With the blockbuster trade being finalized, a reunion between DeAndre Jordan and the LA Clippers now seems even more likely.
The LA Clippers are (pun intended) short at the center position after losing Boban Marjanovic in Tuesday night’s blockbuster deal that sent him along with Tobias Harris and Mike Scott to Philadelphia. With the departure of the big man, the Clips will need to address a position that has already been problematic for most of the season.
Enter DeAndre Jordan. It is possible that he could be bought out by the New York Knicks after Thursday’s trade deadline passes. If he is, the Clippers may very well need to snag him.
Jordan would offer the Clippers center depth and would fill the team biggest needs – rebounding and interior defense – while coming in on a minimum contract.
We covered this in detail a little earlier in the week, but at that time the Clips still did have three centers on the roster. Yes, Angel Delgado is on a two-way contract and has been absolutely killing it in the G League, but he has yet to be called up to the team’s roster.
DJ may need a brief reunion in LA to help build himself some value after a lackluster season thus far. He is on the wrong side of thirty at this point and could be looking for one more payday.
While he would be a team that likely won’t make the playoffs at this point, he could do enough individually to earn some money.
This may not even be able to happen though. According to recent report from Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks may be buying out Enes Kanter instead. While he wouldn’t be a bad pickup for some interior scoring, he doesn’t really address any needs outside of depth.
Should DeAndre not be a candidate, I feel the team would be better off seeing what they have in Harrell, Johnathan Motley and Delgado. Marcin Gortat can continue to start with the trio of young guys sharing minutes off the bench.
The trade deadline may be tomorrow, but the next couple of days will remain interesting as teams continue to tweak their rosters.