NBA Rumors: DeAndre Jordan To Washington? Wizards Emerge As Top Trade Destination For All-Star Center
Rumors and speculations are swirling around the Los Angeles Clippers who are reportedly trading center DeAndre Jordan if they underperform this season. Should the Washington Wizards bring Jordan in the East?
DeAndre Jordan has been frequently mentioned in various trade rumors in the past months. It started when the Clippers traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, creating the belief that they could be planning to undergo a full-scale rebuild. However, the predictions went wrong after the Clippers gave Blake Griffin a five-year, $173 million deal.
In late September, Broderick Turner of Los Angeles Times reported that Jordan and the Clippers were having a conversation about a contract extension. However, with no deal in place, Zach Lowe of ESPN believes the Clippers will trade DeAndre Jordan if they don’t perform well this season.
As most people think, it will be best for the Clippers to move him before February trade deadline than lose him next summer without getting anything in return. Lowe sees the Washington Wizards as the top trade destination for the All-Star center.
“The most tantalizing candidate: the Wizards. Let’s build Lob City, East! Washington could offer Marcin Gortat, Kelly Oubre, Jason Smith, and at least one unprotected first-round pick. Want to simplify? Just send Otto Porter for Jordan (and one teensy salary) once Porter becomes trade eligible in January.”
In The Crossover‘s Open Floor Podcast, Andrew Sharp and Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated discussed the potential departure of DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles. Sharp believes that the Clippers should consider trading Jordan, especially if they don’t plan on paying him next summer. Golliver said that Jordan and the Washington Wizards are a “dream fit.”
Having an All-Star center like Jordan will make the Wizards a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. This will give them a better chance of defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven series. In the past years, the Wizards have been targeting multiple superstars in the free agency market who can play alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Unfortunately, most of them don’t see Washington as an attractive free agency destination. If the Wizards will consider trading for Jordan, they should expect him to demand a huge payday next summer. Being buried deep in the salary tax hell is really a major concern for the Wizards. However, if the “Big Three” of Jordan, Wall, and Beal can bring them back to the NBA Finals, it’s a risk the Wizards should take.
[Featured Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]
