On 2nd Thought, DeAndre Jordan is Staying a Clipper

09 Jul, 2015

DeAndre Jordan gave the Dallas Mavericks his word. Then he gave the Los Angeles Clippers his signature.

After a Clippers contingent including Blake Griffin, J.J. Redick, Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers descended on Jordan’s home in Houston on Wednesday night for a last-ditch push to keep their defensive pillar, Jordan backed out of a verbal agreement with the Mavericks to stay with the only NBA home he’s ever had.

The Clippers announced Jordan’s deal late Wednesday night. It’s a four-year pact worth more than $87 million, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The terms, first reported by USA Today, include a player option after the third season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team was not releasing contract details.

The Clippers also sent out a tweet welcoming Jordan back to Los Angeles.

“WE’RE OFFICIALLY CENTERED,” the tweet read.

Jordan initially agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $80 million to leave the Clippers after seven seasons and join the Mavericks, a team that offered him a more featured role on offense. But that was last Friday, and the contract could not be signed until 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, according to NBA rules.

That gave Jordan time to think it over, and when word got back to the Clippers that he was having second thoughts, they pounced.

They gathered to meet with Jordan and talk things over, then held the Mavericks at bay as owner Mark Cuban tried to get one more meeting to close the deal.

Cuban and Jordan’s agent, Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, tried repeatedly to reach the big man while he was holed up in his house with his teammates to no avail.

Jordan has led the NBA in rebounding the past two years and is coming off career highs in scoring and rebounding at 11.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game.

AP

Image LA clippers twitter

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