DeAndre Jordan has been with the Clippers his entire career, but he could make a decision this summer that would have him exploring somewhere outside of Los Angeles in his future. The Clippers big man has until Friday to decide if he wants to opt into the final year of his contract, or opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.

Jordan hasn't made a decision yet, but one option he could consider is opting into the final year of his contract and then request a trade to a team of his choosing. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, one of the teams interested in doing something like this would be the Mavericks. 

This report isn't saying that Jordan has opted in. It's still something he's deciding on. He could just as easily choose to opt out of that final year and make a decision as an unrestricted free agent, but he has a chance to make more money in the short term if he decides to opt in. He would also give the Clippers a chance to gain assets in a trade instead of losing him for money.

Jordan opting in could be the best for everybody involved here. A lot of teams are low on cap space and Jordan is going to have a hard time getting a deal that will pay him $24.1 million next season. If he waits a season, plays well, and then re-enters free agency next year he might get a better contract.

The elephant in the room in this whole situation, of course, is that Dallas is involved. The last time Jordan entered free agency he agreed to a deal with the Mavericks before changing his mind at the last minute and going back to the Clippers. Maybe Dallas wants to trade for him this time so he can't do that again.