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The Los Angeles Clippers have the hammer.
With unrestricted free-agent center DeAndre Jordan taking a handful of meetings around the league, the Clippers will get to have the last word on Thursday. Jordan has already met with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, and his Thursday docket includes an early meeting with the New York Knicks.
And then it's the Clippers' turn, armed with two superstars, head coach Doc Rivers, and the ability to offer Jordan more term and salary on a maximum contract than other suitors.
Despite those advantages, the Clippers have long been worried about Jordan getting poached, particularly by the Mavericks. Jordan is said to want a bigger role in the offense, something L.A. may not be able to offer with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and an army of shooting guards on the roster.
Jordan is also said to want a flexible, four-year deal, allowing him to re-enter a more favorable free-agent market in 2018 or 2019. That takes away one of the Clippers' primary advantages, as Jordan doesn't want the fifth year only they can offer. They can still give Jordan larger annual raises than other teams, but that difference (roughly $3.4 million in total based on current cap estimates) may not be enough.
As a result, the Clippers will enter their meeting feeling "50-50" on their chances, according to Ramona Shleburne of ESPN. Mavericks super-recruiter Chandler Parsons is said to have swung Jordan some, and while the Knicks and Lakers got meetings, it's believed to be a two-horse race.
Should Jordan bolt the Clippers, they'd have little in the way of means to replace him. They're light on trade assets, youth, and cap flexibility, and Jordan is a valuable piece. He's among the league's best finishers, leading the league in field-goal percentage three seasons running, and rebounders, claiming that title twice in a row. He's also a quality rim-protector.
The 26-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks this year, shooting 71 percent from the floor and earning votes for Defensive Player of the Year. It's a big win if the Mavericks can pry him away, and potentially an even bigger loss for the Clippers.
