DeAndre Jordan might not exactly call it a revenge game, but he certainly showed the Cleveland Cavaliers what they’re missing out on Friday night. The Los Angeles Clippers forward had 20 points and a whopping 23 rebounds in a 116-102 win over the Cavs on a night where many Cleveland fans were left to wonder what could have been.
That’s because Jordan was a constant source of trade speculation for the Cavaliers for much of this season. Many expected Cleveland to swing a trade for Jordan, especially after the team essentially blew things up and traded Blake Griffin to Detroit.
But despite a lot of talk, and a late push by the Toronto Raptors, Jordan remained with the Clippers and faces an uncertain free agency this summer. Friday night’s performance against the Cavs could be billed as a game where Jordan was motivated to show the Cavs what they missed out on, but LeBron James didn’t view it like that.
James told Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon that he’s not thinking about possible Jordan trades and what could have been.
“I don’t play fantasy basketball,” James said. “I knew the conversations were going on from the outside. I seen it. If it would have happened it would have gave us a boost but it didn’t happen so you move on.”
And it’s not like the Cavaliers stood pat at the deadline and trudged along with the mess they had. Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman made a number of moves, including with the other Los Angeles team to bring in Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. The Cavs aren’t on any epic winning streaks like some other NBA teams, but they’re definitely improved from where they were last month.
Jordan had his night against the Cavs, and they might not be the current favorites for a title, but it doesn’t seem like trading for him was going to do that, anyway.
