Is DeAndre Jordan in Milwaukee Just a Fantasy?

The Milwaukee Bucks are among at least four teams that will try and lure free agent center DeAndre Jordan away from the Los Angeles Clippers when free agency begins on July 1.

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Jordan is scheduled to meet with four of his suitors at his home in Houston, Texas. The Bucks, Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers will all get a crack at him. The New York Knicks may factor in at some point.

It seemed unlikely just a few months ago that Jordan would actually leave the Clippers, but a reported rift between Chris Paul has since surfaced. The Clippers may no longer be the front-runner for Jordan’s services and, depending on what you believe, he won’t be a Clipper for much longer.

So where do the Bucks fit into all of this?

As of right now, they don’t. The Greivis Vasquez trade took care of that. The Bucks no longer have the ability to make Jordan the $20 million per year max contact offer he desires.

That being said, the Vasquez trade will pay dividends for the Bucks this season, but the timing could not have been worse. His $6.6 million cap hit drops the team’s cap space from roughly $22.6 million to about $16 million.

Now that’s not to say they are totally out of it, but the Bucks have got to find a way to shed some cap and do it fast.

The easiest way would be to waive both Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. They both have non-guaranteed contracts which was the driving force behind the Ersan Ilyasova trade in the first place.

The move would free up about $5.8 million and pretty much cover up the Vasquez cap hit. It is certain to happen and is just a matter of when not if.

Feb 9, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It begs the question, why haven’t the Bucks already done it?

This sole transaction will not give them the cap flexibility they need to make a realistic play for Jordan. The Bucks still have to consider the $15 million plus that restricted free agent Khris Middleton is likely to command.

Both moves would put the Bucks right at the tax threshold of $81 million. They would be in the tightest of constraints and extremely limited in any further transactions at least for the rest of the upcoming season.

The cap is “projected” to increase to about $89 million for the 2016-17 season due to a lucrative television deal. It would behoove the Bucks not to count on this though and continue to cut unnecessary salary. They have a smaller market to consider.

Speaking of dead weight. O.J. Mayo is in the last year of a three-year, $24 million deal he signed in 2013. As it stands now, Mayo is currently the highest paid player on the team.

The Bucks should find no problem dumping his expiring contract. If you can move Ilyasova, you can move anyone. A move of this nature would really provide the team with some much needed cap relief given the big name targets the Bucks desire.

The team also has to make a decision on what to do with Jared Dudley. He currently hold a player option but has yet to make a decision. Dudley is on record that he would like to come back to Milwaukee.

Dudley’s option is for $4.25 million and, like Mayo, is a very movable piece. His leadership and moxy is great for the young guys, but it doesn’t make him untouchable by any stretch.

The last subtle move the Bucks could make is with Jerryd Bayless. His $3 million expiring contact is unnecessary with the addition of Vasquez. Considering the logjam the Bucks have with their guards, Bayless and his services, or lack there of, are no longer needed.

With the right moves, the Bucks would only have to dip slightly over the cap to retain Middleton while still being able to sign a free agent to a max contract.

Now where does that leave Jordan?

Apr 14, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (left) and guard Chris Paul against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It probably leaves Jordan pushing the Bucks aside. That’s not really unexpected though. The Bucks have made great strides in the past couple years but are certainly not known for securing top-level free agents.

So where does Jordan end up then?

Despite the Clippers reported turmoil, they still have Paul. You know? The guy who is single handily responsible for the max contact his teammate is about to sign. That has to count for something.

Michael Carter-Williams would be an enormous downgrade from Paul and a tough pill for Jordan to swallow when he relies on Paul for the majority of his offensive production.

Ironically, it’s been reported this is exactly why Jordan wants to leave Los Angeles. He doesn’t feel like he gets enough touches to showcase what he can do and doesn’t think he ever will with Paul and Blake Griffin both in the picture.

Be careful what you wish for. Being the “center” of attention comes with more responsibility than most can handle. It may sound like a good idea until it all starts to fall back to you not being able to get it done.

The Bucks wouldn’t be able to change that. Jabari Parker and Middleton are going to be the primary scorers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo could break out without a moments notice. They need Jordan to be a defensive anchor.

As weird as it sounds, a city’s nightlife could also be a factor. Jordan, 26, is still at the age where that’s going to be important to him. It wouldn’t be a deal breaker or anything, but Milwaukee surely can’t compare to Los Angeles, New York or even Dallas for that matter.

There is also the substance of the $109 million the Clippers can offer. Jordan would have to turn that down in order to play for another team. One would only think an extraordinary opportunity could deter Jordan away from all that guaranteed money.

Carmelo Anthony couldn’t do it last year even though he was presented far better opportunities than New York. That’s not to say Jordan is just about the money, but it certainly is a major factor.

One could argue that the Bucks present an extraordinary opportunity. They absolutely have the potential to, but not quite yet. If Jordan was a free agent two years from now it would be a no-brainer.

Feb 9, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) dunks against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

There is still to much uncertainty surrounding this young nucleus to take such a giant leap of faith. The players still have to develop. There still is no new arena in place, and there is no guarantee the owners can keep the Bucks in Milwaukee.

The Knicks and Mavericks don’t provide that opportunity either. Dallas is supposedly an intriguing choice since Jordan is from Texas.

How many times have you actually seen a guy, let alone a star, sign with a team because it’s where he grew up? Newsflash, it doesn’t happen. It’s an overblown notion at best.

LeBron James plays in Cleveland, and Derrick Rose plays in Chicago. That’s because they were drafted by those teams.

Remember when Dwayne Wade was “torn” between Chicago and Miami, or when Chris Bosh was “looking” at Dallas, or even when Dwight Howard was “seriously” considering Atlanta. Please.

Professional athletes are not about to make life altering decisions based on the fact they use to live near that city five plus years ago, especially when they could live there during the summer if they really wanted to.

The Clippers make the most sense, but I could see the Lakers becoming a real factor. If Jordan really wants to prove something to Paul and Griffin, what better way than in the opposite locker room?

It would virtually eliminate any extensive transition Jordan would have to go through, and he would get to stay in Los Angeles. The Lakers have also quickly developed a nice young core that Jordan would fit right into.

Kobe Bryant would be available to work with Jordan before he becomes the new face of the Lakers within the year, two years tops. The Lakers would look to Jordan to dominate their future.

That being said, if the Lakers can acquire DeMarcus Cousins who would be considerable cheaper and better, it’s unlikely they would pass that up.

The Clippers are still the safe bet.

Jordan is an extraordinary long shot for the Bucks, but a spot at the table is always a good thing. That being said, the Bucks still have some financial work to do before they can become a realistic destination for Jordan.

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