Jordan saga has many twists and turns for Clippers
Doc Rivers gave a quick answer when asked about DeAndre Jordan coming back to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“He never left,” the Clippers’ coach said.
Technically, that’s true.
In actuality, many the Dallas Mavericks most assuredly included would probably disagree. The fallout from Jordan’s Texas two-step already had some saying Thursday that the way the league handles the offseason moratorium that doubles as a frenzied free-agent shopping period needs to change going forward.
The moratorium, a dead-period of sorts that is in place in part so league officials can have time to crunch all the numbers from one fiscal year and set a salary cap for the coming season, will surely be a hot topic now at NBA meetings in Las Vegas next week. The National Basketball Players Association said it fully supports the right of both players and teams to consider their options during the moratorium, which is scheduled to last 11 days next year.
“Everybody realizes it’s something that has to be looked at,” Brooklyn general manager Billy King said.
Jordan formally re-signed with the Clippers on Thursday, ending one of the strangest sagas in recent free-agent history. He verbally committed to the Mavericks on Friday, word became widely known that he was wavering when a Clippers contingent arrived at his Houston home Wednesday for what apparently was a last-ditch push to keep him, and the Mavericks lost their man.
A handshake deal, in this case, was no deal.
“We all walk into these conversations understanding that as with any business contract, it’s not a deal until the paper is signed,” union spokeswoman Tara Greco said.
In Dallas, owner Mark Cuban was predictably unhappy. He got fined $25,000 by the NBA earlier in the week for raving about what Jordan would mean to the Mavericks he violated a rule of the moratorium by talking about a player who wasn’t under contract then wound up not getting the deal signed.
Other signings: The San Antonio Spurs announced Thursday the addition of forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
The 6-11 Aldridge spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Last year, he averaged a career-high 23.4 points per game along with 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
The 29-year-old has averaged 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.79 blocks and 1.6 assists in 40.4 minutes in the playoffs.
• Cuban gave free agent guard Wesley Matthews an out after accepting the reality that DeAndre Jordan was spurning Dallas to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Matthews turned him down, deciding to stand by his agreement to sign with a franchise that could be reeling for a long time over Jordan’s stunning reversal.
• A person with knowledge of the negotiations says shooting guard Gerald Green has agreed a one-year deal to join the Miami Heat. The person says Green will sign for $1.4 million.
• Brook Lopez has been with the Nets his whole career and didn’t want to look anywhere else.
Thaddeus Young has been here just a few months and felt the same way.
Lopez and Young said Thursday they both quickly committed to re-sign with Brooklyn, wanting to stay together after they played well down the stretch in leading the Nets into the playoffs last season.