Los Angeles Clippers pair Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan reportedly had a falling out during the season which in turn could push the latter towards an exit.
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Jordan is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the towering center has previously insisted that he will likely test out the market before making a decision on his future.
With the Clippers slipping to a disappointing 4-3 series defeat to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semi-finals, a series that they led 3-1, Jordan will arguably have more to think about if he wishes to join a team capable of pushing on in the post-season.
However, another factor that might make the decision easier for him is his reported falling out with Paul, with speculation claiming that the issue between the pair has been on-going through the year.
It has threatened to boil over on the court at times with Paul infamously screaming in Jordan’s face during a late play in which the center didn’t realise that the clock hadn’t expired.
The 26-year-old didn’t get a shot up in time and so the Clippers missed out on the opportunity to win the game against the Portland Trail Blazers and instead had to go to overtime where they eventually lost.
However, that isn’t likely to be the source of the issue, although that play in particular would hardly have done much to help the situation.
The argument remains that Paul needs Jordan to re-sign this summer in order to ensure that the Clippers remain competitive heading into next season.
If they were to lose Jordan, they would be among a whole host of teams looking to take advantage of the salary cap rise in 2016, but there would be no guarantees that they would acquire the right pieces to challenge for a championship immediately.
Sources: DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul have had falling out throughout season, a fact that could push Jordan to another team in free agency.
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) May 18, 2015
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