Just this past week, the Nets traded DeAndre Jordan and four second-round picks to Detroit in exchange for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. After Detroit formally waives Jordan, he will reportedly sign with a different superteam — the Los Angeles Lakers.
When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with Brooklyn in 2019, they made sure the team included their longtime friend Jordan on a four-year, $40 million deal. At the time, they called it “The Clean Sweep.”
Jordan’s tenure in Brooklyn might not be remembered so fondly. After a 39-point loss to the Grizzlies in March 2020, former coach Kenny Atkinson walked into the locker room, pulled up a chair, and asked for an open dialogue. Jordan sat silent with a disgruntled look.
The biggest elephant in the room: Jordan allegedly told those around him that he didn’t come to Brooklyn to be Jarrett Allen’s backup. Atkinson would not bow down to Jordan, thus providing one of the first dominoes in his firing. As soon as Atkinson was ousted, DJ was back in the starting lineup.
Under coach Steve Nash last season, he appeared in 57 games up until May 8. He had a team-worst 114.8 defensive rating (min. 20 games), and was seen arguing with James Harden on several occasions. Make of it what you will.
Jordan will join a contender in Los Angeles, but will he play? He’ll have to compete for minutes against Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, and Marc Gasol.