Houston Rockets Rumors: Why a DeAndre Jordan trade spells disaster

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 20: DeAndre Jordan
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 20: DeAndre Jordan /
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The Houston Rockets have dominated the NBA headlines for the past few days for all the wrong reasons and the latest rumor of DeAndre Jordan wanting to be traded from one the league’s well-connected media members certainly gives credence to dysfunction going on in Los Angeles.  Here’s why facilitating such a trade would be such a disaster.

Houston Rockets fans — It has been two days since the team blew up the headlines with the latest sequence events after their match up with the Los Angeles Clippers this past Monday.  There was anger, there was shouting, a secret passageway and an alleged attempt to barge-in the Clippers’ locker room.

Whatever you want to call it, an altercation, a misunderstanding or even what I’d like to dub as Barge Gate, there will be some serious punishment that will doled out for each of the team’s actions that occurred.  I’m positive that there will be some guys to miss some time as a result and even Mike D’Antoni himself could be implicated with his scuffle with Griffin.

So while all of that mess is being sorted out and as the trade deadline looms in a few weeks — scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8 this season — one Clippers player has reportedly expressed his desire to be traded to the Houston Rockets.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith indicated in First Take, his daily morning debate show, that DeAndre Jordan has expressed a desire to be among the ranks of the guys here in H-Town.  The rumor makes absolutely no sense as he has been feuding with former teammate Chris Paul for years.  I have no doubt that Jordan was the one main reasons why he sought a trade for a hard jettison out of LaLa Land and have a soft landing within the boundaries of the Bayou City.

There were reports as recent as last month indicating that the two talk just about every day but I’m certainly not buying that either.  Jordan was a no-show for Monday’s contest because of a left ankle injury he sustained against the Sacramento Kings Jan. 11.

Let’s also mention the fact that Jordan makes on average of $22.6 million per season for the

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remaining two years of his contract.  With the team setting their sights on re-signing Paul this off season and to go after a top target in LeBron James — especially if he opts out of his deal — having Jordan would muddle the big picture.

Not to mention that Ryan Anderson — $19.6 million average annual salary for the next three seasons — would have to be included in any deal.  There’s a good chance one will have to send a player back or acquire one that may have been had in the past.

Of course, they’ll want Clint Capela but at this point, he’s off limits as he still has plenty of upside and is a perfect fit for the Rockets’ system.  I can’t say that Jordan would be comparable in that regard but he’s a rebounding machine and a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood.

Do you think Daryl Morey would package Lou Williams in a deal back to the Rockets?  Or would he trade Luc Mbah a Moute — a guy that was strongly lobbied for —  back to the team he left in free agency?  HELL TO THE NO!

A Jordan deal would take away any depth that our roster would have and it would certainly knock the team out the possible LeBron sweepstakes this summer.

I also question his age as well as his durability moving forward as well.  We know that Capela — outside of this season peculiar injuries — is a relatively healthy guy.

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So although it makes for interesting headlines, Jordan to the Rockets isn’t happening and it’s nothing more than he expressing his frustration with his current situation.  It’s possible that he may be traded but it certainly won’t be to here in Space City.

You can BOOK that — go Rockets.