Lakers Rumors: DeAndre Jordan to Lakers Might Be an Option

Let me take you back to 2006. The Los Angeles Lakers were coming off of quite a collapse of their own. Sure, they were the heavy underdog to the top-seeded Phoenix Suns, but coming so close to a crazy upset the year Steve Nash stole the MVP trophy from Kobe Bryant was too tantalizing NOT to picture what might have been afterward.

-== Lakers Draft Evaluations: Comparing Then & Now ==-

What Los Angeles Clippers fans went through the past couple weeks was infinitely worse. Riding the tidal wave after “upsetting” the San Antonio Spurs and jumping out to a 3-1 lead with the Golden State Warriors plain in their sights only to watch it slip away like water through their ringless fingers is the type of thing that keeps fans up the following weeks.

And to top all that off: DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul reportedly did not see eye to eye as their season came crashing around them. This according to Bill Reiter of Fox Sports 1.

Sources: DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul have had falling out throughout season, a fact that could push Jordan to another team in free agency.
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) May 18, 2015

And if that wasn’t enough, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne wondered aloud about a potential destination for the free-throw-stricken big man. She didn’t have him going very far.

"“The Lakers would likewise love to steal Jordan away from their Staples Center rival.”"

Nothing screams desperation like a blogger pulling one sentence from a lengthy article to try to discern the chances of whether Jordan’s joining the Lakers is “slim” or “none.” But, it’s late, the lottery is tomorrow and, well, I’m using this as some form of counseling.

Truth is, Jordan perfectly accompanies Julius Randle in the Lakers’ frontcourt. Jordan may get a little too much credit for instincts than he should, but he’s more than athletic enough to anchor the Lakers’ defense. Offensively, highlights of Jordan finishing lobs from Randle is the type of thing that makes me smile randomly in public. Jordan also doesn’t require the post touches that led to clashes between Kobe and Dwight Howard.

On paper, the pairing is practically perfect.

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Speaking of paper… How might the Lakers pull Jordan away from the hundreds of millions of dollars the Clippers can offer? There are a couple factors at work in what the Lakers can offer Jordan.

First, Jordan’s game probably won’t age very well. His incredible athleticism makes him special. As soon as that physical talent dwindles, though, it’s hard not to imagine his overall value on a basketball court will decline similarly. If I was advising Jordan, I’d seriously try to convince him to take some type of long-term deal.

Yes, that type of security will have to come from the Clippers, but if Jordan is at all unhappy with his current situation, a four-year deal with a two year out to take advantage of the incoming TV deal money might be a decent alternative.

Second, and exponentially more importantly, the Lakers will need all the luck in the world. If oddsmakers set a line on where DeAndre might end up, the Lakers would hardly make the board. In that same article, Shelbourne listed a handful of other potential destinations that make more sense. Jordan would have to seriously hate being a Clipper.

Let’s put this like ESPN’s “30 for 30” series, in honor of Bill Simmons.

What if I told you the relationship between Paul and Jordan had worn down to the point the two refused to play together? What if I told you Doc Rivers valued his all-world point guard over the big man he couldn’t play for stretches because of something as silly as free throws? What if I told you Rivers’ choice rubbed Jordan so wrong that he wanted to publicly shame his former franchise four times a year in the same freakin’ building?!

Okay, fine. It’s late, the lottery is tomorrow and I need counseling.

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