DeAndre Jordan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers’ Job Seems Safe

December 4th, 2017 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers coach Doc Rivers will likely hold onto his job the remainder of the season, multiple sources told USA Today’s Sam Amick. Owner Steve Ballmer feels the team’s rash of injuries has made it difficult to judge Rivers’ performance this season, Amick continues. The team’s top player, power forward Blake Griffin, is out at least a month with an MCL sprain. Point guard Patrick Beverley underwent season-ending knee surgery, while newcomers Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari have barely played because of ailments. “You’ve just got to hang in there,” Rivers told Amick. “People get down on the team. They get down on you. They get down on everybody. That’s what happens, and you can’t waver. You’ve just got to keep doing your job, and the players have to just keep playing.”

Other notable items from Amick’s story:

The club is taking calls on center DeAndre Jordan but not actively shopping him. Jordan is expected to opt of the final year of his contract next summer, leaving $24.1MM on the table. The front office believes it can re-sign him, so they’re asking price for any potential deal is high. The market could heat up on December 15th, when many players who signed new contracts last summer are eligible to be dealt. Jordan hired an agent on Monday, which could facilitate trade talks.
The team remains committed to building around Griffin, who re-signed with them over the summer. Griffin doesn’t have an opt-out on his massive five-year, $171.1MM deal until the summer of 2021.
Productive role players, such as guard Lou Williams, could be dealt for draft picks. The team still has its first-rounder in June but dealt away its 2019 pick.

DeAndre Jordan Hires New Agent

December 4th, 2017 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

DeAndre Jordan, who hasn’t been represented by an agent for the last two years, has rectified that, having hired new representation in a potential contract year, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, Jordan has signed on with Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management.

There was a reported belief among some executives and agents that Jordan would choose Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for representation, but the big man instead opted for Schwartz, one of the biggest names among NBA agents. Schwartz also represents players like Kevin Love, Kemba Walker, Andre Drummond, and LaMarcus Aldridge, among others.

While Jordan isn’t eligible to reach free agency until July, an agent may help open up trade possibilities before then if the Clippers decide to shop their starting center. As Wojnarowski notes, teams interested in trading for Jordan wouldn’t be able to speak to him directly about whether he might want to stick with that team long-term, but an agent can help facilitate those discussions.

The Clippers, hit hard by injuries and currently out of the playoff picture in the West, offered Jordan a contract extension during the offseason and haven’t ruled out the possibility of trying to re-sign him, league sources tell Wojnarowski. However, rival teams have begun to reach out to the Clips’ front office about the 29-year-old’s availability, and the club won’t dismiss those inquires out of hand.

Jordan fired previous agent Dan Fegan back in 2015, following a bizarre free agent process that saw the veteran center verbally commit to the Mavericks before ultimately deciding to re-sign with the Clippers.

O’Connor’s Latest: Bucks, D. Jordan, M. Gasol

December 4th, 2017 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor takes a deep dive into the new-look Bucks, with a specific focus on their defense. As O’Connor outlines, Milwaukee has been one of the NBA’s best defensive teams in the 11 games since they acquired Eric Bledsoe, after ranking 29th to open the season.

Still, the Bucks’ recent schedule has been somewhat soft, and the club’s defensive rating takes a major hit when Bledsoe isn’t on the court. Adding another defensive stopper may help stabilize the lineup on that side of the ball and ensure that the club’s defensive improvements stick, O’Connor writes. Here’s more from the Ringer scribe on the Bucks and some of their possible targets:

The Bucks are on the lookout for a big man, multiple NBA executives tell O’Connor. The team is also trying to create some cap flexibility by moving some of their pricier multiyear contracts, such as the ones signed by Mirza Teletovic, John Henson, and Matthew Dellavedova.
One notable trade candidate who has been linked to the Bucks is DeAndre Jordan, and league executives expect the Clippers to listen to inquiries on the veteran center, per O’Connor.
One complicating factor on Jordan is the fact that he doesn’t currently have an agent, but multiple execs and agents who spoke to O’Connor believe the Clippers center will end up signing with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. If that happens before the trade deadline, Paul could get involved on any Jordan trade talks and influence where he lands. It’s worth noting that both the Bucks (Bledsoe) and Cavaliers (LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and J.R. Smith), who have been cited as potential suitors for Jordan, have Klutch clients. (Update: Jordan has reportedly hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management for representation.)
Marc Gasol is another player who would make sense as a trade target for the Bucks, but three execs who talked to O’Connor don’t expect the Grizzlies to deal him. One of those execs suggested that even if Gasol were to request a trade, Memphis may wait until the offseason to make a move.

Bucks Make Concerted Push For DeAndre Jordan

December 1st, 2017 at 8:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bucks are making a concerted push to acquire DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers, Gery Woelfel of the Woelfel’s Press Box writes.

According to the scribe’s sources, the Clips seek a partial or even full complement of John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton in return.

While there hasn’t been any direct indication that the Clippers are shopping Jordan, he’s eligible for free agency this summer, making him the most logical trade chip if the team does decide to become a seller ahead of the trade deadline.

Considering that trading Jordan would at least appear to be the opening salvo in a rebuild, it makes sense that the squad would pursue the reigning Rookie of the Year and, if possible, shed salary while they were at it.

While the Bucks had long sought to organically develop their young talent, they’re eager to more aggressively compete for a title now, as evidenced by their acquisition of Eric Bledsoe from the Suns earlier in the season.

Slotting Jordan into the starting lineup ahead of (or in place of) Henson would give the team an imposing starting five as they continue on their quest to usurp the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

In addition to the Bucks, Woelfel writes, the Raptors, Wizards and Timberwolves are said to have shown the most interest in Jordan.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Los Angeles Clippers

November 30th, 2017 at 8:56pm CST by Austin Kent

The Clippers are in a precarious position, now teetering on the ledge of an existential crisis following Blake Griffin‘s latest significant injury. Suddenly, the team that seemed so valiantly intent on forging ahead without Chris Paul (and then Milos Teodosic and then Patrick Beverley) has been dramatically deflated, dealt a seemingly insurmountable blow that could very well change the franchise’s short-term plans.

Needless to say, the next few months will be of particular interest to various representatives of the team’s pending free agents, several of whom could stand to benefit from increased playing time in Griffin’s absence and/or a significantly expanded role if the team decides to lean into a full-fledged rebuild and trade away veterans.

On paper, the Clippers could end up with substantial cap space, but that’s far from guaranteed considering how many players have options heading into the summer.

Montrezl Harrell, C, 24 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $4MM deal in 2015
One of the biggest potential beneficiaries of the Clippers’ bad luck is Harrell, a 2015 second-round pick who showed glimpses of productivity throughout his first two seasons in the league with Houston. Harrell hasn’t done much to this point in the 2017/18 season but it seems inevitable that he’ll see his playing time and opportunities in general increase over the next two months.

Brice Johnson, PF, 24 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $3MM deal in 2016
While the absence of Griffin could open up opportunities for Johnson to see more of a role at the big league level, the team would have to fully accept a rebuild in order for the sparsely-used North Carolina product to start seeing consistent action. I’m not sure if the Clips are there yet. Simply put, Johnson hasn’t show much in Los Angeles and the team forfeited the chance to lock him up on the cheap last month when it turned down his rookie option.

Wesley Johnson, SF, 30 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $18MM deal in 2016
After eight underwhelming seasons in the NBA, it’s hard to imagine Johnson landing big money in a crowded free agent market next summer. However, the 30-year-old – who has career averages of 7.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game – has a player option worth over $6MM that he’ll presumably accept.

DeAndre Jordan, C, 29 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $88MM deal in 2015
Jordan is the closest thing to a marquee name among Los Angeles’ pending free agents. The 29-year-old will be coming off of seven straight seasons as a rain-or-shine starter (10 in total), with off-the-charts rebounding numbers and an All-Star Game under his belt. That being said, Jordan – who holds a $24MM player option for next season – will need to be careful heading into the summer, considering the market for big men has changed since he signed his last contract. On top of that, any long-term deal would put a club at risk of having that contract turn into an albatross during its back half. Finally, it’s not inconceivable to suggest that the Jordan you could temporarily (kinda, maybe, possibly) justify maxing out was simply a product of CP3’s playmaking abilities. Jordan may very well end up turning down his player option, but there won’t likely be strong market pressure for L.A. or anybody else to offer a huge long-term deal.

Willie Reed, C, 28 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
Now with his third team in three NBA season, Reed will need to show that he’s more than just a journeyman spot starter with legal baggage. While Reed has been used less with the Clippers than he was in Miami last season, his opportunities could increase substantially with Griffin sidelined. I suspect, given the big man’s per-36 numbers, he’ll be able to procure more than the minimum and stick with that team for longer than a single season.

Austin Rivers, G, 25 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $35MM deal in 2016
The Clippers took a gamble on Rivers in 2016, offering the largely unproven combo guard a major contract without much of a track record to show for it. Fast forward two seasons and Rivers remains more or less equally underwhelming. Rivers does little across the board and isn’t a particularly effective shooter. It wouldn’t make much sense for Rivers’ camp to turn down his $13MM player option for next season.

Milos Teodosic, PG, 31 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $12MM deal in 2017
It’s hard to gauge Teodosic’s NBA value, considering he only played two games before falling to a foot injury. As things stand, the romantic notion that Teodosic would drop in from overseas to fill the playmaking hole left by Paul is on the back burner. If the plan was for Teodosic to prove himself in his rookie season, turn down his player option for 2018/19 and then sign a larger contract, it’ll come down to how he fares during the second half of the season, since nobody has yet seen enough to warrant a big investment. It seems likely that the Serbian 31-year-old will be back in the lineup before the end of December, so there’s plenty of time for him to prove himself at the NBA level.

Lou Williams, SG, 32 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $21MM deal in 2015
Over course of the last half decade, Williams has fully embraced an identity as a wildly prolific scorer off the bench. Over the course of the last two seasons alone he’s thrived in systems that have had no reason but to let him loose on their second unit and the volume shooter has shown no signs of slowing down north of 30. It may be a bit much to expect Williams to yield anything in the realm of former Clipper J.J. Redick‘s offseason haul ($23MM for a one-year deal with Philly) but there should be plenty of suitors willing to give 2015’s Sixth Man of the Year a sizable raise over his current $7MM salary.

Player ages as of July 1, 2018. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Notes: Jordan, Rivers, Beverley

November 28th, 2017 at 10:48pm CST by marksuleymanov

As the Clippers descend in the Western Conference standings, center DeAndre Jordan‘s name has become prominent in trade talks. Jordan could hit free agency after this season as he holds a $24MM player option on the original four-year, $88MM pact he signed with the Clippers in 2015.

Any team interested in acquiring Jordan could have difficulty gauging his desire to commit long-term, however, because the 6’11” center is not represented by an agent (per ESPN’s Bobby Marks on Twitter).

Per Marks, it will be hard to do any “backchanneling to see if [Jordan] is a short-term rental or would commit long-term.”

Jordan, 29, is averaging his fewest PPG (10.0) since the 2012/13 season but remains a force on the glass (13.7 RPG) and on defense (1.1 BPG). The Clippers currently hold the 10th seed in the Western Conference with an 8-11 record; the team recently snapped a nine-game skid and is dealing with injuries to Patrick Beverley (knee), Blake Griffin (MCL sprain), Danilo Gallinari (glute) and Milos Teodosic (foot).

The injuries could force a teardown and Jordan would likely be one of the first players traded. However, the All-Star recently told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that he is focused on being there for his current team despite the poor play and injuries.

“It’s definitely tough, but I can’t give up on my teammates,” Jordan said. “I’ve got to stay positive, and hopefully it will turn around.”

Check out other news surrounding the Clippers below:

The aforementioned Beverley is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery and the Clippers are still reeling from the news, Elliot Teaford of the Orange County Register writes. “You can’t feel sorry for yourself, ever, ever,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “Before the game in Atlanta, I told our guys, ‘I know millions of guys who would trade places right now. Right now, on your worst day, they would trade. So, there’s a lot to be thankful for. You’ve got to keep plugging away.’”
Rivers admitted that his fifth season as head coach of the Clippers has been his most challenging, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. However, the former NBA Finals-winning coach said his team still needs to play hard. “I’ve gone through far worse as a coach. … With this group right now, let’s get healthy and let’s see what we’ve got,” Rivers said. “But I love coaching the young guys, too. It’s nice that they get to play.”

L.A. Notes: Nance, Ball, Gallinari, Jordan

November 26th, 2017 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. has beaten the timetable for recovering from a broken bone in his left hand and is expected to return to the court Monday, according to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Nance was originally projected to be out four to six weeks after the November 2 injury, which affected his second metacarpal. Coach Luke Walton plans to insert him in the starting lineup right away.

“I think our rebounding’s gone down,” Walton said. “Just the versatility at that four spot, the way we like to play, him being able to defend multiple positions. Obviously he’s got some years in the league. For a young team that’s pretty valuable. Larry’s great at doing all the little things that help teams win that don’t get a lot of credit. And he’s got the ability and the skill to do the fancy things too.”

There’s more today out of Los Angeles:

The Lakers remain committed to keeping Lonzo Ball as their starting point guard despite the ups and downs of his rookie season, Ganguli writes in a separate story. Ball has notched two triple-doubles, but he hasn’t solved his shooting problems. At 31.5% from the field, his shooting percentage is the lowest among rookies playing at least 10 minutes per game. “The benefit is he gets the game experience,” Walton said of his decision to keep Ball in the starting lineup. “Whether it’s close games, it’s blowouts, it’s playing against top elite point guards that do different things.”
Injuries have decimated the Clippers during the first six weeks of the season, but coach Doc Rivers refuses to let any of his players return to the court until they’re fully ready, relays Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Starting forward Danilo Gallinari missed his ninth straight game Saturday with a strained glute. He has been traveling with the team on its five-game road trip, but still is not able to play. “Gallo is not coming back until he’s right,” Rivers said. “We’re not going to rush anybody back. I don’t care what situation you’re in. Not only is it going to make it worse, because then he’ll come back and get injured, or any of our guys. That’s one thing we’ll never do.” Patrick Beverley is already lost for the season after knee surgery and Milos Teodosic is expected to be out until after Christmas with a plantar fascia injury in his left foot.
The Clippers shouldn’t consider a maximum offer for center DeAndre Jordan if he opts out of his nearly $24.12MM salary for next season, writes ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. Jordan, 29, will be in the 35% max category and will be eligible for a deal worth about $205MM over five years. The Clippers could be aided by the market as few teams will be in position to offer a max deal and not many of them need centers.

Central Notes: Dunn, Wade, Joseph

November 24th, 2017 at 6:07pm CST by Austin Kent

Without much of an opportunity to show what he was capable of as a rookie, Kris Dunn‘s production with the Bulls in his sophomore season has been particularly intriguing. As Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders writes, Dunn has been given a larger role than he saw with the Timberwolves and that’s paying off on both sides of the ball.

Not only has Dunn’s playing time increased with the Bulls, his role in the offense has too. The guard is averaging three-times the field-goal attempts that he put up last season and his percentage has climbed with increased usage.

Davies also notes that Dunn’s presence has had a drastic impact on the Bulls’ defensive success. While the team struggles in general with their defense, the club allows 6.9 fewer points per possession when Dunn is on the floor.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers would consider moving Tristan Thompson for DeAndre Jordan if such an opportunity presented itself, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes in a question-and-answer with readers but the Cavs wouldn’t likely seriously pursue the Clippers big man unless they were convinced he was the missing piece necessary to take down Golden State.
Bench anchor Dwyane Wade is enjoying his time with the Cavaliers‘ second-unit, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. The 35-year-old has embraced the role of guiding the team’s attack off the pine.
The Pacers had long envied Cory Joseph before acquiring him this past offseason, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. “We’re very pleased with Cory. He’s always been a guy I’ve liked since he was playing in San Antonio and couple of years ago he had a real good series against us, played really well and was a big factor in the playoffs against us,” head coach Nate McMillan said, as the guard made his first appearance in Toronto following the deal.

Los Angeles Notes: Lopez, Nance, Ball, Jordan

November 22nd, 2017 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard multiple times throughout the offseason, Southern California native Brook Lopez was thrilled to be acquired by the Lakers in June, and Robin Lopez says his brother continues to enjoy the experience of playing for his hometown team. As Bill Oram of The Orange County Register details, Robin said this week that the Lakers were the “definition of the NBA” for him and his brother growing up, adding that Brook still hasn’t gotten over the fact that he’s the Lakers’ starting center.

“I know he’s definitely enamored with that aspect of it,” Robin said. “I don’t think it will ever fade with him.”

Here’s more out of Los Angeles:

Lakers:

When Larry Nance Jr. was diagnosed with a fractured hand in early November, the Lakers indicated that he big man would likely miss four to six weeks. However, Nance is ahead of schedule in his recovery and could be back on the court as soon as this coming Monday, according to Oram.
With a showdown against fellow rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox on tap for Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee takes an in-depth look at the enormous expectations placed upon this year’s second overall pick.

Clippers:

DeAndre Jordan‘s name “has been coming up in trade conversations,” with “multiple teams” talking about possible deals, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Based on Bontemps’ wording, it’s not clear whether the Clippers are entertaining those discussions, or whether potential suitors are simply discussing trade scenarios internally. If the Clips continue their losing ways, the team will probably have to consider the possibility of moving Jordan, who can become a free agent in 2018.
With the Clippers looking to snap a nine-game losing streak, a handful of NBA.com scribes, including Shaun Powell and John Schuhmann, explore what the team can do to turn things around.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will have a lot to think about over Thanksgiving weekend, as Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times outlines.
Earlier today, we passed along word that Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley underwent a surgical procedure on his knee and will be sidelined for a while.

Clippers Notes: Offseason Moves, Jordan, Redick

October 30th, 2017 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

When Chris Paul was set to leave the Clippers this offseason, letting Blake Griffin walk as well and bottoming out as part of a rebuild would have been one option for the club, but it wasn’t one that management seriously considered, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN. Without all their future draft picks in hand, the Clippers weren’t well positioned for a rebuild, and the idea went against owner Steve Ballmer‘s philosophy for the franchise.

“You consider all your options,” Ballmer said. “But I don’t want to lose. I like winning. Winning is good. Losing is bad. We think we have a unique opportunity to be a free-agent destination. If you want that, you have to be doing your best every year.”

Lowe’s deep dive into the Clippers includes several more noteworthy tidbits and is worth reading in full. Here are a few of the highlights:

DeAndre Jordan‘s future looms large for the Clippers, since he’s eligible for free agency next summer. According to Lowe, Los Angeles has explored trading Jordan, but the only time the team “gained semiserious traction” on anything was at the 2017 deadline. That proposed deal would have sent Jordan to the Rockets in exchange for Clint Capela, players, and picks.
The Clippers have discussed a possible contract extension with Jordan, but those talks have stalled for now, says Lowe. Jordan, who is currently negotiating without an agent, remains extension-eligible all the way up until June 30, but would be eligible for a bigger payday if he becomes a free agent next July.
Although the Clippers weren’t looking to part ways with Paul this offseason, they embraced the opportunity for a “fresh start” when he decided to leave. Players say the culture wasn’t as toxic as it may have seemed, but Doc Rivers acknowledges – without referring specifically to CP3 – “don’t want to be coached by you anymore.”
Rivers suggests that J.J. Redick was “begging to come back” to the Clippers as a free agent, a claim that Redick disputes. “There was never any indication from my agent that I wanted to go back,” Redick said to Lowe. “I didn’t beg to come back. I didn’t want to come back.”
Rivers also disputed reports that the Clippers could have traded Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford for Carmelo Anthony earlier this year, calling that idea a “complete joke.” However, Lowe suggests that Rivers may be playing a “game of semantics,” noting that such a package could have been viable if Crawford was sent to a third team instead of New York.