DeAndre Jordan on verge of going back to Clippers
DeAndre Jordan doesn't appear to be heading to the Dallas Mavericks after all.
In a turn of NBA free agency events that is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, the big man who gave a verbal commitment to sign with the Mavericks on Friday met with the Los Angeles Clippers in his hometown of Houston on Wednesday afternoon to discuss a possible change of heart. Hours later, Jordan - according to a person with knowledge of the situation - indicated to the Clippers that he intends to re-sign with them when the free agency moratorium lifts at 12:01 a.m. ET Thursday. The person spoke to Paste BN Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation. ESPN.com first reported Jordan's intentions to return.
The scene at Jordan's home turned surreal in the wake of that revelation, as Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers, forward Blake Griffin, point guard Chris Paul, shooting guard J.J. Redick, and small forward Paul Pierce all gathered at the meeting to inspire this DeAndre double back and later stayed by his side at his home as the clock kept ticking. The Mavericks have been attempting to get another meeting with Jordan as well, but it appears all but impossible considering the company he's keeping.
Earlier in the day, there was a social media subplot as players from both sides of this ledger took to Twitter to share their plans to take part. Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons, who played a significant part in the recruitment and shares agents with Jordan, tweeted a picture of a plane and was known to be heading to Houston to convince Jordan to stay. Then Redick, Paul, and Griffin countered with tweets of their own indicating they would all be there.
Jordan, according to the person with knowledge of the situation, began having second thoughts about his choice not long after agreeing to sign Dallas' four-year, $80 million deal. He had been wined and dined by the Mavericks' principle recruiters, chief among them owner Mark Cuban and Parsons, and bought in on the idea that they could provide everything he longed for during his seven seasons with the Clippers.
Jordan, who is working out in Houston, began having doubts about leaving nearly $30 million on the table for a team that is not as good as the Clippers. Per league rules, only the Clippers have the ability to give Jordan a five-year deal that would be worth the maximum salary of approximately $110 million combined. The communication with the Clippers and Jordan never ceased, and it's clear now that he's seriously considering a return. Because the NBA has a free agency moratorium that doesn't lift until July 9, deals can only be agreed on in principle before then.
There is no written NBA rule preventing NBA teams from re-entering conversations with a player who reached an agreement with another team, but it is not common. But there is a spirit of the law that most teams follow. Former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks tweeted, "I understand that LAC is in a tough spot. But DJ committed to DAL over 5 days ago. Pick up the pieces and move on."
He also tweeted: "Like baseball there are certain "unwritten rules" and this is a big violation of it. Once a player commits to another team you move on."
This kind of back-and-forth is more common in college football and basketball recruiting when coaches continue to recruit players who committed to another college. Until that player signs a letter-of-intent or enrolls, it's fair game. Shady as that might be, it's part of the system in major Division I college athletics.
At least one member of Jordan's camp is not pleased that the Clippers are re-engaged in discussions with Jordan, a person familiar with the situation told Paste BN Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until Jordan signs with a team.
The Clippers have been dealing directly with Jordan to coordinate this meeting, which is notable considering it's not typical protocol. He is represented by Dan Fegan and Happy Walters of Relativity Sports, the agents who had orchestrated the Los Angeles meetings in which teams met with Jordan on the opening days of free agency. Jordan's willingness to take the meeting speaks volumes about his state of mind.
No matter how this turns out, there will no doubt be acrimony between these two organizations because of the way in which this recruitment unfolded. Teams are typically expected to stop pursuing a free agent once he makes his verbal agreement, but this is no typical situation.
This has the potential to wreck one team's free agency and salvage another team's. If Jordan decided to return to the Clippers, the Mavericks would have nearly $18 million in cap space but no viable options, especially centers, to spend that money on.
The Clippers are known to be upset with some of the ways in which the Mavericks recruited Jordan before the negotiating period began on July 1, though the root of that sentiment is not clear. In turn, they clearly have no reservations about taking this kind of a tact.
What's more, the Clippers have every reason to be desperate when it comes to not wanting to let Jordan get away. His impact on both ends of the floor was tremendous for the team that went 56-26 last season and fell to the Houston Rockets in the second round of the playoffs. Clippers guard J.J. Redick said it best in an interview with Bleacher Report radio on Tuesday, when he was asked to grade the Clippers' offseason and he said, repeatedly, that it was an 'F.'
"Is there an F-minus," Redick had asked. "Listen, we had one priority this summer and that was to re-sign D.J. and we missed out on that. So barring some miracle, (the) makeup of our team is completely different now."
There may be a Clippers miracle after all.
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