DeAndre Jordan Wants to Be Traded to the Rockets, Says Stephen A. Smith

The L.A. Clippers star has been at the center of NBA Trade Deadline rumors throughout the season and appears to have zeroed in on the Rockets.

January 16, 2018

DeAndre Jordan during a game against the Kings. — Image via Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
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L.A. Clippers All-Star center DeAndre Jordan wants to be traded to the Houston Rockets, according to a report from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. Smith made the claim while discussing last night's wild locker room skirmish between the Rockets and Clippers on ESPN's First Take.

After a summer of musical chairs that saw 15 different former All-Stars change teams, Jordan is now considered one of the biggest prizes of the upcoming NBA Trade Deadline. At 29 years old, he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and with the NBA trending toward space-and-pace European lineups, Jordan is someone you have to craft your lineup around. He's not a shooter. He can't defend on the perimeter. He's a liability in crunch time because of his awful free throw shooting. Still, because of what he does bring, Jordan is reportedly a major target for both Milwaukee and Cleveland.

So where does Houston fit in? Well, no one is quite sure. Though ESPN's Zach Lowe reported the two sides had "semiserious" talks regarding a Jordan trade last season, I can't see it happening now. Houston's current center, Clint Capela, does many of the same things as Jordan, except he's only 23 years old and costs all of 10 percent of Jordan's $22.6 million deal. All of this isn't even taking into account Stephen A. Smith's penchant for—how should we put this...hyperbole?

Jordan is one of the most physically imposing players in the league, a big man capable of outrunning your guards and finishing above your forwards. He's also currently the league leader in rebounds. But if it comes down to a bidding war between Houston, Cleveland, and Milwaukee for Jordan's services, the Rockets are definitely the least desperate.