The Dallas Mavericks are in store for a busy summer. Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and the Mavericks reportedly are mutually interested in each other, meaning Dallas likely won't re-sign center Tyson Chandler in free agency. Portland Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge is also a target for Dallas in free agency, and Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson apparently suggested he would love to be traded to the Mavericks.
Dallas is losing Rajon Rondo in the offseason, but that may not actually be such a bad thing. Aside from the fact Rondo wasn't a fit for the Mavericks, losing Rondo in free agency saves the team a huge chunk of cap space to use on another star-caliber player. According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, one such player is Jordan.
"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."
Chandler will become a free agent in July, and if Dallas has a legitimate shot at signing Jordan, there's no question the team chooses a 26-year-old player over a 32-year-old player.
MacMahon also reported the Mavericks plan to pursue Aldridge, whom reports indicate isn't sold on re-signing with Portland, in free agency.
"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."
Finally, there's Lawson. He purportedly made a comment on Instagram that indicated he wants out of Denver. When another Instagram user commented to Lawson that he should play for the Mavericks, Lawson replied: "I wish."
The comments have since been deleted, but a purported screenshot of them surfaced on Twitter.
Lawson is under contract for the next two seasons. While reports have indicated Denver would be willing to part with Lawson, especially in the event the team decides to rebuild, Dallas would have to get creative in what it offers Denver. The Mavericks traded away their 2015 first-round pick for Rondo, and Denver's reported asking price for Lawson is at least two first-round picks.
