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Michael Owen Baker / Associated Press
Apart from LeBron James and Paul George, there is probably no more influential free agent on the market this summer that DeAndre Jordan, who on Friday denied $ 24.1 player option with the Los Angeles Clippers and will exit on the open market at 0:01 ET on Sunday.
In the wake of the Tuesday Clippers transaction from Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards for center Marcin Gortat, it seems all but certain that Jordan will play elsewhere next season. There is one team that seems to be most likely to sign the center of the stars. But he has plenty of options on the table, and there are several franchises that could make sense as landing points.
Dallas Mavericks
Three summers after the infamous Emoji war in which Jordan gave up an agreement to sign with Dallas to return to the Clippers, the Mavericks seem to be the big favorites To land on As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported Friday, the Clippers and Mavericks have had conversations about Jordan's commercial packages before making his decision to withdraw, but they do not. Did not manage to hear
. a free agent, the path is clear for him to finally join the Mavericks. Dallas can open up to $ 30 million in ceiling space, which will be more than enough to sign Jordan, and it fills a clear need on their rim protector list.
Harry How / Getty Images
Jordan fits perfectly into a Mavs team that seeks to become competitive again after two seasons in the lottery. He has tremendous potential as a pick-and-roll partner for 2018 back-up Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr., and his defensive prowess inside can complement Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews on the # 39; wing. Many things can change before Sunday, but at this point, it would be a surprise if Jordan ended somewhere else than in Dallas.
Los Angeles Lakers
If Jordan is not going to Dallas, the Lakers are another team known to be the big hunt this summer. Their ideal scenario, of course, would be to trade for Kawhi Leonard and sign George and James as free agents, but if that does not work, Jordan could be a good fallback option.
With Brook Lopez ready to hit agency and the future of Julius Randle in the air as a restricted free agent, the Lakers are weak in the front. Even if they land James, a Leonard business could fall, or George could sign back to Oklahoma City.
There are scenarios in which a pursuit of Jordan could make sense, with or without another superstar in the fold. This is especially true in light of the statement made to the media by Lakers President Magic Johnson earlier this week that he will resign if the team does not land a big name over the course of two years. next summers.
Houston Rockets
Any interest in Rockets in Jordan depends on what happens with the limited free agency Clint Capela. It is generally believed that Houston will match any offer sheet for the big Swiss man of 24, but with Chris Paul for a maximum extension that could be worth $ 200 million over five years, matching a maximum bid sheet for Capela
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
With solid experience in longevity Jordan, who will be 30 by the end of July, fits perfectly into the timeline of the Rockets' victories. with Paul and James Harden, while Capela fits the timeline of the Clippers team that seems to be ready to go younger and build for the future. Jordan, from Houston, also played with Paul for six seasons in Los Angeles
. A signing exchange sending Jordan to Houston and Capela to the Clippers would be an intriguing option for both teams to watch if Jordan's talks with the Mavericks fall through.
Cleveland Cavaliers
If James decides to re-sign to Cleveland, the Cavs will have to make moves to improve their alignment and avoid another sweep of the NBA Finals like the one that the team just suffered at the hands of Golden State Warriors. The Cavs have a lot of contracts that they could include in a sign-and-trade for salary matching purposes, with the overall pick No. 8 Collin Sexton.
In a long-term perspective, still mortgage the future for a win -But a player like Jordan is not the wisest. But if James stays, there is no reason to believe that his perspective will change to want to have the best chance of winning as much as he can while he is close to his golden age.
There will not be many real-impact players available for the Cavs cap-out unless they put Kevin Love on the table, but Jordan would be an intriguing target as they try to stay in. contention. Love and Tristan Thompson have sometimes struggled in the center confrontations, and Jordan could cover their weaknesses at the post.
Portland Trail Blazers
Blazers Basketball Operations President Neil Olshey allegedly attempted to trade for Jordan- which he had drafted in 2008, while he was Deputy General Manager of Clippers. January, per Marc Stein of New York Times . His longevity and consistency make him an upgrade in the midst of free referee Jusuf Nurkic, and he would be a good choice alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
With the heavy contracts of Evan Turner ($ 36.5 million) Meyers Leonard ($ 21.9 million) for two more seasons, Portland has limited options to improve in the near term but must upgrade in the next three years before Lillard and McCollum become free agencies.
interested in a sign-and-trade built around Nurkic's 23-year-old, with actors on fair contracts like Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless, Jordan would represent a significant improvement for Portland.
Golden State Warriors
Ryan Kang / Associated Press
Friday Night, Stein reports that the defending champions will explore the possibility of adding Jordan to the list. It's a long shot, since Jordan should take a massive pay cut to join the Warriors. All they can offer it, it's the exception of the middle tier of taxpayers, which starts at just $ 5.3 million, which is far from the near-max offers that's up to $ 5 million. he will probably receive other teams.
There is a bit of history between Jordan and Warriors, as Stein noted. He is a close friend of Kevin Durant and was formerly represented by Bob Myers, General Manager of Dubs. In addition, Jordan has signed a $ 43 million bidding sheet with Golden State before the 2011-12 season, which the Clippers have matched.
With the Warriors, Jordan would take the vast majority of minutes that JaVale McGee and Kevon Looney received both last season, a clear update. If the center favors victory above all else, signing up with Golden State would be his best option. But the big difference in the amount of money that other contenders can offer makes it an unlikely scenario.
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