Cavaliers ‘Sniffing Around’ DeAndre Jordan

The Cavaliers are keeping a close eye on the DeAndre Jordan situation in Los Angeles, and have “quietly explored” the possibility of a deal, league sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. Amico cautions that the Cavs haven’t aggressively pursued Jordan, with one source suggesting that the club is simply “sniffing around” the idea.

This is the second time this week that a report has linked the Cavaliers to Jordan. On Tuesday, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote that the veteran center’s future in Los Angeles is “anything but clear,” adding that the Cavs may be willing to offer Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, and a first-round pick.

Sources informed Kyler that the Cavs were only open to discussing their own first-round pick in trade talks, rather than the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder, which is consistent with what we’ve heard elsewhere. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported last week that the Cavs aren’t believed to have put that Brooklyn pick on the table at all so far.

The Clippers, who lost Chris Paul in the summer and have been hit hard by injuries this season, currently have an 11-18 record and have been slowly slipping out of playoff contention in the Western Conference. There’s still time for the club to turn things around, but if the losses continue to pile up, there’s an expectation that the front office will at least consider trading Jordan, who can opt out of his contract at season’s end.

It’s worth noting that after operating without an agent for a couple years, Jordan recently hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management. Jordan may have simply made the move with an eye toward his upcoming free agency, but an agent can get involved in trade discussions as well, acting as a facilitator if a potential suitor wants to assess its chances of locking up a trade target long-term.

In addition to the Cavs, the Bucks have also been linked to Jordan.

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