DeAndre Jordan got it right this time.
He was wise not to ignore his gut feeling on this one. Going to Dallas would’ve been a mistake. Lob City is where he needs to be.
Jordan, late Wednesday night, agreed to return to the Clippers, spurning the Mavs’ four-year, $80 million offer to accept the Clips’ four-year, max offer worth an estimated $88 million. His change of heart likely will spark heated arguments about reneging on well-publicized verbal agreements. Oh well. NBA commissioner Adam Silver isn’t crying foul. Jordan had a right to change his mind. Sorry, Mavs. A deal is never sealed until it’s signed.
It’s understandable how Jordan was swept away by the Mavs’ charming proposal. Mark Cuban and Chandler Parsons really sold him on the possibility of finally discovering the untapped potential Chris Paul and Blake Griffin purportedly made it impossible for him to find. No one in Dallas, Cuban and Parsons told Jordan, would get in the way of him emerging as a perennial All-Star. They declared Jordan a franchise player, promising him that he’d get his chance to prove it to everyone else, especially once Dirk Nowitzki hung it up.
But how else were the Mavs going to lure Jordan? They couldn’t promise a real opportunity to compete for a championship. Jordan would’ve made the Mavs better, but even with him, and Wesley Matthews, being added to the roster, they weren’t going to be serious contenders in the Western Conference next season. Nowitzki, the team’s centerpiece, is aging and in decline. They haven’t won a playoff series since winning it all four years ago. The Mavs were banking on Jordan putting his ego ahead of a better opportunity to win. Unfortunately for them, he came to his senses. Better late than never.
The Clippers, who fell a win shy of reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time last season, don’t have the best title odds heading into next season, but they’re certainly a lot closer to the Larry O’Brien trophy than the Mavs at the moment. And here’s what Parsons and Cuban probably didn’t tell Jordan during those negotiations: Great players are great no matter where they play. If Jordan truly is better than what he’s shown himself to be, he’ll prove it next season after being assured that he’ll be featured in the team’s offense more. Playing alongside Chris Paul, an elite point guard, and Blake Griffin, a still-young power forward who’s playing at a high level, isn’t a hindrance. It never was. Jordan needs guys like Paul and Griffin to reach the mountaintop. He has his big contract. Winning should be the priority now. He has a better chance of doing that with the Clippers. Besides, being the man isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Carmelo Anthony is making a ton of money in New York, but look what kind of shape the Knicks are in.
Jordan could potentially build something special with Paul and Griffin, especially if an evolution in his game elevates the Clippers to another level. And what better place for a true star to shine than Los Angeles? He could’ve had the decency to personally level with the Mavs Wednesday night, but there’s no question he ultimately made the right choice. The best part of his decision? He pocketed an extra $8 million.
Yeah, Jordan made a smart choice alright.