Kobe Bryant Called DeAndre Jordan To Pitch Him On Signing With The Lakers

DeAndre Jordan might very well leave the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency this summer. And if Kobe Bryant gets his wish, the high-flying big man will simply trade one Staples Center locker room for another.

According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Bryant called Jordan recently and made a brief recruiting pitch to his long-time L.A. counterpart.

Jordan has gotten a call from Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the officials said. Bryant wanted Jordan to know the Lakers are interested.

The Times also reports that Jordan will meet with the Lakers’ front-office brass on Wednesday, sandwiched in between sessions with the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks. Doc Rivers and company are scheduled to sit down with their star 24 hours later.

That Jordan will explore free agency is no surprise; it’s been assumed for months. What further and unexpectedly compromises the Clippers’ biggest advantage compared to their peers, though, is a report from ESPN’s Chris Broussard that the 26-year-old is only seeking a four-year contract.

As his incumbent team, the Clippers are the lone franchise capable of offering Jordan an extra season of max-level salary with a five-year deal. Due to the imminent cap boom in advance of both 2015-16 and 2016-17, though, it appears the First Team All-Defense honoree wants to cash in with another mammoth contract before he’s reached the wrong side of 30 years old.

Free agency begins Wednesday at midnight EST. Just a couple days later, we’ll surely have a far better grasp of where Jordan might be playing next season and beyond.

(Via Los Angeles Times, via Chris Broussard)

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