With the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs winning Game 5 at the Staples Center on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers are on the verge of elimination heading into Game 6 back in Texas.
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If the Spurs come out on top against Chris Paul and company in Game 6, the Clippers will go back to Los Angeles empty handed once again with a lot of questions concerning the immediate future of the franchise. One of those questions will be whether the team will be able to re-sign pending free agent DeAndre Jordan this summer.
Although no one is counting out the Clippers as suitors for Jordan in free agency, the Dallas Mavericks may pose a serious threat to land him, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon:
Another potential prize summer target for the Mavs: Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, who multiple sources say has made it clear through back channels that he will be extremely interested in coming to Dallas. Signing the 26-year-old Jordan, a dominant physical force who led the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage this season, would mean letting the 32-year-old Chandler leave again after another one-season stint with the Mavs.
The Clippers may end up coming off another disappointing early exit in the playoffs, but Jordan’s value will never be higher. The veteran center had an incredible season this year leading the league in both rebounding (15.0) and field-goal percentage (71%) while also averaging 2.2 blocks per game.
Despite a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year, Jordan had to settle for third place in the voting behind Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard. The reigning NBA Finals MVP walked away with the regular-season award, but many believe Jordan should’ve won.
As for the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan will be an option for the storied franchise in free agency. Even though the Lakers may show interest, it’ll likely be difficult to sign him if Jordan already has a strong desire to sign with Dallas or possibly return to the Clippers.
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