Not all is well in Clipperland. Los Angeles is 6-13 since the start of November, and with Patrick Beverley out for the season and Blake Griffin likely stuck on the bench until late January, the Clippers could be a team ready to sell ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Taking a look at the roster, the most likely candidate is center DeAndre Jordan. The All-Star big man recently hired Jeff Schwartz to represent him after two years without an agent to help him figure out his future with the Clippers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That could mean re-signing with LA before the end of his current deal, as Jordan owns a player option which would allow him to become a free agent before the 2018-19 season. However, if the train fully derails and it becomes a lost season in LA, the front office might take a hard look at getting some sort of return for its healthiest trade asset.
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Who might be interested? Look no further than the Bucks. Milwaukee is among multiple teams "kicking the tires hard" on a potential Jordan trade, according to Bleacher Report's Ken Berger, who notes the Bucks want to add size and rebounding at the trade deadline. Jordan definitely checks both of those boxes.
He's listed at 6-11 (is this one of those instances where a guy doesn't want to be considered a 7-footer?) and is averaging 14.4 rebounds per game, second in the NBA to only Pistons center Andre Drummond (15.3). It's been a down scoring season for Jordan without his favorite alley-oop partner in Chris Paul, but it's not as though the Bucks would expect him to be the No. 1 option. They already have a top-10 offense with an MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, but their defense is still below the league average.
Acquiring Jordan would likely force head coach Jason Kidd to adjust his blitz-heavy scheme — it feels like he has already dialed it back a bit in recent games — and not force Jordan to step up like this...
... but rather let him patrol the paint like this.
Offensively, Jordan could give Kidd the chance to play with different lineups. For example, having Antetokounmpo as the lead ball handler with Jordan as a pick-and-roll partner and multiple shooters around the perimeter would force opposing defenses to make difficult decisions quickly. Jordan was in the 99th percentile among roll men last season, forcing help defenders to always keep an eye out for runs to the rim.
Imagine this pick-and-roll with Jordan in Thon Maker's spot and shooters in Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and Khris Middelton along the 3-point line. It's a pick-your-poison game for Antetokounmpo.
Milwaukee also has some advantages in terms of finding a workable trade for Jordan. Schwartz served as Kidd's agent during the future Hall of Famer's playing career. It would be naive to think Schwartz and Kidd won't have some friendly conversations about Schwartz's new client.
When it comes to a potential trade package, the Bucks possess the kinds of enticing pieces that should interest the Clippers. But what are they willing to give up? If the Clippers are still considering re-signing Jordan, they won't just toss him to the first suitor that calls about his status. Is injured forward Jabari Parker on the table? Does LA want draft picks?
Not only that, but the basketball fit is far from perfect. Jordan could end up clogging the paint even more for Antetokounmpo if lineups and rotations get wonky.
If Kidd wants his team to stay aggressive defensively, can Jordan adjust? This trade would put great pressure on Kidd, and another first-round exit in the playoffs would lead to speculation about his job security.
Like any big trade, there is a level of risk involved. Trading for Eric Bledsoe was a risk, and it has paid off early for the Bucks, who are 11-4 since bringing him into the fold. Milwaukee must consider these big questions to find out if Jordan is worth another big gamble.
