The departure of DeAndre Jordan in the Los Angeles Clippers is inevitable, especially now that the players, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, who persuaded him to stay in Lob City are playing for different teams. Jordan is expected to decline his 2018 player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Will the Dallas Mavericks pursue the All-Star center again in free agency?
DeAndre Jordan was one of the most coveted superstars in the 2015 offseason. Days after the free agency started, he verbally agreed to sign a four-year, $80 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks. However, Jordan had changed his mind and re-signed with the Clippers. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin played a major role in convincing him to remain as a Clipper.
They made Jordan believe that they can win multiple NBA championship titles. The “Big Three” somewhat made the Clippers one of the best teams in the Western Conference but not a legitimate title contender. During the time they played together, their only greatest achievement was reaching the Western Conference Semifinals.
Now that Paul is playing for the Houston Rockets and Griffin for the Detroit Pistons, there is no longer reason for Jordan to stay in Los Angeles. Also, it’s very unlikely that the Clippers will spend a huge amount of money for a traditional center who’s already on the downside of his career.
Once DeAndre Jordan becomes available in the free agency market, several NBA teams who need to boost their frontcourt could express interest in adding him to their team. According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report , the Mavericks may revisit their interest in signing the All-Star center. Hughes predicted the Mavericks to offer a two-year deal worth $40 million to Jordan in free agency.
“They’re still a weird mix of vets and young players, and Jordan would be a fine pick-and-roll partner for Dennis Smith Jr., taking pressure off the point guard by drawing attention as he rumbles down the lane. Let’s call it a two-year deal worth $40 million. That ought to be enough to justify him opting out of the final year and $24.1 million left on his contract.”
The Mavericks are obviously tanking in the 2017-18 NBA season in order to acquire another talented player in the loaded 2018 NBA draft. According to ESPN , Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said that it’s the best option for his team for the remainder of the season. Cuban’s statement didn’t sound well for Dirk Nowitzki. It also resulted for the NBA to slap him with a $600,000 fine.
As of now, it remains questionable how they can convince DeAndre Jordan and other superstar free agents to sign with their team. If he declines his player option and leaves the Clippers, Jordan, 29, will surely choose to play for a team who has a higher chance of contending for the title next season.
