The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly are not giving up. Despite J.J. Redick giving their offseason an F-minus for losing DeAndre Jordan, despite Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban talking publicly about their new acquisition (and getting fined for it) and despite reports of Jordan being tired of Chris Paul's barking, the Clippers are still trying to bring the big man back, according to ESPN's Marc Stein:
Free agents are traditionally considered off limits once they strike a verbal agreement with a team during the NBA's annual moratorium period, but sources said that the Clippers have pushed to secure a meeting Wednesday in Houston for coach/team president Doc Rivers and possibly owner Steve Ballmer to make one last face-to-face pitch to Jordan in an attempt to convince him to walk away from the four-year, $80-plus million max deal he committed to with the Mavericks and instead stay with L.A.
Sources say that some Clippers players have been in contact in recent days as well with Jordan, who informed both teams of his decision last Friday and then flew to his offseason home in Houston.
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Sources told ESPN's Chris Broussard that Jordan has told people close to him since picking Dallas that he's still "torn" and "unsure" about his choice.
Clearly, Los Angeles is in a tough spot. It does not have cap space with which to sign an impact player, and it failed to figure out a way to get Roy Hibbert. I suppose the Clippers thought that it was worth another shot with Jordan if the alternative was starting somebody like JaVale McGee. The most amazing part of this, though, is that Jordan would actually consider it. This was all but officially a done deal, and now Yahoo Sports is also reporting that Jordan started having second thoughts this week -- Blake Griffin has reportedly already talked to him, both he and Chris Paul will be at the meeting in Houston on Wednesday, per the Orange County Register. Dallas must be freaking out.
It's kind of incredible that this is a real story, right? I mean, Chandler Parsons is out here calling Jordan "the best center in the NBA." The Mavericks pitched Jordan on having a much bigger role, and perhaps the Clippers are desperately promising him the same thing. According to USA Today, the Cilps "weren't happy" with how Dallas recruited him in the first place. They were also upset that Dallas got a dinner and a meeting with Jordan, while they only got a meeting, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This is the biggest decision of Jordan's career, and it has huge ramifications for both franchises. It would be unprecedented for him to reverse course now, but he technically hasn't signed anything. The free agency moratorium will be lifted on Thursday.
