Barely two months before the NBA trade deadline expires in February, rumors are swirling around Los Angeles Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan. Many teams are expected to bid for the two-time rebounding leader should the Clippers front office decide to put him in the trade market.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly thinking of pairing him with Eric Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Earlier, some Cleveland Cavaliers fans voiced out their concern to replace Tristan Thompson and one of the names mentioned is DeAndre. But will the Clippers front office trade him?

The only healthy starter

As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, “L.A. Clippers All-Star center DeAndre Jordan has hired new representation with trade discussions and free agency on his immediate horizon.” The 29-year old All-Star center has been without representation these past two years.

Last summer, the Clippers management offered DeAndre a contract extension. As per league sources, the Clippers front office has not ruled out the possibility of working or re-signing him. Why not? DeAndre is the only remaining starter in the lineup.

First, they lost Milos Teodosic with an injured plantar fascia of his left foot. Two weeks later, Danilo Gallinari was placed on the injured list due to a strained left glute.

The good news about the two is they showed up at a group practice of the club’s NBA Development League team last Monday.

Meanwhile, Blake Griffin is expected to be out for up to two months after spraining his left MCL last week. Unfortunately, starting point guard Patrick Beverly is also expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a microfracture and torn meniscus in his right knee.

All-around game

So why would NBA teams want to get DeAndre Jordan? The reasons are quite visible – twice he led the league in rebounding and was named in the NBA All-Defensive First Team (2015-16). According to Hoops Habit, DeAndre Jordan’s pick-and-roll defense just allowed 0.89 points per possession last season – the same number posted by Boston Celtics big man Al Horford.

On the offensive end, DeAndre leads the league in field goal percentage during the last five seasons, averaging no less than 60 percent. Currently, he holds the all-time record at 67.7 percent – holding a 7.8 percent differential against NBA Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore who has a career record of 59.9 field goal percentage and holds the second spot.

Flaws

Why NBA teams won’t trade for DeAndre Jordan? If you haven't noticed yet, he's known for having bad free throw percentage. While he's not the worst free throw shooter in the NBA, he’s certainly in the vicinity of the Top 10 list.

And since he cannot shoot from the free throw line, it doesn’t take a genius to say that he doesn’t have the capability to shoot from the outside.

Therefore, DeAndre Jordan doesn’t have the capacity to play stretch-5 which is the current trend for big men in the NBA.

In addition, DeAndre Jordan will be on his 10th season in the NBA by next season, making him eligible to get a max deal worth 35 percent of the total salary cap. It's evident when he hired an agent that he is gunning for a max deal which could reach a little over $35 million!

Spending this amount big man who will turn 30 by then who is still without any championship experience and unable to play beyond the arc remains a questionable idea for NBA team executives. While a shorter contract might do the trick while he’s at the peak of career, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers might not be the right team for DeAndre Jordan.
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