The Los Angeles Clippers sent shockwaves around the NBA when they agreed to trade Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, but Chandler Parsons thinks L.A. still might have time to back out of the blockbuster deal.
The Memphis Grizzlies forward took part in the social media storm that took place after news of the trade broke, jokingly reminiscing on a past personal experience with the Clippers.
For those who don’t remember, Parsons is referencing the free-agent fiasco that took place with DeAndre Jordan in the summer of 2015. Parsons, who was playing with the Dallas Mavericks at the time, thought his team was bringing in Jordan after the big man verbally agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract with the Mavs. However, Jordan never would make his way to The Lone Star State.
In a last ditch effort to sway him back to Los Angeles, Doc Rivers, Blake Griffin and Paul reportedly bolted to Jordan’s home and confined him until he agreed to re-sign with the Clippers. The move worked, as Jordan inked a four-year, $88 million contract to stay in L.A.
Parsons took great offense to Jordan backtracking on his word, as he expressed in an interview with ESPN following the flip-flop.
“This is something that I’ve never seen in my career, and I know that it doesn’t happen very often,” Parsons told ESPN in 2015. “When a man gives you his word and an organization his word, especially when that organization put in so much effort and I walked him through this process and was very, very open and willing to work with him, it’s just very unethical and disrespectful.”
Jordan is under contract with the Clippers for the upcoming season but can opt out and become a free agent next summer. And with the Clips poised to be in rebuilding mode after losing Paul and possibly Griffin, the All-Star center could be looking for a new home.
We wonder if Parsons will try to recruit Jordan to Memphis when that time comes.
Thumbnail photo via Justin Ford/USA TODAY Sports Images
