Deandre Jordan is flying south for the winter
The Los Angeles Clippers are undoubtedly still reeling from their Western Conference Semi-Finals collapse, in which they lost a 3-1 lead to the Houston Rockets en route to losing Game 7 of the series in a game that was only close at the opening tip. To ensure the same doesn’t happen next year, the Clippers front office got right to work, trading for Lance Stephenson, a younger, stronger, faster version of Matt Barnes, and Paul Pierce, a veteran presence who can take the pressure off Chris Paul in late-game situations. Though it’s early in the summer, the Clippers were looking like serious contenders in the West next season.
Deandre Jordan, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, won’t be around to find out if the Clippers can rebound. After fielding offers from several teams, including the Knicks and the Lakers, Jordan has decided to join Dirk Nowitzki and newly signed Wes Matthews in Dallas, who lost their starting center, Tyson Chandler, to the Phoenix Suns earlier this week. Jordan has reportedly signed a 4-year, $80 million deal with the Mavs, filling the hole Chandler left.
As far as the Clippers are concerned, they’re in a sticky situation. As it stands, the only players they have that can potentially fill Jordan’s spot are Glen Davis and Ekpe Udoh. Will Blake Griffin moonlight at center? Who knows. It’ll certainly be interesting to watch their moves for the rest of the month.
