NBA Trade Rumors: DeAndre Jordan Being Dealt to the Houston Rockets Is Unlikely to Happen
Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has been mentioned as a player who could be moved this trading season since the last few months of 2017.
Different teams have also been identified as potential landing spots for Jordan, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Now, there is another team that could be involved in this current situation with Jordan, with that being the Houston Rockets.
During a recent edition of ESPN's "First Take," sports television personality Stephen A. Smith shared an interesting rumor related to Jordan. He revealed that based off of what he had heard, the 29-year-old center "wants to get traded" to the Rockets.
A rumor hinting that Jordan wants to go to the Rockets is easy to believe for a few reasons.
For one, the Rockets look like they can seriously contend this year, and a veteran player such as Jordan probably would not mind having the opportunity to play for the sport's most coveted championship.
Jordan has also put up great numbers playing alongside current Rockets guard and former Clipper Chris Paul in the past, so it would not be that surprising to learn that the big man is open to reuniting with a player who has helped him excel on the court.
Still, just because Jordan reportedly "wants" to go the Rockets, that does not necessarily mean that a deal will take place between the two franchises.
It is hard to see the Rockets making a move to acquire Jordan mainly because they already have a talented center in Clint Capela who is younger – he is only 23-years-old – and making less money than his Clipper counterpart.
Checking out the Basketball Reference pages for both Capela and Jordan, it is remarkable to see how similar their numbers have been this season.
To be fair, Capela probably gets a bit of a boost from playing with Paul, James Harden and the Rockets' many shooters. However, when taking contract situation and age into account, the team would still likely prefer to have him over Jordan.
Even if Jordan has a desire to play for the Rockets this season, it is really difficult to see that becoming a reality.