Remember when DeAndre Jordan announced that he was signing a 4 year, $80 million with the Mavericks? Well…
Free agents are traditionally considered off limits once they strike a verbal agreement with a team during the NBA’s annual moratorium period. Sources, though, said the Clippers have pushed to secure a meeting Wednesday in Houston for coach and team president Doc Rivers and possibly owner Steve Ballmer to make one last face-to-face pitch to Jordan in an attempt to persuade him to walk away from the four-year, $80-plus million max deal he committed to with the Mavericks and instead stay with L.A.
Sources say that in recent days some Clippers players also have been in contact with Jordan. Blake Griffin huddled with him Tuesday night, according to sources, and Chris Paul — whose reportedly strained relationship with Jordan has been pinpointed as a factor in the center’s initial decision to take Dallas’ offer — could join the process Wednesday.
Sources told ESPN’s Chris Broussard that Jordan has told people close to him since picking Dallas that he’s still “torn” and “unsure” about his decision.
The Clippers are catching heat for breaking one of basketball’s unwritten rules – contacting players who have made a verbal agreement with a team during the moratorium period. July 8th is the last day of the moratorium.
Faced with a gaping hole at center and no salary cap space, Doc Rivers clearly doesn’t give a crap about the unwritten rules.
Shouldn’t be surprised Doc trying to talk DeAndre out of verbal agreement… Same guy who thought it was okay to talk way out of signed one.
— Justin Termine (@TermineRadio) July 8, 2015
UPDATE:
Source close to #Clippers tells me that DJ reached out to Doc Monday night saying that he made a mistake, which triggered chain of events
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) July 8, 2015
