The Los Angeles Lakers are having a start no one expected. Sitting at 20-19, the squad pitted for a championship has not played well this season. Even these 20 wins were mostly out of the pure genius of LeBron James. The King is known for influencing the front office of his team and he might have played a hand again, as recent reports came out that DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore are on the trading block. Of course, that is just insinuation, but it is still going to invoke some connections to the past situations where James had his say about the trades within his team. Regardless, DeAndre Jordan will probably seek a new home by the February trade deadline. To help him and the Lakers, here are two best trade destinations for DeAndre Jordan.
DeAndre Jordan trade destinations
Miami Heat
It might be odd that the Heat is even in the conversation. This is a squad that defied expectations, but in a positive way, unlike the Lakers. The Heat is currently 24-15, sitting at fourth in the Eastern Conference. Their squad of veterans is gelling very well, and they seem destined to make a deep run in the playoffs. However, the Lakers might help them even more, if they decide to trade DeAndre Jordan to the former three-time NBA champions.
The Heat have an issue with rebounding and inside defense. Right now, according to Basketball Reference, the Heat are 11th in defensive rating, which would be even better if they could have more inside presence. Bam Adebayo is a solid player in the middle, but he needs help. He is also out due to a thumb issue, which has left the Heat stranded in the middle. Granted, DeAndre Jordan has not been ideal for the Lakers this season, but he is still a savvy veteran who can block shots and rebound.
This season for the Lakers, Jordan was not able to assert his usual influence on the game. However, he was still able to block almost one shot and catch 5.7 rebounds per game, in just 13.2 minutes per game. In contrast, with these numbers, he would be the best shot-blocker and fifth-best rebounder in the Heat. It is difficult to see whether coach Eric Spoelstra can get the best out of Jordan again, but it is worth a try.
What is also very relevant for the Heat is that Jordan does not come with a huge price tag. The Heat have an inflated salary bill, so getting any help at a reduced price would be ideal for them. This move would be good in theory, if Jordan can channel his solid defensive and rebounding game. What should make Heat fans excited if this happens is that Jordan would be another veteran and as we can see from this season, the Heat and coach Spo have done well with the older players they have had on this roster.
Charlotte Hornets
Another team that the Lakers could potentially bolster with a DeAndre Jordan trade is the Charlotte Hornets. The team in a tense fight for the postseason in the competitive Eastern Conference is somewhat similar to the Heat. The Hornets have some great players, but they severely lack inside presence that would allow them to control their defensive glass and potentially block more shots. The difference is, however, that they have a fairly solid contribution in rim protection from everyone on the team, thus they are eighth in the league in blocks per game.
Still, where the Lakers center can help is the rebounding, especially in defense, and big men rotations. As of right now, the Hornets have Mason Plumlee and PJ Washington playing center. While both are viable options, Plumlee is the only real center getting minutes on the roster, while Washington is more of a stretch forward. Jordan could expand that rotation so that Washington can be better utilized. While he would not play major minutes, Jordan would be able to really bolster the rotation of big men they have in Charlotte.
Additionally, the defense of the Hornets is not in an ideal place right now. That is possibly due to the fact that there is no anchor in the middle to help. It needs to be said that the Lakers veteran is not the utopian defender each team needs, but the Hornets are young and they need help any way they can get it. Jordan would be able to provide a lot of experience and guidance, especially defensively. It is not ideal, it has to be said once again, but the Hornets would take anything right now to improve the third-worst rated defense in the league.
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