"That mutual understanding is one reason why the Clippers have aggressively looked to re-sign restricted free agent center DeAndre Jordan, who is eager to remain with the Clippers, a source close to Jordan said. With the Clippers committed to building around power forward Blake Griffin, acquiring Howard simply isn't realistic, a league source said. Even if they could land Howard without including shooting guard Eric Gordon in the deal, they would then almost certainly have to incur the luxury tax to re-sign Gordon, who will be eligible for an extension of his rookie contract next summer. Paying a luxury tax for going too far over the salary cap would be a first for Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Howard does not see himself as a championship-caliber fit right now next to Griffin, sources familiar with both Howard's objectives said. Neither Howard nor Griffin can step away from the basket and score, which makes it a difficult proposition to invest so heavily in them as a combination. Both also struggle at the free-throw line. Howard is a career 59.8 percent free-throw shooter and Griffin shot 64.2 percent as a rookie last season. The expectation is that Griffin will eventually develop a mid-range jumper, but Howard's timeline for pursuing a championship is more immediate, sources said."