DeAndre Jordan seemed destined to be the next Los Angeles Clipper mainstay to leave town as the NBA trade deadline approached. Instead, after watching Chris Paul bounce to the Houston Rockets over the summer and Blake Griffin get traded to the Detroit Pistons in February, Jordan was the one who stayed in Los Angeles past the February deadline.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a flurry of deadline moves, the Clippers reportedly believed they were close on a deal to trade Jordan and the Cavaliers even apparently had ownership approval to acquire him.
Despite rumors of being sent out of town, Jordan is ready to commit to the Clippers beyond just next season, where he currently holds a player option as the only year remaining on his four-year, $87 million deal.
“I’m here and that’s what I’m focused on,” Jordan told Yahoo Sports. “I’m excited. Like I told somebody the other day, I hope I can play another 10 years here. That’s what I’m focused on now.”
The 2008 second-round pick our of Texas A&M played the first seven years of his career with the Clippers before hitting free agency. He was reportedly on the verge of inking a four-year, $80 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks before teammates and officials traveled to his home and persuaded him to return to Los Angeles.
Jordan will play out this season, then he’ll have a serious decision to make during the offseason, likely with a clearer picture of what’s on the horizon in LA.
Jordan has started 616 games over his 10-year NBA career. He’s averaging 11.6 points and 14.9 rebounds per game this year with the Clippers.
