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All-NBA and All-Defense center DeAndre Jordan, after originally scheduling to meet with his three new suitors on Wednesday, and then take his Clippers meeting Thursday, moved up the Mavericks at the last minute and is having dinner with them right now.
Immediate change to DeAndre Jordan's meeting schedule: ESPN sources say Mavs having dinner with Clippers center as we speak
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2015
Also hearing Mavs have split up their recruiting posse and are conducting two meetings at present: One with DeAndre; one with Wes Matthews
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2015
This Matthews tidbit is interesting: if the Mavericks time it right, they can agree to give Jordan the max as well as pay Matthews well over $15 million in starting salary by doing the following:
1. Renounce Rajon Rondo's and Monta Ellis' cap holds.
2. Orchestrate a sign-and-trade sending Tyson Chandler for DeAndre.
3. Sign Tyson (you have 24 hours between signing and trading in a S&T deal), reducing his cap hit from his $20 million cap hold to the value of his new contract.
4. Use cap room to sign Matthews.
5. Complete the trade portion of the sign-and-trade.
It's a long shot but it's certainly possible, and if Jordan is going to leave, it's the best-case scenario for the Clippers that the Mavericks land two free agents, therefore having incentive to do a sign-and-trade deal and help Los Angeles find a replacement.
Update (9:56 PM PST June 30):
The Clippers, Knicks, and Lakers all also have put calls in to DeAndre:
While Clippers free agent center DeAndre Jordan is having dinner with the Mavericks tonight, the Clippers, Knicks & Lakers also put in calls
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 1, 2015
And, for what it's worth, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas reports the following:
I believe this is the fifth straight night that Chandler Parsons dined with DeAndre Jordan.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2015