Upon opting to not trigger his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers, DeAndre Jordan immediately became one of the most prized big man options on the board in free agency. While DeMarcus Cousins is viewed as the jewel of the centers that teams can get this summer, Jordan is great option for any teams in win-now mode that have a hole in the frontcourt and doesn’t carry the same injury concerns.
The Dallas Mavericks must believe they’re in a position to win right now, as they’ve apparently won the sweepstakes for Jordan’s signature this summer. News of Jordan’s decision to join the team comes via Marc Stein of The New York Times, who reported late Saturday night that the two parties were scheduled to meet shortly after midnight to hammer out a deal.
DeAndre Jordan and the Dallas Mavericks have scheduled a 12:01 a.m. meeting to immediately launch into free-agent negotiations and are expected to quickly reach terms on a new deal tonight, according to league sources.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2018
While the NBA is moving away from players like him, Jordan was the anchor down low for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He didn’t block shots at an especially high rate, but he was a beast on the glass, averaging 15.2 boards a night, the second-best mark in the league. Additionally, Jordan is still an efficient scorer as he was second in the league in effective field goal percentage, marking the first time since the 2011-12 campaign that he did not lead the NBA in that statistic.
The deal for Jordan is apparently almost the exact same as the player option he declined to pick up with the Clippers, as Stein reported he was taking a one-year deal in Dallas.
DeAndre Jordan and the Dallas Mavericks have verbally agreed on a one-year deal approaching the $24.1 million option with the Clippers for next season that Jordan relinquished Friday, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2018
