Imagine you're searching for a new apartment because you think there's a better living situation out in the world. You're done with your roommate and ready to see what's available. But the longer the search goes, the more you realize there's not a great deal to be found. So you stick with your old roomie, pretending you wanted to stay there all along. And now the rent has gone up, and it's due soon. Awkward, right?
Congratulations, you are the Clippers, and your roommate is DeAndre Jordan.
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Los Angeles actively shopped Jordan throughout the season but ultimately kept the big man past the Feb. 8 trade deadline. The Clippers felt they were getting close to completing a deal with the Cavs this past Thursday, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, but once it was clear the Cavs were going in a different direction with multiple trades as opposed to a Jordan blockbuster, the Clippers decided to keep their current roster intact.
So Jordan is still in a Clippers uniform — but he might not be happy about it. Consider his lack of confidence when asked if he feels wanted in LA...
DeAndre got real about the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/GkJ8t0dvD6
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 10, 2018
... and his response when president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and team consultant Jerry West said he turned down an extension.
Attended the clipper playbook conversation with Lawrence Frank and Jerry West. They said @DeAndre was offered an extension but refused. Hope he doesn’t walk away this off season. #stayDJ #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/nGURi8xxQ2
— Steve (@steveomori) February 9, 2018
— DeAndre Jordan (@DeAndre) February 9, 2018
Jordan might be holding some resentment toward Clippers management, and understandably so. He has logged the most games in franchise history, playing at least 77 games in each of the last five seasons prior to 2017-18. After earning his first All-Star selection last year, his production has dipped without Chris Paul (nearly a seven percent drop in field goal percentage), but Jordan has still been effective in the paint, averaging 11.4 points and a career-high 15.1 rebounds per game. He is right behind Pistons center Andre Drummond in defensive and overall rebounding percentage, and he is among the league leaders in points off putbacks.
But as the old cliche goes, the NBA is still a business. The Clippers viewed Jordan as an expensive asset leading up to the deadline, one who could net a first-round pick or blue-chip youngster. Then the moment came when Frank and West had to go back to the old apartment, and Jordan was sitting in a chair waiting to turn on the lamp with an ominous stare. Jordan has a player option for next season worth $24.1 million, but he could decline it in favor of free agency, essentially telling the Clippers, "Hey, the rent is higher now. Time to pay up."
Los Angeles' decision-making process will be interesting as the team is currently ninth in the West, only a half-game back of the Pelicans and Nuggets for a playoff spot. The Clippers just signed Lou Williams to a three-year extension and have several players under contract through next season, so finding a new path wouldn't be simple.
The Clippers could keep Jordan if he opts in, reset the trade clock and compete for a playoff spot. But that road could keep them stuck in NBA purgatory. Let Jordan walk, and the Clippers can completely put the nail in the coffin on the "Lob City" era. But with veterans remaining on the roster and changes to the NBA lottery system ready to be put into effect, how much of a rebuild would it truly be?
Aside from that, there are also questions about handing over a lucrative contract to a soon-to-be 30-year-old who appears to be entering a decline after a decade in the league. It's unlikely Jordan and the Clippers will quickly come to an agreement on his value to the team or the terms of a new deal if Jordan is tweeting emojis to dispute the fact that there was an extension on the table in the first place.
What happens next? That's the big question in LA, and it's difficult to offer a definitive answer. But as long as Jordan and the Clippers' front office are living under the same roof, it's definitely going to be a little bit uncomfortable.
