Community Shootaround

DeAndre Jordan is the hottest new name on the trade market, put there by the Clippers’ poor start, a slew of injuries to teammates and his body language as the season continues to crumble.

A Friday night report from Gery Woelfel says the Bucks are aggressively pursuing Jordan, with L.A. asking for John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton in return. Milwaukee may not be willing to part with all three, but it’s easy to see why the Bucks would like to add Jordan’s elite interior defense. They would become serious challengers to the Cavaliers and Celtics with a team built around Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Jabari Parker once he returns from from a torn ACL, which is expected in February.

But the Bucks aren’t the only team trying to acquire Jordan, Woelfel reports, as the Raptors, Wizards and Timberwolves have all expressed interest. Haley O’Shaughnessy of the Ringer sees Washington as a prime location, proposing a trade that would send Marcin Gortat, Jason Smith, Tomas Satoransky and a 2019 unprotected first-rounder to L.A. in return.

The other two locations are a tougher fit, as Toronto would probably want to unload center Jonas Valanciunas, who still has two more seasons and more than $34MM left on his current deal. Jordan would be an awkward match beside Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota and his addition would mean less playing time for Taj Gibson, who just signed with the Wolves this summer.

Another rumor, addressed last week by Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, has the Cavaliers getting involved with a package of Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and possibly the unprotected pick from the Nets. A league source told Vardon the Cavs would likely consider such a deal if they thought it would help them beat the Warriors.

Publicly, the Clippers are downplaying talk of rebuilding, but the prospect becomes more real as they sink in the standings. L.A. is 4-13 since a 4-0 start and currently sits in 10th place in the West, two and a half games out of a playoff spot. Patrick Beverley is out for the year, Blake Griffin is sidelined for two months and Danilo Gallinari and Milos Teodosic haven’t returned from early-season injuries. Jordan has a player option for next season worth $24,119,025 and could opt for unrestricted free agency if he thinks the Clippers’ best days are over.

We want to hear your opinion. If the Clippers decide to move Jordan, where would be the best fit and what should they ask for in return? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

The NBA has already seen two coaches fired since opening night, with Phoenix axing Earl Watson just days into the season and Memphis parting ways with David Fizdale after an eight-game losing streak. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wonders who will be the next coach to be sent packing.

The Magic have gone just 3-11 since the calendar turned to November and they face a tough week ahead. Orlando gets matchups against the Oklahoma City and Golden State before a back-to-back against the overachieving Knicks and underachieving Hornets.

Kyler hears that the Magic remain committed to Frank Vogel, who has approximately $11MM remaining on his contract over the next two seasons. However, Kyler speculates that a 12-15 loss stretch, coupled with the possibility of Doc Rivers becoming available, could change Orlando’s position.

Rivers has one year at nearly $12MM left on his deal and while the Clippers are clearly under-performing, it’s not clear that a coaching change would help them in the win column. With Blake Griffin slated to miss somewhere in the two-month range because of an MCL injury, it’ll be difficult for Los Angeles to make major improvements. Having a new coach take over and implement changes only to have to make new adjustments eight weeks later is not a recipe for success. The franchise may be better off waiting out the season before letting Rivers depart.

Sources tell Kyler that Fred Hoiberg is likely to finish the season with the Bulls, but the team owns the league’s worst record and it’s a situation worth monitoring.

Tell us what you think? Do you believe Vogel, Rivers or Hoiberg will be the next coach to go? Could there be a surprise firing that no one saw coming or will every current coach remain on their respective sidelines through the season?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

A disastrous November got even rougher for the Clippers today with the news that Patrick Beverley will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

Beverley’s return Monday after missing five games was supposed to help L.A. right its ship. Instead, doctors determined that he needed surgery for a microfracture and a meniscus injury. His rehab is expected to take nine months.

With fellow opening-night backcourt starter Milos Teodosic sidelined indefinitely with a plantar fascia injury to his left foot and Danilo Gallinari out with a strained left glute, the Clippers have cratered. They entered tonight’s game with a nine-game losing streak and a 5-11 record.

Amid all this misery comes a report from Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post that several teams have made inquiries about center DeAndre Jordan. The 10-year veteran remains one of the league’s best rebounders and shot blockers, but there’s no guarantee his future will be in L.A. Jordan has a player option for next season worth nearly $24.12MM and could be tempted to test the market come July.

Jordan’s decision will go a long way in shaping the future of the franchise. The Clippers could have roughly $40MM in cap space next summer if Jordan, Teodosic, Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson all opt out, or they could be well above the cap if everyone opts in. Beverley’s salary of slightly more than $5MM for 2018/19 is non-guaranteed, so it’s not certain that the team will bring him back.

The Clippers could wait for Jordan to determine their fate or they could make that decision themselves with a trade. L.A. is only two games out of a playoff spot, but it’s hard to envision a quick turnaround with Beverley already lost for the season and the other injuries continuing to linger.

What do you think? Should the Clippers try to trade Jordan now and get some young talent to rebuild around Blake Griffin or should they hold onto him and the other veterans and hope to turn the season around? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

We’re only about a month into the NBA season, but a handful of strong contenders for this season’s Most Valuable Player award are already emerging. While there’s plenty of time for players like last year’s MVP Russell Westbrook to pick up the pace and insert themselves into this season’s race, AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today and Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders have identified the players who look like the strongest candidates so far.

Neuharth-Keusch and Chambers agree that James Harden (Rockets) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) have been the top two candidates for MVP, in some order. The two stars are the only players in the NBA averaging more than 30 points per game, and Harden is also leading the league with 10.3 assists per contest. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is averaging a double-double of his own with 10.3 RPG.

LeBron James (Cavaliers) is also a consensus pick on Neuharth-Keusch’s and Chambers’ early lists, which makes sense, despite the fact that James’ Cavs are off to a sluggish start. The four-time MVP is playing some of the best basketball of his career, with 28.1 PPG, 8.8 APG, and an incredible .586 FG% while averaging an NBA-high 38.1 minutes per contest.

From there, the lists diverge. Neuharth-Keusch – whose list features input from fellow USA Today scribes Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt, and Michael Singer – rounds out the top five with Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) and DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans).

Both New York and New Orleans were projected to be sub-.500 teams this season, but are off to solid starts behind the incredible play of their respective big men. Porzingis is averaging an impressive 29.5 PPG and shooting 41.0% on three-pointers, while Cousins is stuffing the stat sheet with 28.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.6 SPG.

As for Chambers, he weighs team success a little more heavily, filling out his list with Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Warriors), and Kyrie Irving (Celtics). Golden State leads the Western Conference with an 11-3 record, while Boston has an NBA-best 13-2 mark.

What do you think? Do you have an early pick for 2017/18 MVP? Do you think a player not mentioned above will become a part of the conversation in a big way within the next few weeks or months? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!