Trading for Clippers center DeAndre Jordan might be the answer to the Cavaliers’ defensive woes, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Although they have a 26-13 record, defense has been a problem all season for Cleveland, which is allowing 107.2 points per game and ranks 28th in the league in defensive efficiency. One of the issues is the lack of a shot blocker in the middle, which Jordan would immediately solve.
There were reports last month that the Cavs “quietly explored” the possibility of trading for Jordan, who has spent the past decade with the Clippers. He has a player option worth slightly more than $24MM for next year, and L.A. may want to get some value for him now rather than risk losing him in free agency.
Pluto notes that Tristan Thompson at $16.4MM and Channing Frye at $7.4MM would provide a workable salary match for Jordan, and said sources have told him the Clippers would “strongly consider” the deal if Cleveland includes the Nets’ unprotected first-rounder for this year’s draft. However, the Cavs don’t plan to part with that asset given LeBron James‘ uncertain future. Pluto suggests an offer of Thompson, Frye and the Cavs’ draft pick, which falls at No. 25 in our latest Reverse Standings.
There’s more today out of Cleveland:
- Depth at point guard is the most valuable thing Derrick Rose will provide when he returns from his ankle injury, Pluto adds in the same story. Coach Tyronn Lue would like to reduce the minutes for Dwyane Wade, and Rose may take some of his playing time.
- In just two games since returning from a hip injury, Isaiah Thomas is having a profound effect on the Cavaliers’ offense, notes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Thomas came off the bench Tuesday, scoring 17 points in 19 minutes, then added 19 points in 22 minutes in his first start with the team Saturday as Cleveland scored a season-high 131 points in a win at Orlando. “I’m able to push the pace a little more, get the ball out of Bron’s hands and show the defense something different that they haven’t seen all year,” Thomas said. “I think with me being out there it definitely gives us another level that we can reach.”
- After being acquired as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, Jae Crowder is enjoying his surroundings with older, more accomplished teammates in Cleveland, relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe [subscription account].
Why the hell would the clippers ever do that trade? Thompson is still owed a lot of money and isn’t even good and frye is an old overpaid man. The 25th pick isn’t worth a half season and the rights to re-sign of the 20-30 best players in the game let alone with these two crappy “assets”
nets pick won’t be 25th
Cavs won’t give up Nets pick…Or at least, I’d be extremely suprised if they gave it up.
The ONLY way I see Cleveland trading the Nets pick is if LeBron assures them he will be back jext season..In other words, they get assurance from LeBron he’ll stay if they agreed to acquire a player he wants with the pick..
Otherwise, they almost HAVE TO hold onto that pick, it’s their only true, valuable future asset they have. They obviously, have their own late, first round pick, but that isn’t really seen as all that valuable..
Even in terms of players, they don’t really have anything all that appealing to other teams…Unless you view the contracts and services of Korver, Crowder, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Zizic, Osman, or about one and a half years worth of Kevin Love, depending on whether or not he accepts his player option for the 2019 season, which is about a certainty he will reject that player option…
Korver might get you a 9th-10th man/expiring contract and a 2nd round pick…Crowder could net them a 2nd rounder or a decent bench body, Thompson’s value is dwindling almost exponentially to a negative asset loss…And nothing worth mentioning for Smith, if he’s even tradeable at the moment…Zizic and Osman are nothing more than bench fillers, Zizic might be more, but not likely..
And they likely won’t get very much for Love, maybe a mid to late first rounder, and a young role player??
With Love being their only other, even moderately valuable asset, and with just their own first rounder and maybe Crowder as anything even resembling anything of remote value…Again, the Cavs ARE NOT getting rid of that Nets pick, UNLESS LeBron assures them he will stay another season…Although, even still, he will undoubtedly hold the Cavs and whatever assets they have hostage for the next upcoming off-season…lol..
Although, if LeBron does leave, it’ll be interesting to see who the Cavs might target in Free Agency, if anyone significant at all…idk..
Fryes contract ends this year creating a 7 mill opening in their payroll this off season. Thompson has rest of this year and 2 years left. Final year hes owed roughly 18 mill which would create an 18 mill opening in their payroll in 2021. Expiring contracts have great value in the nba if used correctly. That 18 mill buffer the clippers would receive in 2021 free agency could help them puruse
hayward, lilliard, mccollum, the greek freak, oladipo, drummond, beal, etc. 2021 has a lot of big names scheduled to hit FA.
Expiring deals don’t create cap space unless the team overall is under the cap. If LeBron resigns, there will be no cap space at all for awhile. If LeBron does not resign, no elite FA is coming there, and its likely a full rebuild. Under the new CBA, expiring contracts don’t have much value, except as a way of getting a player with a bad contract, and perhaps being compensated for it.
There’s no way on this earth the clippers do this trade for the cavs pick instead of the nets. Thompson and frye are both just salary cap dead weights, and getting the 25th overall pick for dj is nowhere near worth it
Terrible deal for the clippers (even if its the nets pick. the cavs pick offer is a joke) unless the nets fall off. The #9 pick is not worth DJ
DJ isn’t worth a potentially high lottery pick either. He’s a great rim-protector and good rim-runner…and that’s about it. His offensive game is limited and his overall contribution is not worth $24m or a max contract. Cleveland has to makes moves with an eye towards Golden State or towards LeBron leaving. DJ would not push the needle for Cleveland enough that he’s worth moving the Nets pick for.
If they resign Jordan, Clippers will have themselves an albatross contract. Thompson will provide similar skillet at a cheaper rate, and he is younger. He will be a Double Double producer for them just like DJ. I’d only offer Thompson and Frye.
He’s barely cheaper and the Clips are pretty much screwed cap wise considering they have Gallo and Griffin (mainly Gallo) taking a big chunk of it. Thompson would only save them about $7m (assuming DJ were to pick up his option) next year. If that was the offer, the Clips would be better off holding onto DJ and trying again later or just letting him walk the following year after his player option.
Is Jordan’s 2nd year a team or player option? Unless Jordan wants to continue playing for a bad team why would he re-sign?
Player option. But its worth $24m and its debatable on whether or not he can make more than that on a new deal in Year 1. If he doesn’t feel like he can’t, it doesn’t make sense for him to not take the option. If he’s confident he can make that much, or close to it, in Year 1 of a new deal then it makes sense for him to opt-out.
I’ve heard of double megatives, but successfully mastering the art of the quadruple negative does take some skill..I do applaud you good sir…lol
“If he doesn’t feel like he can’t, it doesn’t make sense for him to not take the option.”
Or at least I believe you worded the quad-negative correctly lol, At this point I’m even confusing myself..haha…
There are better options than Jordan for rim protection, for less money. This is really lazy, if true– focussing on Jordan instead of a lesser-known riser. (Not that I think they are.) Centers are cheap nowadays , not a place to sink major resources into. Jordan certainly will pick up his option, or risk being a Noel.
Supposedly the Cavs FO was talking with Atlanta, better. Or NY, Orl, Hou, Char… anyway they need a 2 that can switch onto Durant more!
If they can dump TT and Shumpert (vs Frye) in the trade, add the pick and do it. Cavs screwed up in KI deal taking back as a “main” piece a remote draft pick. Predictably, that pick has a much better chance of being outside the top 10 (and about the same chance of being closer to 15) than a top 5, and it might get worse based on the Nets situation and how horrible the bottom of the East is and how fixed the bottom of the West seems. They should cut their losses and get back a player that can add another dimension.