It's difficult to say that free-agency has started off with a bang, as many of the big names have decided to stay put. If anything, free-agency so far has yet to live up to the hype we all created for it. Paul George has decided to remain in Oklahoma City, as has Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul will continue to rock the Rockets red, Fred VanFleet will remain in Toronto, Rudy Gay is staying in San Antonio, Nikola Jokic and Will Barton are staying in Denver, and Kevin Durant is staying with the defending champs.
Par for the course right? Almost. For all the listed signings above, there are a few that have brought some interest. The big name signing - so far - is that of DeAndre Jordan, who has a agreed to a one-year deal worth approximately $24 million to join the Dallas Mavericks.
If we rewind the clock to 2015, we'll remember that Jordan was in a similar situation; he was a free agent and verbally committed to sign with Dallas for four-years and $80 million. He backed out after a convoy of Clippers flew in to visit him and change his mind. He ended up signing a four-year $88 million contract with the Clippers.
So now that Jordan will be heading to the Big D, let's take a look at exactly how he will fit in Dallas's scheme.
Offensively
On the offensive end, Jordan is exactly what Dallas needs; a big man who is adept at the pick-and-roll, and a threat in the paint. Dirk Nowitzki- Dallas's hero - is getting up their in age (if he plays this season he will outright own the record for most seasons played with a single team), and even when he was young he was more of a outside- in type player. He was the perfect power forward, and that's where he has made his legacy. Aside from Dirk, the Mavericks have a tandem of scorers in Harrison Barnes and Dennis Smith Jr. this duo will immediately benefit from a big man in the paint to drag defenders in. Smith - the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft - showed signs of brilliance this past season, and while turnover prone, showed he has a knack for finding his own shot. A rim-rattling threat like Jordan will only aid in his development and should add to Smith's assist rate (5.2 apg) as soon as the season tips off.
Jordan has an NBA record field goal percentage of 67.3% and it's not by accident. He was a beneficiary of "Lob City" and was Chris Paul's primary target off the pick-and-roll. Sub in Smith Jr. for Chris Paul, and Jordan should see no drop off in the looks he gets at the rim. In his career he has averaged 9.4 points per game, but with the threats of Smith, Barnes and newly added draft pick Luka Doncic we can expect him to up his stat line of something along the lines of 12-15 points and 15 boards a game.
Defensively
This is where Jordan shines and will make his presence felt. Dallas needs rim protectors. Nerlens Noel was supposed to be that guy, but faced with a hotdog controversy, a violation of the leagues Anti-Drug program, clashes with coach Rick Carlisle and only averaging 4.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, he no longer is. It's safe to say - as of right now anyways - that Noel is out of the rotation. Jordan fixes that. He averages 10.7 rebounds 1.7 blocker per game, and standing at 6'11 is a clear deterrent in the lane. Dallas ranked 17th in the league in defensive ratings at 109.5, and that was with the like of Dwight Powell, and Maximillian Kleber holding it down at center. The issue for Dallas was the drop off in defensive efficiency when faced with the pick-and-roll. In those offensive sets, Dallas dropped to 29th in the league. Whether it was due to poor rotations, poor help-side defense or simply bad communication it's not hard to imagine the impact a two-time All- Defensive First Teamer will have. Jordan will join a cast of defenders that includes Barnes and Wesley Matthews at the wing spots, and Dorian Finney Smith, an all-around defender who is capable of defending most positions.
Other
Jordan is durable, playing all 82 games in three times in his 10 season - he wa drafted 35th overall by the Clippers in 2008 - and has played more than 70 games in five more seasons. He held the NBA's longest consecutive games played streak at 360 straight games.
The biggest drawback for Jordan is simple: free-throws. A career 44% shooter from the line, he is often the target for hack-a-Shaq strategies come crunch time. Jordan is not the first big man to struggle from the charity stripe, and he won't be the last, but Dallas as a team shoots a combined 76% from the line - good for 19th, with Golden State being the best at 81.7% - and has reliable shooters from the line like Nowitzki, Barnes, Matthews and Yogi Ferrell. Jordan's presence will make him the go-to target in close games and may impact his presence on the floor in tight situations in favor of a more reliable shooting big man like Kleber or Powell.