LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has decided to opt-out of his contract with the team according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
The New York Times’ Marc Stein reports that the center will be the primary target for the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks will make DeAndre Jordan their top target in free agency after Jordan informed the Clippers that he will bypass next season’s $24.1 million player option to become a free agent, league sources say
Earlier today, it was reported the Clippers were awaiting Jordan’s decision, which had to be made by 11:59 ET tonight. There was a possibility that the Clippers and Mavericks could have worked out a trade.
According to Turner, the Clippers had granted Jordan’s representative the OK to speak with the Mavs about possible trades:
While the Clippers wait for center DeAndre Jordan to decide on his player option for next season, they have given his representative permission to speak with the Dallas Mavericks about a trade, according to several NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Jordan, who has been with the Clippers his entire 10-year career, has a deadline of 8:59 PDT Friday to exercise the option of his contract that will pay him $24.1 million next season.
Whatever proposal Jordan’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, develops with the Mavericks, the Clippers aren’t sure if it would benefit them to do a sign-and-trade deal, said the executives.
Guard Wesley Matthews, who will earn $18.7 million next season in the final year of his contract, is the most likely Maverick to be sent to the Clippers if a deal is reached.
The Mavericks also would be willing to sign Jordan as a free agent if he decides to opt out of his deal, according to one of the executives.
Stein reported that the Mavericks were unwilling to give up assets in a trade with the Clippers.
The Mavericks did not want to surrender draft compensation in a potential trade with the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan and prefer instead to pursue him in free agency, league sources say
As the Mavs try to figure out these Jordan trade talks, they have rescinded the qualifying offer they gave center Salah Mejri, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter):
Sources: As Dallas remains engaged on DeAndre Jordan talks with the Clippers, Mavericks have rescinded qualifying offer tender on Salah Mejri.
Talk of the Mavs’ interest in Jordan began two days ago, as The New York Times’ Marc Stein first reported on potential trade talks between the two teams.
In the summer of 2015, Jordan verbally committed to signing a four-year deal with Dallas in free agency, but changed his mind shortly before the moratorium period ended. He chose to stay in L.A. following a saga that took the league by storm. Clippers coach Doc Rivers, then-teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin each traveled to the center’s home, staying there until he re-signed with the Clippers.
Three years later, Jordan once again has a chance to end up in Texas. He is a native of the state and starred at Texas A&M before being drafted by the Clippers with the 35th pick in the 2008 Draft. The 29-year-old averaged 12.0 points and a career-high 15.2 rebounds last season.
On Tuesday, the Clippers traded guard Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards for center Marcin Gortat. Last season, the Clippers had Jordan, Montrezl Harrell and Boban Marjanovic in their center rotation.
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