Report: LA Clippers explored DeAndre Jordan trade last season

According to Zach Lowe, the LA Clippers explored trades involving All-Star center DeAndre Jordan last season – most notably a swap for Houston’s Clint Capela.

The World Series is going strong right now, so we suppose it’s the perfect time for a curveball.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the LA Clippers had a deal in mind that would send DeAndre Jordan to the Houston Rockets. In return, Houston would send Clint Capela, picks, and a few other players. The deal was proposed before last season’s trade deadline, but it fell apart soon after.

Jordan, a Houston native, likely would’ve been a great fit with the Rockets – and it makes you wonder even more about the deal that sent Chris Paul to H-Town. Would it still have gone down? Would the Clippers have progressed further in the playoffs with Capela and others?

Luckily for Clippers fans, this isn’t something we really need to worry about any longer. Jordan is safe in LA, and will likely re-sign at the end of the season for the max. He’s also a big reason why the Clippers are still able to contend.

Jordan, Blake Griffin, and Danilo Gallinari make up one of the league’s best frontcourts. Griffin has looked especially strong and is a potential MVP candidate, coupled by Jordan’s league-leading 17.4 rebounds per game. And although Gallo hasn’t looked fantastic, he’s sure to catch fire soon.

This is purely speculation, but this could be among the reasons why Doc Rivers was demoted from his GM position. Trading Jordan for a lesser big would’ve hurt the team more than it would’ve helped, and it’s possible that the rest of the front office wasn’t on board.

Would you have said yes to the deal? How vital do you feel Jordan is to the Clippers? Let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned for more information.