Mavericks “optimistic” they can lure DeAndre Jordan from Clippers
By Tom West
Mar 27, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) stands on the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Clippers won 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
For the sake of the Los Angeles Clippers, hopefully this isn’t the case. But since meeting with DeAndre Jordan yesterday, the Dallas Mavericks are feeling even more confident that they may be able to lure him away from Los Angeles.
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They’ve now officially lost their starting center Tyson Chandler to the Phoenix Suns, and their need for DeAndre Jordan has only increased. And for the Clippers, a potential sign-and-trade that would give them Chandler if Jordan was to sign with the Mavericks, is obviously now off the the table. Which means that with another potential replacement for Jordan out of play, the Clippers’ options are depleting.
The highly sought after center has now had his meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers as well, although according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times, their presentation to Jordan was “somewhat underwhelming”.
So, with another team possibly ruled out of his decision, the Mavericks’ chances to sign DeAndre Jordan have increased.
Source says Mavs' meeting with DeAndre Jordan "went really well," per source. Of course, they all do. But Mavs are cautiously optimistic.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2015
Dallas’ meeting with him reportedly lasted for about four and a half hours, which can only be a positive sign for them if they kept Jordan in a pitch for that long. Whether they swayed his decision towards them over the Clippers is obviously uncertain, but sources close to the situation believe that his mind is equally split between both teams now.
Rising concern tonight in Clipperland about DeAndre Jordan bolting. They were confident until today, now feel it's "50-50"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2015
As we head into the second day of free agency, the top two targets for the Mavericks are still believed to be shooting guard Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan. And now that Tyson Chandler has gone and Chandler Parsons is heavily recruiting Jordan, it’s clear that the Clippers’ star is their upmost priority.
I believe this is the fifth straight night that Chandler Parsons dined with DeAndre Jordan.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2015
The Clippers will meet with Jordan today, although it’s possible he won’t announce his decision for another few days so he can mull over his options. However, there is a new factor that may encourage him to stay in Los Angeles: the signing of Paul Pierce.
He gives the Clippers a new mental edge, battle tested leadership and clutch ability with games on the line. The Truth just has the kind of intangibles that they need to have a better chance of going deep into the playoffs, which is hardly the position the Mavericks are in.
The legend that is Dirk Nowitzki cannot play forever, they’ll be without a quality starting point guard if Rajon Rondo leaves (but that experiment never worked anyway), their leading scorer Monta Ellis has opted out of his contract, and they were only able to win one playoff game this season.
It’s becoming more and more apparent that DeAndre Jordan wants to be an integral part of a team on both defense and offense. But if moving to a team where he can have that role takes away his chance to win a championship, is it worth it? That’s for him to decide. But hopefully for the Clippers, he’ll choose contention over personal performance and stay in Los Angeles.
Next: Could Gerald Green be a great signing for the Clippers?