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Dallas Mavericks Rumors: DeAndre Jordan trade talks gaining steam

By Kohl Rast

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 02: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers talks with referee Karl Lane #77 during a time out in the game against the New York Knicks at Staples Center on March 2, 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 - MARCH 02: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers talks with referee Karl Lane #77 during a time out in the game against the New York Knicks at Staples Center on March 2, 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) /
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DeAndre Jordan may be returning to the Dallas Mavericks for the first time. After causing a lot of pain to the Mavs fanbase just a few years ago, perhaps the two parties reuniting can be a good thing, as it appears to be a high possibility.

Rumors have been floating around that the Dallas Mavericks are opening up space to sign a free agent to a potential max contract this summer. If all goes according to plan, the Mavs could have just under $30 million in free money to offer up to the player of their choosing. It could be a restricted free agent who will be putting their team in a tight spot, or an unrestricted free agent looking for a change.

Or maybe it could be neither.

The Mavericks and Clippers are reportedly in serious talks about a sign and trade to bring DeAndre Jordan to Dallas (per Marc Stein of the New York Times). Although the details of the trade are not known yet, most people speculate that it would include swapping DeAndre Jordan for Wesley Matthews, with potential draft compensation as well.

The Clippers would likely buyout Matthews’ deal while Dallas would then have a rim-running center to add to the team building. This would be a pretty spectacular deal if Dallas can pull it off before free agency starts.

But wait, there’s more!

Not only would Dallas be acquiring a center to immediately step into an important role, but they would also be able to keep over $24 million in cap space for another free agent. This could help push another star to Dallas for a 6th man option and may get the team into legitimate playoff contention.

Then you add in the fact that the Mavs would not be under any long term commitment with Jordan and things get even more interesting, turning this season into a bit of a “prove yourself” moment for DJ. If he does prove himself, the Mavs may keep him around and if not they can kick him to curb.

The Mavs fanbase has had a little bit of time to settle in to this fact and people are realizing that bringing the big man in may not be the worst thing. Also, there is still a chance that Dallas could switch their focus to another free agent, like the ones listed here by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The free agency period opens up at midnight eastern time on July 1st. If there is no news for a DeAndre Jordan deal before that time, the Mavs may be looking through the free agent market first. Stay tuned.