The Clippers traveling to Houston in order to re-recruit DeAndre Jordan and convince him to re-sign with the team appears to be a response to the center reaching out to them after having cold feet about choosing the Dallas Mavericks.
Jordan met with a handful of teams in free agency, including the Clippers, who drafted him and for whom he has played his entire career. The word was that he had selected the Mavs and was going to sign a 4-year, $80 million deal with them, but things have changed.
All reports indicate that Jordan called Clippers coach/GM Doc Rivers to tell him he was having second thoughts about choosing the Mavericks:
Source close to #Clippers tells me that DJ reached out to Doc Monday night saying that he made a mistake, which triggered chain of events
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
Sources: Clips responded to Jordan expressing doubt on decision. Griffin, Redick may be in Houston w/ Doc today. Dallas fortifying response.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 8, 2015
The Clippers are going all out, but I'm told it's not a one-way street. They're doing this because Jordan was and is having second thoughts.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 8, 2015
League executive confirms @ramonashelburne report that DeAndre Jordan reached out to Doc Rivers on Monday night, expressing second thoughts.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) July 8, 2015
Like I said, this started Monday with DJ having second thoughts and CALLING Doc Rivers.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 8, 2015
The result was Rivers mobilizing the Clippers’ players to get to Houston to show Jordan the love and convince him to stay with the team.
ESPN anchor Michael Eaves, who used to be a TV host in Los Angeles, gives some more background to Jordan’s mentality:
Source tells me that once the attention was off DJ, he was able to sit back and see big picture. Realized then that LA was best option.
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
Not only were #Clippers the team that drafted and developed him, but roster gave him best chance to win title. Mavs pieces aren’t as good.
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
Another source tells me that since DJ had agreed to sign with #Mavs, he hadn’t heard anything from the team before he called Doc on Monday.
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
Source says that DJ has been emotionally tormented by this decision. A video commissioned by team had him crying during initial meeting.
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
One issue that didn’t help #Clippers initial meeting though was Doc not having an answer when DJ asked him about getting plays drawn for him
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
