DeAndre Jordan: Is Clippers Center Worthy of a Max Contract?

By Evan Massey | Mar 2, 2015

Dec 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 109-106. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Is Los Angeles Clippers star big man DeAndre Jordan worthy of a maximum contract this offseason as he prepares to hit the free agent market?

DeAndre Jordan is one of the most intriguing names of the 2015 free agency class, and the Los Angeles Clippers are going to have a very tough time keeping him around. He has proved that he is worthy of a big payday, but has he shown that he is worthy of a maximum contract yet?

So far this season in 60 games, Jordan has averaged 11.2 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. He isn’t an offensive juggernaut to say the least, but he has still proven himself to be one of the best all-around big men in the game. There are some concerns about his game especially at the free-throw line, but he has already shown the ability to improve his game over the past few seasons with hard work.

DeAndre Jordan has been a rebounding machine / Doc Rivers loves this guy / all about winning - Had 26 off the glass / WINDEX man
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 2, 2015

At 26 years old, there are not many options in free agency that are more attractive than Jordan. He is an absolute physical freak, and his defensive ability forces offenses out of their game. His rebounding is the best in the entire NBA by 1.5 per game (Andre Drummond), and that area alone will make him a good chunk of money.

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Quite simply, the maximum contract has been given out much more frequently over the past few years. Players like Gordon Hayward are getting the max deal simply because of the potential that they possess for the future.

That in and of itself makes Jordan a maximum contract player, and there are going to be teams with plenty of money to spend that need a dominant franchise center. Despite the bulk of maximum contracts that are given out, there is no question that Jordan is worth that type of money. He is without question one of the most underrated players in the league, and he isn’t noticed as much due to playing on the Clippers’ star-studded roster.

He will need to improve his 40.9 percent free-throw shooting to be as effective as he can be, but that will simply take hard work during the offseason. Teams have been fouling him intentionally like they used to foul Shaquille O’Neal because that is the easiest way to keep the Clippers from scoring late in the game, and it is also a way to force head coach Doc Rivers to take Jordan out of the game.

Jordan’s defensive box plus/minus is sitting at 2.4, which is a very impressive number. He has also contributed .221 win shares per 48 minutes, which is well over the league average of .100.

There is no question that Jordan has transformed himself into being one of the most dominant big men in the entire NBA. He has also made a case for being the best center in the entire league as well.

His entire game has come a long way from what it was a couple of seasons ago, and there simply aren’t any centers that are better all-around than him. Jordan’s athleticism has allowed him to become one of the most ferocious dunkers in the league as well, and he has put quite a few players on a poster over the past couple seasons. Obviously his offense needs improvement, but his defense and rebounding make him a max contract player by themselves.

It is going to be very interesting to see what ends up happening throughout the remainder of the season, and where he ends up during free agency. There is no denying that Jordan will be a max contract player after the numbers that he has put up this season, and the type of rebounding and defense that he brings to the center position is a dying brand.

Expect to see plenty of teams willing to offer Jordan big money, and quite a few teams that can offer a max deal will be more than willing to offer that to him assuming they need a center.

Statistics taken from Basketball Reference.

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