Here’s a fun scenario to mull over while you await free agency. According to Tim McMahon of ESPN Dallas, the Mavericks’ front office has internally discussed a scenario where they’d engage in sign-and-trade talks with the Los Angeles Clippers surrounding Tyson Chandler if Clippers center DeAndre Jordan decides to sign with the Mavericks in free agency.
"A sign-and-trade swap of the centers, which has been mentioned in Mavs front-office offseason brainstorming sessions, would make a lot of sense for all of the involved parties."
Given the Clippers’ cap scenario, the hypothetical swap would be the easiest way for the franchise to remain in championship contention after losing their prized free agent center.
The Smoking Cuban
In regards to style of play, the two centers are similar — many believe Jordan could grow into a prime Tyson Chandler-esque defensive anchor mid-way through his upcoming contract. At this point in their careers, the two players are close in regards to evaluating whose the better player. While Jordan is the superior rebounder (averaged 15 rebounds to Tyson’s 11.5), Chandler has a case for being the better defender, though Jordan is right on his tail. Per Seth Partnow of Nylon Calculus’ rim-protection metric, Chandler rated above Jordan, clocking 0.82 points saved per-36 minutes in comparison to .18. Chandler also rated above Jordan in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus stats, ranking 5th among centers in 2014-15 at 3.55 as Jordan ranked 15th at 2.28.
Not to mention, if you’re a believer if the quarrels that existed between Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, the moral of the team will improve as Chandler and Paul are noted friends. “I’m missing a great friend,” Paul said when Chandler was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Emeka Okafor in 2009 . “A brother. TC was my man. Not just during the basketball season; his wife, his kids, his in-laws, he was somebody I could talk to about anything and he made me a better player.”
Where Jordan has the edge over Chandler is health — while Chandler has dealt with nagging injuries over the last few years, Jordan has gone unscathed, having not missed a game since the 2010-11 NBA season.
Chandler isn’t the only veteran the Clippers would receive in the swap. McMahon stated the Mavericks would attempt to force Raymond Felton onto the Clippers if a deal is reached between the two teams:
"Dallas would insist that the Clippers also take reserve point guard Raymond Felton, who was the Tyson Tax in last summer’s trade with the New York Knicks. Felton earned a lot of respect from the Mavs with his approach last season, when the longtime starter stayed ready despite playing sparingly, but they’d still like to dump his $3.9 million salary after he officially exercises his player option for next season."
With Felton in the picture, it’d mean current backup point guard Austin Rivers would go unsigned unless the Clippers could find an immediate trade partner to take on Felton’s expiring salary.
It’s no secret Dallas is high on the list of teams that could woo Jordan away from the Clippers. But what separates Dallas from the remaining threats is the sign-and-trade ability to keep the team afloat in the Western Conference.
We’ll see when free agency rolls around.
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