Some of the behind the scenes last minute trade talks that occurred between teams is starting to trickle out (at least rumors about it whether accurate or not) as we find out about the deals that were close to happening but ultimately didn’t get done after all.
One of which was apparently a trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers centered around DeAndre Jordan.
Here is a quote about the situation from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst:
“The pieces were in place Thursday, and the Los Angeles Clippers thought they were close to a deal that would have sent starting center DeAndre Jordan to the Cavaliers, when news surfaced of the blockbuster trade that Cleveland instead had with the Lakers, sources have told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.”
There were multiple reports of the Clippers being on the precipice of either trading Jordan or conversely reports of extending him. Which seemed odd at the time, and the definition of ‘conflicting reports’.
Clippers executives Jerry West and Lawrence Frank went as far as to say they offered an extension to Jordan (who can opt out of the final year of his deal this summmer) and he called B.S. essentially…
“I tell the truth,” Jordan said Friday. “No offer.”
While the supposed offer could have been an extreme low-ball offer in Jordan’s opinion to which he wouldn’t even consider it an actual offer, but it feels like the Clippers have not made a formal extension offer to Jordan.
One would assume if a deal was allegedly in place for the Clippers and Cavs, it would have had to be in exchange for Tristan Thompson and most likely Brooklyn’s 1st round pick in 2018, at the very least Cleveland’s own pick that it sent to the Lakers in the trade for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
We’ll never know for sure, but it will be interesting to see if the Clippers take a chance on giving Jordan a big extension this summer in order to recoup some value for him at next year’s trade deadline. At this point I say they just let him walk.
