DeAndre Jordan against the Boston Celtics (Photo : Jared Wickerham | Getty Images Sport)
It sounds improbable, but a DeAndre Jordan trade has already been discussed and the Clippers may be pushed to panic.
The LA Clippers are a team in disarray as they continue to lose and there are issues that lie deep.
The roster is talented but it was risky. The gamble for Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith did not seem to work well. It got to a point when Smith was heard through the locker room in a heated discussion with an assistant coach.
According to Sir Charles in Charge, the team is in disarray. "There are clearly issues in Los Angeles that go beyond the results on the schedule. You would think that if a team was strong enough internally, they would be able to push through a rough patch without any craziness, if that's indeed what the Clippers are going through right now, who are 2-7 in their last nine contests. But that's not the case."
In the pre-season, Bleacher Report ran this video feature on the "NBA Stars Most Likely to be Traded" and Ric Bucher controversially stated that it was DeAndre Jordan.
In a Real GM forum, a three-way trade for DeAndre Jordan was proposed. This involved the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. Of course, this is after the trade restriction on newly signed DeAndre and if the Clippers are still not working out.
The Clippers would send DeAndre Jordan to the Boston Celtics and Stephenson and Smith to the Sixers.
For Boston, they would give up Tyler Zeller to the Kings Jared Sullinger and the 2016 Brooklyn Nets pick to the Sixers.
The Sixers would give up Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington to the Clippers.
The reason for the Clippers was to dump Stephenson and Smith, but no one would do that for them unless they got something in return. It will be tough for them to give up DeAndre, but they will get Noel (who could develop to be DeAndre) as well as Tyler Zeller and Robert Covington to give them youth and depth.
As the B/R video said, Jordan may still have issues with the Clippers, specifically Chris Paul, and those may unravel if they keep losing.
The Boston Celtics will give up Sullinger and Zeller, players they are probably shopping or at least not extending. The Nets pick would be the big one here, but they will get DeAndre Jordan, a young center in his prime who could be Defensive Player of the Year. How can they be sure that the Nets pick would get them that?
It was rumored that the Celtics could trade that pick for DeMarcus Cousins but they are wary of Cousins' attitude. Jordan is not perfect but he is still very coachable, as former Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.
For the Sixers, they lose one of their assets who was not a good fit with their other asset, Jahlil Okafor. They'll take some players that won't fit but for that, they get another possible lottery pick-which is what they have been doing for the past two seasons.
Again, this is just a trade proposal, but the Celtics would definitely ask about DeAndre if he's available. The Sixers would ask about the Nets pick and Doc Rivers could push the panic button to build a better team around CP3 and Blake Griffin.
