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The Milwaukee Bucks should make a move for DeAndre Jordan

By Ryan Magdziarz

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 22: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the LA Clippers reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 22: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the LA Clippers reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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NBA Trade Rumors: As the LA Clippers continue to spiral out of control, the Milwaukee Bucks should jump at the opportunity to add DeAndre Jordan

After starting a scorching hot, league best 4-0 to begin the season, the LA Clippers have lost 11 of their last 15 games, including a nine-game losing streak.

This just in: That’s not good. So “not good” that rumors are starting to swirl about head coach Doc Rivers’ job security, and the future of All-NBA center Deandre Jordan, who becomes a free agent after the season. If the last 14 games are any indication of how the rest of the season will play out for L.A., why not get a head start and blow up to rebuild?

This brings us to the juicy details. There is no way Blake Griffin is leaving. He signed a five-year, $173 million dollar promise to give the people in Staples Center what they want. Enter: DeAndre Jordan.

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A three-time All-NBA, two-time all-defensive team, and All-Star center who becomes the main focal point of teams in need of a rebounding rim protector.

Who are those teams you ask?

Any player who has rumors of being shopped would love to be a Cavalier, just like everyone and their mothers automatically play out a scenario in their heads of some great superstar teaming up with LeBron. But how realistic is Deandre to Cleveland?

The latest whispers were that LA and Cleveland could theoretically do a Jordon for Tristan Thomson (and draft pick) swap.

This hypothetical deal would help Cleveland defensively in so many ways, the first being rim protection. Thompson is a great defender and rebounder, but his sheer lack of size is apparent. Swapping Jordan for Thompson adds 2-3 inches in height, 7-8 inches in length, and light years of athletic ability.

If you can think back to the 2016 NBA Finals, Thompson was a crucial part of the formula the Cavs had taking down the Warriors. His energy and rim dives after high pick and rolls were über effective. During the 2017 Finals, not so much.

Jordan would be a pretty good fit next to LeBron’s and Isaiah Thomas’ play-making offensively out of the pick and roll, and defensively he would be a security blanket for their lack of stopping teams from scoring in the paint.

No question there’s a potential fit.

This hypothetical deal falls apart when it comes to what L.A. would expect in exchange. The Cavs are the oldest team in the NBA. They don’t exactly have young stud wings growing on trees, as they do in Boston. What they do have, however, is the 2018 Brooklyn Nets first-round pick.

Their most coveted asset, the 2018 Brooklyn Nets first-round pick, can’t be moved though. Its their safety net, in the even that LeBron leaves in free agency next summer.

And without the inclusion of such an asset, the Clippers likely don’t make the swap. After all, why would L.A. agree to a Tristan Thompson for DeAndre Jordan straight up exchange? It’d make no sense.

Enter the Milwaukee Bucks, who I believe are the favorites to land DeAndre Jordan.

Recently, the Bucks added a dynamic, explosive combo guard in Eric Bledsoe – and they only had to give up Greg Monroe. Even though Monroe isn’t the player he used to be, the loss diminished the team’s frontcourt depth.

For the majority of the season, Milwaukee has thrown out John Henson to start at center. While Henson isn’t a terrible option, he’s averaging a very pedestrian six points and six boards per game. Henson lacks a  true offensive game. has no go-to post moves and often gets pushed off the block with ease.

As of late, Jason Kidd has mixed up the starting rotation and has started sophomore Thon Maker down low the last eight games. Maker is similar in stature as Henson (7-foot-1 215 lbs), both are incredibly long but he is even more frail than the before mentioned Henson. Maker had much-needed playoff experience last season and played some big time crunch minutes that helped him mature at two times the speed of normal player progression.

Having said that, Maker is off to a slower start than some people expected after his promising rookie season, only averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 19 minutes.

Losing Monroe means having to rely on one of the players above for production, which already looks frightening for a team that has aspirations of beating the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals.

DeAndre Jordan, however, fits like a glove in the Milwaukee Bucks style of play. Imagine how effective a pick-and-roll will be at the top of the key with Giannis or Bledsoe as the primary ball handler. It’s truly becomes a pick your poison offense. Jordan’s strength offensively is what he does after a hard screen. He rim dives more effectively than almost anyone in the league.

At 6-foot-11, 270 lbs and his freakish athletic ability, no one can stop a lob from help-side rotation in time, after a Greek Freak dribble drive. If the defense executes a perfect initial stop of a pick and roll, there will be three shooters spotting up in the corners and on the wing. Khris Middleton is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter, while Mirza Teletovic, Tony Snell, and Malcolm Brogdon are all shooting over 46 percent from range this season.

All of a sudden, this offense is starting to sound an awful lot like a juggernaut team in H-Town, with the addition of a rebounding, defensive rim runner.

DeAndre Jordan makes $22.6 million this year, and has a player option next season, so it would almost mean the Bucks rent him for a year, while trying to pitch him to stay for a long-term commitment.

In order to get Jordan to Milwaukee, Jabari Parker may have to be included into the trade. The Bucks have plenty of young assets for the Clippers to choose from, and being talented with injury problems is right up the Clippers alley.

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The Milwaukee Bucks acquiring DeAndre Jordan makes a ton of sense. They are currently the worst team in rebounding and 22nd in defensive rating. DeAndre Jordan would do nothing but boost those numbers.

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