DeAndre Jordan, who hasn’t been represented by an agent for the last two years, has rectified that, having hired new representation in a potential contract year, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, Jordan has signed on with Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management.
There was a reported belief among some executives and agents that Jordan would choose Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for representation, but the big man instead opted for Schwartz, one of the biggest names among NBA agents. Schwartz also represents players like Kevin Love, Kemba Walker, Andre Drummond, and LaMarcus Aldridge, among others.
While Jordan isn’t eligible to reach free agency until July, an agent may help open up trade possibilities before then if the Clippers decide to shop their starting center. As Wojnarowski notes, teams interested in trading for Jordan wouldn’t be able to speak to him directly about whether he might want to stick with that team long-term, but an agent can help facilitate those discussions.
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The Clippers, hit hard by injuries and currently out of the playoff picture in the West, offered Jordan a contract extension during the offseason and haven’t ruled out the possibility of trying to re-sign him, league sources tell Wojnarowski. However, rival teams have begun to reach out to the Clips’ front office about the 29-year-old’s availability, and the club won’t dismiss those inquires out of hand.
Jordan fired previous agent Dan Fegan back in 2015, following a bizarre free agent process that saw the veteran center verbally commit to the Mavericks before ultimately deciding to re-sign with the Clippers.