The Brooklyn Nets may end up destroying free agency this summer, as Kyrie Irving seems like a shoo-in to end up there, and he is trying to convince Kevin Durant to join him.
Not only that, but Irving is also trying to lure DeAndre Jordan, who is good friends with both Irving and Durant.
So, should the Nets be interested in Jordan?
The answer is a resounding yes.
While Jordan may not be the same player he was a few years ago with the Los Angeles Clippers, he is still one of the top rebounders and rim protectors in basketball. At 6-foot-11, 265 pounds, he would go a long way to solving the Nets' problems on the interior.
That's not to take anything away from Jarrett Allen, who has been terrific for Brooklyn and is a really good defender in his own right. But we saw how much trouble Allen has against bigger centers in the Nets' first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, as Joel Embiid was simply too much for him on the low block.
Jordan would not have that problem, as he is very strong and is also an experienced defensive player.
Of course, the question would then become whether or not the Nets could play Jordan and Allen together, as their floor spacing would suffer. But they could always bring Allen off the bench, and against bigger teams, they could sometimes employ a Jordan-Allen pairing, which would be absolutely monstrous defensively.
Honestly, even if the Nets don't end up signing Irving and/or Durant (and they'll probably at least get Irving), they should still consider Jordan, as he would instantly make them better up front and would be a lethal threat in the pick-and-roll.
But let's for a second assume Brooklyn, at the very least, lands Kyrie. Imagine the pick-and-roll between Irving and Jordan? It would be like Lob City in Los Angeles all over again, except Irving is even more of a scoring threat than Chris Paul ever was.
The Nets showed this season that they are a scrappy team, but they were obviously miles away from seriously contending. However, with a ton of cap space this summer, they could become serious threats with the right moves. While Irving and Jordan would not make them title contenders, they would still make them an incredibly fun team to watch and possibly a top-four team in the East depending on what everyone else in the conference does offseason.
Think about this, as well: Jordan could serve as a mentor to Allen, especially considering Jordan is potentially Allen's ceiling (unless Allen incorporates a jumper into his game). So not only would Jordan make the Nets a better team, but he would also make Allen a better player, much like he did with Mitchell Robinson with the New York Knicks this past season.
Jordan seems like a natural fit in Brooklyn, so you can see why Irving is trying to get him to tag along. The Nets should unquestionably pursue Jordan, as he would absolutely elevate them on both ends of the floor. He may not be willing to take the pay cut required to sign in Brooklyn, but it is worth a shot.
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