Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2018: 20 best players available

By Micah Wimmer

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 09: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on from the bench in the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center on April 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 09: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on from the bench in the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center on April 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

7. DeAndre Jordan

Last time DeAndre Jordan was a free agent, it led to one of the great nights in NBA Twitter history as Paul Pierce tweeted out a photo of a rocket emoji instead of actual tweeting an emoji and Clippers teammates “barricaded” the door to keep another team from signing Jordan instead. It was wild.

Now, three years later, Jordan may decline his $24 million player option in order to try to get one more big payday before he turns thirty on July 21. And his age is likely what may prevent many teams from vying too heavily for his services as it’s hard to imagine many front offices being super eager to pay a 33-year old DeAndre Jordan over 20 million dollars in a few years, especially considering how much Jordan relies on his athleticism. On the other hand, Jordan has shown no real signs of decline as last year he led the NBA in total rebounding percentage and averaged a double double for the fifth consecutive season. In spite of his free throw shooting woes, Jordan is a reliable player on both ends of the floor, scoring easily on lobs while also being an above average rim protector. He’s totaled over 56 Win Shares the last five seasons which feels too high, but makes sense considering how good he is at the things he does well and how important those skills are. In fact, of everyone from the 2008 Draft, only Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love have accumulated more over the course of their career.

Last year, many were concerned that Jordan’s game would decline due to the absence of Chris Paul, but he was able to put to rest the idea that he had only thrived because of Paul’s help, showcasing that he’s a very good center regardless of context. While I don’t expect an absolute ton of teams vying for Jordan’s services, there will be at least a few very eager suitors trying to add him as a complementary piece, hoping he can be what pushes them over the edge.

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