NBA Trade Rumors: OKC Thunder Could Swap Steven Adams For DeAndre Jordan, According To Analyst

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the busiest teams this offseason where they managed to land two superstars who will play alongside Russell Westbrook. However, there are speculations that they’re not done yet in upgrading their roster and the latest NBA rumors suggest that the Thunder could swap Steven Adams for DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers.

With the acquisition of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, the Thunder suddenly became a legitimate title contender in the upcoming 2017-18 NBA season. Most people believe that the Russell Westbrook-led squad now has a better chance of defeating the Golden State Warriors and other powerhouse teams in the league.

In the past months, rumors continue to swirl around the Los Angeles Clippers who are reportedly shopping center DeAndre Jordan. According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Clippers will be trading Jordan if they underperform this season. Lowe sees the Thunder as one of the potential trade destinations for Jordan.

In a suggested trade scenario, the Thunder could trade Steven Adams to the Clippers in exchange for DeAndre Jordan. This trade works in the ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. If this becomes a reality, the deal will be a win-win situation for the Thunder and the Clippers.

As Lowe noted, DeAndre Jordan will be eligible for a maximum salary of $35 million in 2018 free agency. If the Clippers are not willing to pay Jordan, they could flip his expiring contract into a younger center, whose contract won’t expire until 2021. Meanwhile, acquiring Jordan will undeniably strengthen the Thunder’s chance of dominating the deep Western Conference this season.

Though he has the same skillset as Steven Adams, Jordan is obviously the better center. In 81 games last season, Jordan averaged 12.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on 71.4 percent shooting from the field. The idea of playing alongside three NBA All-Stars may convince Jordan to stay in OKC.

Also, if they manage to at least enter the Western Conference Finals, Jordan may consider giving the Thunder a huge discount in free agency. As of now, the Clippers aren’t expected to trade Jordan anytime soon. However, if they suffer another disappointing season, expect Jordan to be available on the trading block.

[Featured Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]