What's the statute of limitations on the crime of changing your mind during free agency? For DeAndre Jordan, I think the time is up.
The Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards swapped a guard for a center Tuesday — Austin Rivers for Marcin Gortat — and that surely signals the end for Jordan in Los Angeles. Could he be headed to Dallas, perhaps by opting in to the final year of his contract before being traded?
If you're the Mavericks, you have to forgive and forget. Jordan changed his mind three years ago after committing to Dallas. His reversal, fueled by teammates Blake Griffin and Chris Paul convincing him to stay the course in LA, cost the Mavericks Tyson Chandler, who signed with Phoenix while Jordan was waffling.
Young men make mistakes. If you thought Jordan was good for your team in 2015, he's still good for your team in 2018. Perhaps even better.
When the Mavs thought they were getting the Texas A&M product three years ago, Jordan was coming off a season of 11.5 points, 15 rebounds and 39.7 percent shooting at the foul line. The last figure nearly negated the first two. The Clippers regularly had to remove him from key moments in games to prevent the other team from intentionally fouling the awful free-throw shooter.
This past season with Paul gone and Griffin traded in the middle of it all, the Clippers missed the playoffs. Jordan toiled in relative obscurity. But he produced 12.0 points, 15. 2 rebounds and (drum roll) shot 58 percent from the foul line.
Jordan was a second-round pick 10 years ago but he doesn't turn 30 until next month. He can still do the things he has always done. And it's possible that while Tuesday's trade might have opened the door for Jordan to come to Dallas, it might have closed the door on DeMarcus Cousins.
Who knows what the Wizards have in mind exactly, but you don't trade Gortat — a starting center — without a plan. Is Washington looking at some kind of deal to land Cousins, the free agent from New Orleans who might be out until around Jan. 1 with an Achilles injury?
The pieces will start falling into place in the next week. Shockingly, not all of them are tied to LeBron James' decision. If Jordan becomes available and the Mavericks deal for him — as long as it doesn't cost them Harrison Barnes — they should consider this offseason a success. And fans should gladly put the disappointment of 2015 behind them.
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