Kings Free Agency Target Profile: DeAndre Jordan

Welcome to KHTK’s Kings free agency profiles! Here we’ll be breaking down some of the top players the Kings should target in free agency, analyzing their career numbers, fit with the Kings and potential downsides. We’ll also assign a priority score to each player, signifying how strongly the Kings should consider pursuing a given free agent.

The Player

DeAndre Jordan is entering his 12th season in the NBA after spending 10 years with Clippers, and a half season each with the Mavericks and Knicks. The 30-year-old has averaged 9.6 points per game and 10.9 rebounds over his career, but those numbers have jumped to 11.7 and 14.1 since the 2013-14 season. Dallas traded him to New York last year as part of the trade for Kristaps Porzingis.

The Fit

Jordan offers the Kings a center who can play above the rim and help Sacramento in the rebounding category. The Kings finished 14th in the league in total rebounds last season, and allowed the second-most rebounds. Sacramento was out-rebounded in 52 of their 82 games last season.

The veteran would be an instant fix to that problem. He has averaged at least 13 rebounds per game every season for the past six seasons. Willie Cauley-Stein averaged a career-high 8.4 rebounds and has averaged only 6.4 per game over his career. Jordan hasn’t been below 13 boards per game since his fifth year in the league in 2012-13.

Jordan is also efficient as a scorer. From 2012 to 2017, he lead the league in field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage. He doesn’t shoot often, averaging 5.7 shots per game in his career, but he’s averaged double-digit points the last six seasons thanks to his ability to run the floor and finish near the rim.

Sacramento needs a full-time center with Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley still adapting to the NBA. They can certainly play minutes at center, but Jordan is a big body who can bang with the league’s thicker, more traditional bigs.

The Catch

The modern NBA center typically needs to stretch the floor and help with spacing. Centers like DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Brook Lopez have added the three-point shot to their offensive repertoire. Jordan is not that type of player. In fact, he’s hoisted only 11 three pointers in his career. Jordan is more of an old-school center who will hunker down underneath the rim, catch lobs and clean up the offensive glass. With the Kings up-tempo offense, Jordan would hinder their ability to space the floor and make life more difficult for the Kings’ perimeter players.

The Priority

Jordan might be one of the most intriguing names available for the Kings, especially if they miss out on a top-of-the-line center. His ability to play above the rim and pull down rebounds is something the Kings have lacked since Cousins’ departure. Alley-oops from De’Aaron Fox to Jordan at the Golden 1 Center would fit nicely in the new era of Kings basketball.

Priority score: 7/10

Newsletter