Warriors intend to explore options with DeAndre Jordan

The NBA offseason is known for being wild. And apparently the Golden State Warriors are getting in on the action. With free agency set to begin in earnest on Sunday, the Warriors are making some noise in a way that no one saw coming. They’re reportedly interested in finding a way to sign center DeAndre Jordan.

To say that signing Jordan is a longshot would be an understatement. The most money the Warriors can offer a free agent (other than their own free agent, Kevin Durant), is the $5.3 million mid-level exception (which will actually cost the team more than $20 million).

Jordan just opted out of his final year with the Los Angeles Clippers, in which he would have been paid $24.1 million. It seems unlikely that he would want to take a discount of more than $20 million to sign with Golden State, when he could easily get a long-term, near-max contract elsewhere.

The Warriors, of course, can explore options with moving salaries, but even then there’s very little that they can open up. And since Jordan opted out, there’s no chance of trading for him to make things work.

So ultimately, Golden State’s chances with Jordan rest on whether he’d be willing to leave a lot of money on the table for the chance to win his first title, and play with his good friend Durant.

This wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented. The Warriors own David West once opted out of a $12.6 million contract to sign for relative pennies with the San Antonio Spurs, because he wanted to win.

Still, it’s highly, highly unlikely that Jordan would sacrifice so much money, especially since he could get injured this year, and cost himself that final enormous payday that he can get this summer.

But until he signs elsewhere, let’s all dream about Draymond Green and Stephen Curry tossing lobs to Jordan, while he and Green patrol the paint on defense. My goodness.

And better yet, let’s all dream about how much more the Warriors would be hated. It’s beautiful.