DeAndre Jordan discusses buyout with Nets; Lakers is a possible destination per. Report

Jerome Miron (USA Today)

Brooklyn Nets is working to buy a veteran center DeAndre Jordan, according to Shams Charania and Alex Schiffer from The Athletic. The two sides have not made a final decision to resign, according to The Athletic, but Jordan remains in Brooklyn bulbs “increasingly unlikely.” Jordan started 43 of the 57 games he played last season, but did not play a single post-season minute after being displaced in the rotation by buyout additions Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge as well as young big man Nic Claxton.

Jordan originally signed a $ 40 million four-year deal with Brooklyn along with his close friends Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in the summer of 2019. However, he has failed to live up to his former All-Star status. Jordan was a reserve under Kenny Atkinson for most of his first season with the Nets, and only got the starting job over Jarrett Allen when Atkinson was fired in the middle of the season. His drop from the tournament last season made it even harder to justify his salary. Jordan has $ 19.7 million left on his contract over the next two seasons, and any money Brooklyn can get Jordan to give up would be useful.

The Nets owe about $ 306 million in salaries and luxury tax payments, and while they can only convince him to give the veteran’s minimum wage back to a new team, they would save millions by keeping his roster empty until buyout season. Signing a replacement right away would probably not result in financial savings, but it would allow the Nets to add a player they would feel more comfortable using in the off-season. They have recently been linked to veteran big man Paul Mills.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, The Lakers are a team that must take care of Jordan if he receives an acquisition. Although Marc Gasol is scheduled to return to the center of them, recent reports have suggested that may not be the case. Jordan spent the first 10 years of his career in Los Angeles playing for the Clippers.

At the age of 33, Jordan’s All-NBA days are long behind him, but in the right system, he can still be effective as a lob threat and a defender for limited minutes. The Nets prefer to switch defensively, and since Claxton and Griffin earn the majority of their mid-minutes, they just don’t have a role left for Jordan.