NBA Trade Deadline Portfolio 2018: DeAndre Jordan

In another year defined by injuries, the L.A. Clippers continue to tread water. Patrick Beverley’s season ended just 10 games into the schedule; Danilo Gallinari has played less than a quarter of the team’s games; Blake Griffin has missed 16 contests; the list goes on. Were it not for the consistent brilliance of Lou Williams and production from replacement-level players, there’s no telling how far this team might have sunk in the Western Conference standings. Even so, the Clippers remain on the fringes of the playoff picture with their hope tied up in G-League call-ups and players who struggle to stay on the court.

This was always a possibility. The Clippers are flimsy at key spots and not built to sustain even two major injuries. Lose secondary pieces like Gallinari and Beverley, and it places an even greater strain on Griffin as a primary option. Take him away, and the entire structure crumbles. Excessive burden falls to players who aren’t fully equipped to handle it, although Williams is giving it one hell of a shot. Still, it’s hard to see significant playoff upside, even with a healthy roster.

Even ironman DeAndre Jordan, who had been a rare constant, has finally succumbed to the injury plague as of late. The beauty of Jordan’s game — and what made for such an effective partnership with Chris Paul — is that he doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Jordan afforded Paul extra room to operate, sprung J.J. Redick open for 3s and anchored a sturdy defense. In return, he got a steady diet of dunks and blocked shots at one of the highest rates in the league.

The downside of that skill set is that it requires an environment in which others create opportunity. Paul’s absence is evident not just in the way L.A. plays, but in Jordan’s individual impact as well. After three consecutive All-NBA recognitions and an All-Star appearance, Jordan’s efficiency and defensive impact have slipped to four-year lows. Williams has done an adequate job approximating the playmaking role, but the rest of the Clippers don’t threaten opponents enough to fully unleash Jordan’s capabilities. His name has swirled in trade rumors for weeks, and as the deadline approaches, L.A. will likely think hard about trading him.

There is a market for Jordan. The question will be how much teams are willing to pay and whether he’d significantly alter someone’s upside enough to make the price worth it. A team like the Trail Blazers, with two elite scoring guards, might benefit from injecting his rim protection, vertical spacing and lack of demands. Perhaps Milwaukee decides to upgrade from John Henson. Murmurings of Jordan’s interest in Houston have surfaced, though the validity of that rumor is unclear. He would undoubtedly shore up the Cavaliers’ gaping interior defense, but it’s unclear if the Cleveland would surrender the shiny Nets pick for him or if he would nudge them meaningfully closer to challenging Golden State.

Jordan’s upcoming player option further complicates the situation. Most teams might have balk at paying a 30-year-old Jordan max money (or close to it), and won’t overpay for the right to make that choice. The Clippers themselves may not be willing to shell out another hefty contract if they top out as a seven-seed with this group. Only a handful of teams will have significant cap space this summer, and even fewer will be in the market for a center. Perhaps Jordan opts into his $24 million option for 2019 should the market prove too cool for his liking.

Just a few weeks ago, a Jordan trade felt imminent. Now, the Clippers would be justified to keep him, wait to get healthy again and shoot for a playoff spot. Trading him wouldn’t necessarily mean missing out on the playoffs, either. L.A. has surprisingly been better with Jordan off the floor this year, and slotting Griffin to center full-time would unlock stretchier, more versatile lineups that might be more conducive to winning.

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If the Clippers don’t want to undergo a full-scale rebuild, there are ways to shed Jordan, remain competitive now and set the foundation for a brighter and more stable long-term future. They might also consider flipping Williams, dazzling as he’s been, to avoid losing him for nothing as well, though that would be a much tougher sell given his surprising renaissance this year. These predicaments aren’t uncommon for middling teams; the Clippers simply avoided them for six years by virtue of having high-level talent. Now they must decide if a fragile roster is worth preserving.