NBA Rumors: Clippers Must Not Match Warriors' Offer Sheet for DeAndre Jordan

When you look at the offer sheet extended to DeAndre Jordan by the Golden State Warriors, you might have the thought, "What the heck were they thinking?!" Then after carefully reviewing the stats you might think, "No really, what the heck were they thinking?!"

The Warriors are offering him a four-year, $42.7 million contract. That's over $10 million a year for 7.1 points and 7.2 boards a game. Put another way, that's an average of just shy of $10,000 per point or rebound. 

In other words, they are paying for potential not production. 

DeAndre Jordan has shown an incredible ability to dunk during his short NBA career. He's shown an ability to do almost nothing else. Shoot more than three feet away from the rim, rebound or play defense? Um, no. 

There are a couple of players I can find with similarly miserable production through three years or more at 22 who went on to have at least moderately successful careers. Headlining the list are this year's fellow free agents, Samuel Dalembert and Tyson Chandler. 

Without getting into the statistical breakdown though, there's a reason it's not apt. Those are players who have made a career off their defense. Jordan has shown little interest in defense, and let's just say that's putting it mildly.

If it were JaVale McGee, I could see it. His production is at a similar level but McGee has the potential to be a very solid to All-Defense-caliber center. I don't see that in Jordan. 

Jordan's offer has all the earmarks of a $10 million mistake. 

Last year the Bulls extended an offer to restricted free-agent JJ Reddick for $7 million. Orlando matched and now they, not Chicago, are sitting on a bad contract. 

Sometimes it's better to let the team that bid get the player. This is one of those times. The Clippers should let Golden State keep the Jordan contract and spend the next four years lamenting it.