Things are just going from bad to worse for the Los Angeles Clippers. After dealing away point guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, an 8-11 start has been dreadful for a franchise that’s won 51 or more games in each of the last five seasons.
Even more bad news came down on Tuesday when it was announced that Blake Griffin could be out for at least two months after spraining his MCL on Monday night against the crosstown-rival Lakers.
That leaves center DeAndre Jordan — who was once apart of a fearsome trio alongside Griffin and Paul — by himself on a roster that was pieced back together after the Paul trade brought back seven players in return.
He might not stay in Los Angeles for long, though. ESPN’s Rachel Nichols speculated that Jordan would be available on the trade market now with the Clippers’ best player sidelined for an extended period of time.
Jordan is signed through the 2018-19 season, where he is owed over $46 million in that stretch. For a franchise that is trending downward, getting Jordan’s contract off the books could help Los Angeles execute a pseudo-rebuild to surround Griffin with a new cast.
The 29-year-old Jordan is one of the most imposing low-post presences in the NBA, leading the league in field goal percentage every year for the past five seasons. He’s on pace to be among the league leaders again this season as he’s shooting at a 66.1-percent clip while averaging 10 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.
