Los Angeles Clippers: Is DeAndre Jordan Worth The Max?
By Marcus Bass
He still has the tendency to fall for pump fakes in the post. However, Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has improved his game tremendously since his rookie season six years ago. From humble beginnings as simply a freakishly athletic big man with more hops than a friday night six pack, to part of a Big Three and a defensive juggernaut, Jordan’s improvement is often underrated.
As it goes in all walks of life, the increase in value brings an equal inflation in cost. As Jordan enters the final year of what’s been primarily an overpaid contract, his next deal will pay him what he’s worth and it will most likely be the max.
Last year Jordan averaged a career high in points (10.4) in addition to another career-high and league leading 13.6 rebounds. For the first time in his NBA career Jordan averaged a double-double, with All-Stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul on the team using up the majority of minutes and shots. He’s well-deserving of a max deal with the Clippers.
Hold on… Which “max” are we talking about?
Recently the NBA announced an extension to its national TV contract with both ESPN and Turner Sports which is set to commence in 2016-17. Cha-ching has been the motto of the league lately. First the Clippers sale and now the new TV rights, both are huge deals that will drive basketball related income (BRI) upward. The deals will be worth an average of $2.7 billion per season, a steep hike compared to the $930 million the league has garnered under the current TV deals.
We’re talking about giving Jordan the type of deal so big that when he walks down the street, it will look like his pockets have the mumps. He’ll be the new mack in town for sure. There’s a max contract before the NBA’s huge BRI profit kicks in, and there’s a max extension afterwards that’s likely to be worth much more. Jordan’s eligible for both, but it’s likely he’ll agree to an extension before the deadline (around All-Star break) and continue to electrify crowds in Los Angeles.
Jordan could sign a one-year deal and look for a pay raise in the 2016 summer, however there’s no guarantee that he won’t become expendable with the availability of another free agent, sustain an injury or anything else that could make him undesirable. With the players association sending out memos that encouraged players to lock up longer deals due to a looming lock out, it’s likely Jordan will make his bones sooner than later.
Don’t sigh and roll your eyes Clippers fans; when a guy works hard and plays above the level of his peers he deserves to be paid. In comparing Jordan to similar players on other squads, it’s the correct amount to give him. Last season Jordan was third in defensive win shares in the regular season with only Joakim Noah ($12.2 million) and Paul George ($13.7 million) finishing ahead of him. Jordan was also second in blocks (203) and first in field goal percentage (.676). His Player Efficiency Rating of 18.2 is above the league average of 15 and beyond the stats, he’s matured in every way the Clippers have asked. Simply put, he’s doing his job.
The NBA’s salary cap for the 2014-14 season increased by 7.5 percent from the previous year to an all-time high of $63.065. With the influx of cash, it’s possible the salary cap could get over $80 million for the 2016-17 season. The maximum starting salary for Jordan’s extension (per CBA rules) will be 107.5 percent of his 2013-14 salary, which will equate to $12,298,132 for the 2015-16 season.
For the Clippers that’s a steal, and with such a jump in team salary cap his max deal will have less impact on the Clippers cap annually, since all team’s salary caps will continue to move further north for years after the initial 2016-17 bump. If you’re not a fan of Jordan’s, his trip to the Clippers cash machine might leave you dumbfounded, and if so — you haven’t been paying attention to him lately.