Just two short years ago the Los Angeles Clippers mounted up and made a courageous effort to lobby DeAndre Jordan to re-sign with them and flip from his verbal commitment to the Dallas Mavericks. The efforts worked, but despite Jordan’s commitment to the Clippers, the team may now be prepared to let the center go.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes reports that the Clippers have explored trade talks involving Jordan. Haynes says the team talked with the Phoenix Suns about a swap involving Jordan for Tyson Chandler and Phoenix’s No. 4 pick in the draft. The Suns are believed to have declined.
The Clippers are at a major juncture in their franchise’s future. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and JJ Redick could all leave in free agency. All the while the team doesn’t have any picks in the upcoming draft.
Should some of their core pieces leave, the Clippers might decide to flip Jordan in an effort to rebuild or re-stock. Of if the team is able to re-sign CP3 and Griffin, they could pursue LeBron James or Paul George in free agency, thus making Jordan expendable. The center is owed $46 million over the next two seasons but has a player option for the second season.
