBA Legion (@MySportsLegion) July 8, 2015
DeAndre Jordan confidence meter: 12.1% pic.twitter.com/AoIUfYephu
— Ben Rogers (@BenRogers) July 8, 2015
if – and that’s a huge IF – DeAndre Jordan returns to Clips he’ll be biggest hoops villain in DFW since Kiki Vandeweghe….lol
— Jean-Jacques Taylor (@JJT_ESPNDallas) July 8, 2015
Exclusive photo of Blake Griffin outside DeAndre Jordan’s house last night. pic.twitter.com/lONZVl8bdi
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) July 8, 2015
Sources: DeAndre Jordan has told people close to him that he’s “torn” and unsure of his decision to leave LAC for the Mavericks
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 8, 2015
[Photo by Scott Halleran / Getty Images]
