DeAndre Jordan’s decision made Richard Jefferson join Cavaliers
By Tom West
If it wasn’t for DeAndre Jordan’s decision to avoid the Dallas Mavericks and stay with the Los Angeles Clippers last year in free agency, Richard Jefferson wouldn’t have joined the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 2016 NBA Finals have ended in a way that no one, besides a relentlessly competitive and hungry LeBron James-led team, could have anticipated. The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from 3-1 down in the Finals (becoming the first team in history to do so) against none other than the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, now a footnote in the books as the best regular season team in history who didn’t finish correctly with a championship.
Believe it or not, in a small way, DeAndre Jordan‘s decision to return to the Los Angeles Clippers and leave his verbal commitment to the Dallas Mavericks played a part.
Without that change of heart, Richard Jefferson, who ended up playing a vital role for the Cavs through the playoffs and the Finals in particular, would have been sitting in Dallas in regret, not reclining in championship-filled retirement in Cleveland.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported in an excellent column on LeBron and the Cavs that it was Jordan’s change of heart that caused a small chain reaction for Cleveland. After committing to the Mavs himself, Jefferson decided he couldn’t go to Dallas for a little more money in a worse, Jordan-less situation if the Cavs were heading back to the NBA Finals:
"The only reason he was in this locker room was because DeAndre Jordan had changed his mind about signing with the Dallas Mavericks over the summer. Jefferson had committed to the Mavs, thinking he’d be teaming up with Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews. He was undergoing a physical in Dallas when he started getting wind that Jordan was having second thoughts."
Then, Shelburne included Jefferson’s account of his decision:
"“When it went sour, I called my agent and was like, ‘I can’t go there,'” Jefferson said. “And he was like, ‘Richard, now is not the time to tell them that you can’t go there either.’ So we let it wait a couple weeks. There was a conversation about maybe offering me some more money. I was like, ‘Look, if Cleveland goes to the Finals and I stay in Dallas for a little more money, I’ll kill myself.'”"
So, not only did Jordan’s decision save the Clippers’ interior defense and presence on the boards, it gave the Cavs one of their most valued veterans.
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Richard Jefferson was far more than a done-for 36-year-old who tagged on the end of the Cavs’ bench for an easy ring. He didn’t score too much, but maintained his threat as a three-point shooter, and generally did everything you could want from a wily, intelligent veteran.
Over the Finals, Jefferson averaged an impressive 5.3 rebounds (1.7 offensive) and 1.3 steals in 24 minutes per game, yet his importance really came down to his smart defense and importance in the Cavs’ smaller lineups whenever Kevin Love was off the floor. Jefferson was a partner for LeBron on the wing that everyone grew to respect and love even more over a remarkable comeback for the ages.
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At last, Jefferson can retire with his first championship after so many near misses and the Clippers have their All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team center. DeAndre Jordan’s decision worked out best for both players and both teams.