Cleveland.com‘s Joe Vardon reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers "would consider" trading Tristan Thompson for DeAndre Jordan. Now, USA Today‘s Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgit say that the Cavaliers are also willing to part ways with Jr Smith and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick in order to acquire DeAndre Jordan. Should the Cavs and Clippers make this deal happen?
Reasons for Cavs and Clippers to do the deal
The Los Angeles Clippers are in a downward spiral. First, Chris Paul elected to leave in the off-season. The Clippers were able to get very little in return.
Then came the harsh reality. The Clippers were no longer a dominant team. Injuries also hit the team, and a nine-game losing streak took place. But once the Clippers traded their franchise player Blake Griffin it became apparent that they decided to wreck the ship and rebuild it. The Clippers can only hope of sneaking into the playoffs, but nothing more than that.
DeAndre Jordan is the Clippers' one player who remains a valuable asset that holds substantial value in the market and could help the Clippers clear a lot of cap space or get valuable players/draft picks in return. The 29-year-old has given everything he has to give to the Clippers. It seems highly improbable that he will play better basketball as he gets older.
He will lose some of his athleticism and consequently some of his defensive ability, and that is his greatest ability. Jordan has this season left in his contract and a player option for next season ($24 million). It might be time for the Clippers to get something in return for his services before it is too late. The Clippers certainly need youth and a new direction.
Tristan Thompson, 26, has three years left in his contract. He lost his starting job and will be receiving an average of $17 million per year. The Cavaliers could welcome ridding themselves of Thompson's contract and taking in Jordan for a single season. The Cavs need to make a final push this season to make the Finals with LeBron James and convince him to stay.
Jordan would certainly give them much needed defense. Thompson is a great offensive rebounder, but Jordan is an elite overall rebounder and rim protector and a force when he rolls to the basket after a screen. DeAndre Jordan is a legitimate All-Star.
JR Smith is also dispensable for the Cavaliers given his deplorable form this season on both ends of the floor. He holds an important contract that earns him $44 million over the next three years.
Cavs and Clippers do not need the deal
Adding DeAndre Jordan might not be the wisest thing to do for the Cavs in terms of basketball. LeBron functions best when the paint is cleared. Thus, very big, slow centers have never had a solid place in the LeBron system.
This is one reason why Kevin Love has slid to the center position this season, or when Chris Bosh did the same in Miami. LeBron needs an open lane in order to attack the rim and use his force to overpower any defender one-on-one.
The Cavaliers have their eyes set on their biggest rivals yet again, the Golden State Warriors, but DeAndre would help them very little in that potential Finals matchup. His infamously atrocious free-throw shooting, which is crucial in playoff games where scores are usually tighter, would push the coach to take him out in crunch time. In addition, Jordan's presence would not be needed to face the Warriors' small-ball. When Draymond Green is at center, it would be illogical to ask Jordan to defend Green around the perimeter.
On the other hand, the Clippers simply do not need Tristan Thompson. They do not need another big man who cannot score on his own. In addition, the 6"9 player is slightly undersized. The Clippers would get less scoring and less defense. JR Smith would surely give them less defense. One could say that the addition of a first-round draft pick, especially the one that belongs to the Nets, could make up for all of this. However, experts are not very confident in the talent level of next year's draft class. The Clippers need to go in a different direction, and in order to do so, they need new but reliable talent.
