The Dallas Mavericks reportedly plan to pursue Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency this summer. The report also claimed Jordan was interested in Dallas. Although soon-to-be free agent Rajon Rondo is all but guaranteed to leave Dallas in July, Mavericks veteran Dirk Nowitzki doesn't regret the team's decision to trade for the mercurial point guard.
Most NBA insiders believe Jordan will re-sign with Los Angeles after the season, but that apparently won't stop Dallas from trying to sign him. Moreover, ESPN's Tim MacMahon is reporting the Mavericks may actually have a legitimate shot at signing Jordan away from the Clippers.
"Another potential prize summer target for the Mavs: Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, who multiple sources say has made it clear through back channels that he will be extremely interested in coming to Dallas," MacMahon wrote Wednesday. "Signing the 26-year-old Jordan, a dominant physical force who led the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage this season, would mean letting the 32-year-old (Tyson) Chandler leave again after another one-season stint with the Mavs."
MacMahon also reported Dallas plans to go after Aldridge.
"Speaking of which, the Mavs certainly plan to make a strong effort to sign Portland's All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, a Dallas native expected to explore his options in free agency," he wrote. "How exactly Aldridge would fit with the Mavs isn't so clear."
Aldridge had seemed all but guaranteed to re-sign with Portland after the season, but two reports earlier in April indicated Aldridge is considering testing free agency - especially if the Trail Blazers don't make it out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Mavericks' front office is looking ahead and so is Nowitzki. After an early exit in the playoffs, Nowitzki commented on the Rondo trade that ultimately proved to be another bad decision (SEE: Lamar Odom) by the front office.
"We had to do it," Nowitzki said of the trade, according to the Dallas Morning News. "I thought Cubes (owner Mark Cuban) and Donnie (Nelson, general manager) did everything to put us in a position to win. It's unfortunate, but we'll see what happens this summer.
"If you can get a player like Rondo, I think you go for it every time. I don't think anybody is looking at that now. It was a deal that was there and that we went for. It just didn't pan out for both sides and both sides moved on. Mark and Donnie always try to make this team better. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's a gamble, and sometimes it doesn't."
Rondo wasn't a fit for the Mavericks, and it's all but certain he will leave in free agency this summer. The Los Angeles Lakers are considered the frontrunners for him, but it's uncertain if the Lakers - or any team - still view Rondo as being worth a max contract in light of his dismal season in Dallas.
