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DeAndre Jordan Rumors: Nets Interested Amid Kevin Durant Buzz; Knicks Linked
June 24, 2019
In an effort to help convince Kevin Durant to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, the team is reportedly considering signing his close friend, DeAndre Jordan, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Per Stein, the New York Knicks have also showed interest in re-signing the center after he finished the 2018-19 season with the team.
Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher reported Monday that Kyrie Irving has been trying to recruit both Durant and Jordan to the Nets, meeting twice with Durant in recent weeks.
All three played together on Team USA while taking home gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
There have already been plenty of rumors that Irving plans to join the Nets when free agency begins, but the latest odds also show Durant potentially leaning toward Brooklyn:
Of course the Knicks are still in the hunt and would love to get a game-changing player like Durant, even after the 10-time All-Star suffered a ruptured Achilles in the NBA Finals.
Jordan might not help either team secure Durant as a free agent, but any little bit that helps could be worth it.
The 30-year-old also remains a valuable player on the court after finishing last season with 11 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game for the Knicks and Mavericks. The two-time All-Defensive Team player can help anchor a team in the post and take pressure off the rest of the roster.
Both teams already have quality young shot-blockers in Mitchell Robinson and Jarrett Allen, but the veteran Jordan could help either of these players develop in the coming year.
New York and Brooklyn also rank first and second in the NBA in practical cap space, per Spotrac, so either team could potentially fit Jordan on the roster, assuming he takes less than his $22.9 million salary from 2018-19.