Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has had an interesting week. Days after signing a four-year, $80 million contract which would have made him the new face of the Dallas Mavericks, Jordan backed out of the contract and re-signed with the Clippers.
Jordan reneged on his verbal agreement to sign with the Mavericks at the stroke of midnight on Thursday morning, the same day the NBA’s moratorium period ended. With one signature, Jordan dealt the Mavericks a crushing blow and revived the Clippers’ title hopes. Jordan will return as the third star behind Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, but with the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki nearing the end of his career at age 37, Jordan would have walked in as the new focal point of Dallas’ offensive and defensive game plans. But his ties to Los Angeles and his Clippers teammates were too strong for Jordan to break. Did the Clippers big man make the right decision? Stephen D. Riley and Perry Green of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.
Green: Jordan’s last-second change of heart paints a black mark on the league’s free agency format. The NBA is one of the most respected organizations in professional sports, and it’s defaming that such a media-charged story can spin out of hand and into national news. It sends a bad message about the league to future free agents. Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons was quoted as saying Jordan was “scared” to become Dallas’ franchise star, and he might have had a point. Jordan will always be the third fiddle in Los Angeles. But in Dallas, he would have been hailed as the new Shaquille O’Neal and been reacquainted to stardom in his hometown. I can’t see how any young big man wouldn’t want that, unless he was scared to take the next step forward. Huge mistake by Jordan.
Riley: The Clippers were one quarter away from making the Western Conference Finals last season. There’s no reason to break up the trio of Jordan, Paul and Griffin, who have the potential to make deep playoff runs as both Jordan and Griffin develop. The Clippers have a good team, but they have had to mature over the years. Turning his back on all the hard work that the team put in was something Jordan couldn’t do. Dallas wasn’t going to go anywhere with a still-developing Jordan, an aging Notwitzki and the up-and-down Parsons. Jordan’s best chances for a title remained in Los Angeles and I see it as a win for the NBA. For once, there wasn’t a star who wanted to fly the coup to seek bigger fortune and fame elsewhere. Jordan should be applauded for his decision. He cherishes his role and the skills that he brings to the team, and he actually showed unselfishness by remaining in L.A.
Green: Jordan showed his selfishness when he let Dallas make him a headline last weekend while secretly wishing the Clippers would show him some attention. Jordan’s whole free agency reminded me of a little boy running away from home just to try to teach his neglectful parents a lesson. Jordan’s image will forever be tarnished, and it’ll be interesting to see how both the media and commercial sponsors view him now. Dallas probably wouldn’t have been a strong title contender with Jordan in the middle. But I don’t buy into the hype that the Clippers will be any better this upcoming season than they’ve been in the past. Los Angeles is a talented but flawed team, and they’ll continue to remain that way with an undersized point guard and a center who can’t hit free throws consistently enough to stay on the court in clutch situations. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has shown an intuitive ability to build teams through free agency and I’m sure he would have done wonders with Jordan on the roster.
Riley: The Clippers are in a good place with All-Star talent and coach Doc Rivers at the helm. The Mavericks have the most recent championship between the two clubs, but L.A. is headed in the right direction. Jordan has the perfect setup in L.A., and enjoys the center’s dream of playing beside an all-pro point guard and a superstar big man. The allure of returning home to be the “man” in Dallas was charming, but if we’re talking pure basketball common sense, then it made all the sense in the world for Jordan to remain in California. Whether you agree or not, the Clippers are closer to a championship than the Mavericks, and becoming the “man” on any team requires winning a title or two in most cases. Jordan has the opportunity to shine on a winning team that should be in heavy contention next season. Returning to that kind of scenario makes all the sense in the world for any young center looking to build his brand and become a star.
