NBA Rumors: Bucks to pursue Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan
By Tom West
Jan 27, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) dunks as Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) defends during the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
DeAndre Jordan’s future with the Los Angeles Clippers isn’t set in stone until he’s resigned, and now it’s reported that the Milwaukee Bucks are another team that are interested in trying to pry him away from L.A..
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The Clippers are extremely limited in terms of cap space (they currently have around just $5 million available) but as Doc Rivers has said, they are intent on resigning DeAndre Jordan with a max contract. He led the league in rebounding for the second consecutive season with 15 per game, and made the NBA All-Defensive First team for the first time in his career. He’s too important to the Clippers’ defense and will be extremely hard to replace. Now, however, the Bucks could be joining the Dallas Mavericks as another team to try and tempt him away.
As has been highlighted by Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Bucks have been making adjustments this offseason to create a great deal of extra finances. Since trading Ersan Ilyasova for the cheaper contracts of Caron Butler and Shawne Williams, Milwaukee have potentially freed up close to $23 million in cap space. With that kind of money, they can play a serious role in this summer’s NBA free agency.
Stein has said that the Bucks are already interested in former All-Star centers Brook Lopez and Tyson Chandler, as Milwaukee head coach Jason Kidd already has an established relationship with both of them. He played with Chandler with the New York Knicks and Mavericks, and coached Lopez during his time with the Brooklyn Nets.
Furthermore, Stein has reported that the Bucks are interested in a far more athletic center, DeAndre Jordan:
"“Sources say that the Bucks would likewise be willing to jump into the DeAndre Jordan sweepstakes if they thought they had a reasonable shot at prying him away from Hollywood, but the incumbent Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks are widely regarded as the early co-favorites for Jordan.”"
Whilst Lopez would provide a low-post offensive option to help the Bucks (who ranked just 25th in offensive efficiency this year) the likes of Chandler or Jordan would improve their already lengthy, defensive minded squad. Even though they’ve lost Larry Sanders due to retirement, Milwaukee still features the likes of Michael Carter-Williams, Jabari Parker, John Henson, Miles Plumlee, Zaza Pachulia, and the Greek Freak himself, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Apr 12, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard O.J. Mayo (00), forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34), guard Khris Middleton (22), and center John Henson (31) react after the Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 96-73 to clinch a playoff spot at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Essentially, they are armed with countless weapons who possess great size and length, which is the key reason why they were able to rank 2nd in defensive efficiency this season, surrendering a mere 99.3 points per 100 possessions. They consistently limited opponent’s chances in the paint and can bother anyone with their imposing defense.
So, do the Bucks have a good chance or luring Jordan away from the Clippers?
Considering the fact that Doc Rivers has already said he wants to focus on keeping the Clippers’ core together and that he’s confident Jordan will be resigned (read more here), it seems unlikely that the Bucks — or anyone else — have a strong chance.
The Clippers know how important Jordan’s defense is to them, and they won’t let him go easily at all. That being said, the Bucks entering the mix of teams who are in the hunt for DeAndre at least adds some more excitement to this summer.