Just five years removed from “The Decision”, the NBA offseason continues to be at the top of the hot-stove in professional sports.
Instead of Lebron James commanding the attention of sports fans everywhere, it’s big man Deandre Jordan that is leading the pack. Jordan gave a verbal commitment to signing with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. In a rare, but not unprecedented move, Jordan is considering returning to the Clippers, the team that drafted him 35th overall in the 2008 NBA draft.
It is not the first time Jordan has had thoughts about where to bring his talents. In 2011, Jordan signed an offer sheet with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, nevertheless, the Clippers matched the offer and Jordan stayed.
Fast forward four years, after a disappointing early exit in the playoffs, teams rallied hard to obtain the big man who came off the best year of his career. While, Jordan was pursued by the Bucks, Lakers, and Clippers, the Mavs made the most impactful pitch to snag him. Jordan agreed to a 4-year, $80 million dollar deal with the Mavericks, prompting panic in Clipper nation. To many the move did not make sense. The Clippers seem one piece away from a championship, while the Mavs appear more than a couple away from being a serious contender. Doc Rivers presence seemed to help elevate Jordan to the elite status where he belongs. However, rumblings about a strained relationship with Chris Paul continue to rare its ugly head.
According to sources, Jordan reached out to Doc Rivers to express “second thoughts” about his verbal agreement with Dallas. ESPN’s Chris Broussard expressed that sources told him that Jordan was “torn” or “unsure” about his decision. Music to eccentric Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s ears. According to Arash Markazi from ESPNLA, family and friends were pressuring Jordan to sign with Dallas, but his doubts remained even after the verbal agreement, a good sign for Lob City.
The Clippers appear confident that they will resign Jordan. Ballmer, Doc Rivers flew to Houston on Wed to meet with Jordan hoping to convince Jordan to return to LA. Former teammates, J.J. Reddick and Chris Paul went along for the ride to lobby for their team. Blake Griffin who instagrammed a photo of himself on a beach in Kauai, an hour later he tweeted an emoji of a plane, a helicopter, and a car, sparking people to believe that he is leaving his vacation to join the recruit.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wasted no time heading to Houston to try to convince his prize off-season conquest to stick to his word and help the Mavs return to elite status. Chandler Parsons joined in on the emoji war and tweeted a transportation emoji of his own.
We can not be sure what decision Jordan will make after this courting affair ends. The league’s moratorium on official deals ends on Thursday. After the verbal deal Jordan would be expected to sign with the Mavs on July 9th, since that is the earliest day that players and teams can officially sign contracts.
Not sure about you, but I am on the edge of my seat once again. Which team will Deandre choose?
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