DeAndre Jordan becoming the top target for the Dallas Mavericks is one of the developing NBA rumors circulating in what will be a busy weekend in the NBA. The Mavericks have a huge need at center and Jordan sits as one of the best at the position in NBA free agency.
DeAndre Jordan officially became a free agent after he decided to opt out of the final year of his Los Angeles Clippers’ contract, according to CBS Sports. Jordan has accepted the idea of walking away from the $24.1 million he was set to earn next season. Jordan will seek a long-term contract with more security. That contract is likely to be a deal of three or four years.
NBA teams will officially have the opportunity to recruit NBA free agents on July 1. Players who come to terms on contractual agreements can sign on July 6 when the NBA’s moratorium lifts. The Mavericks are hoping to have a tentative agreement with DeAndre Jordan in place by then.
DeAndre Jordan will have a choice of suitors vying for his services. NBA teams which still employ a traditional center will likely view Jordan as a sufficient option. Jordan is somewhat of hybrid center given the way the NBA game has changed. He is versatile on the defensive end.
Sources on ESPN: Clippers center DeAndre Jordan opted-out of his $24.1M contract for next season, sending him toward Dallas in free agency. https://t.co/obF5aQORbm
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2018
The only element that DeAndre Jordan does not have in his game is a reliable outside shot. Placed in the right system, however, he can develop a mid-range jumper.
According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, DeAndre Jordan siging with the Mavericks appears imminent. If the NBA rumors come to fruition about Jordan landing with the Mavericks, he will in a system that will allow him to grow.
Going after DeAndre Jordan for the second time in three seasons should be a charm for the Dallas Mavericks. During the 2015 NBA offseason, the Mavericks had a verbal agreement in place to sign Jordan. However, after a long conversation with then-Clippers’ teammate Chris Paul, Jordan had a change of heart and re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, as reported by SB Nation.
All signs are pointing to the Mavericks being unflinching when it comes to their desire to add DeAndre Jordan in NBA free agency. The Mavericks are expected to go all in for Jordan on July 1. Signing him will drastically change the Mavericks going into next season.
The Mavericks will be on the way back to title contention with the signing of DeAndre Jordan. Putting Jordan in the starting lineup with Dennis Smith, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, and Luka Doncic makes the Mavericks a formidable group. Having aging superstar Dirk Nowitzki as a sixth-man gives them firepower coming off the bench.
The biggest tweak that the Mavericks can take advantage of is playing small ball. DeAndre Jordan runs the floor well for a center. He is also one of the best defenders in the NBA. If the Mavericks are successful in signing him, most of their ails will be solved.
The Los Angeles Clippers were proactive regarding DeAndre Jordan and his pending NBA free agency. Fearing the thought of losing Jordan in free agency, the Clippers traded for center Marcin Gortat, ESPN has reported. Gortat gives the Clippers a quality center, allowing them to let DeAndre Jordan walk.