NBA Trade Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers Reportedly Discussed DeAndre Jordan Deal
It seems the Portland Trail Blazers may be in the market for an upgrade at the center position.
According to the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner, the Blazers have reportedly discussed a potential deal with the Los Angeles Clippers for center DeAndre Jordan. However, no formal offer was made.
Before they make an offer, the Blazers will probably want to know if Jordan is willing to extend his stay in Portland beyond the current season. "Any team that trades for Jordan will want to first know if he's willing to pick up his player option for next season (which would pay him $24.1 million) and also sign an extension," Turner said in his report.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Otherwise, Jordan could be a rental for a few months and then leave to become an unrestricted free agent. Teams that are interested in Jordan are hesitant to acquire him under those circumstances, according to the executives," he continued.
Turner added that the Clippers are asking for "a first-round draft pick, financial flexibility, and young players" in exchange for Jordan, which is quite similar to what they got in return from the Pistons when they shipped All-Star forward Blake Griffin to Detroit last week.
Acquiring Jordan will not be easy because of the Clippers' preference for a trade that can create financial flexibility, but it is worth a try for the Blazers because he is a significant upgrade over Jusuf Nurkić.
Nurkić has a more polished offensive game since Jordan's range extends no further than the paint, but the Bosnian center has been way too inconsistent this season. In contrast, Jordan understands his role quite well and he does not need the ball in his hands to make an impact.
Jordan is averaging 11.6 points 14.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and a block in under 33 minutes per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from the free throw line.
