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We are just 10 days away from the NBA trade deadline and there is still no resolution on the DeAndre Jordan situation. Jordan is by far the biggest name in trade talks this year, with his name appearing in trade rumor headlines as early as last month. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor spoke about Jordan and this very quiet trade deadline.
O'Connor brings an update on Jordan situation. According to him, a possible team involved on the other end of the deal could be the Miami Heat:
“It’s been reported that the Cavaliers, Bucks, and Blazers all have interest in DeAndre Jordan. There are also rumblings about a swap with the Heat for Hassan Whiteside, which doesn’t entirely make sense for either side, but is out there nonetheless.”
As O'Connor points out, the trade does not appear to make sense at first instance as the Heat would give up a good contract and their franchise player in exchange for a soon-to-be free agent. O'Connor adds:
“One of the hurdles in any deal for Jordan is that he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Though Jordan and his new agent, Jeff Schwartz, will seek a max contract worth more than $30 million annually, there’s a possibility that he’ll end up opting into his $24.1 million contract for 2018-19. There are so few teams with max contract space available this summer, and a 30-year-old center who can’t shoot isn’t the type of player that teams will clear the books for.”
If this trade happens, it should include additional assets — like draft picks or young players. One would not expect Pat Riley, one of the top executives around the league, to accept a one-on-one trade for a player that does not really help Miami's chances of winning the Eastern Conference. Still, if you have been around for long enough, I am sure you are aware that anything is possible.
