According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Denver Nuggets veteran DeAndre Jordan, who is about to become a free agent, is expected to sign a one-year, $3.6 million veteran base salary extension with the Nuggets.
According to Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth in a recent interview, Booth said the team appreciates Jordan Jr.'s sense of humor and intelligence in the locker room and on the sidelines, and he also affirmed Jordan Jr.'s value in the locker room and his leadership. Booth also compared Jordan Jr. to Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem, which he said is a key factor in the team's hope he returns to the team next season.
In the NBA regular season this season, Jordan Jr. played a total of 36 games for the team, averaging 11 minutes per game, averaging 3.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.2 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 0.6 turnovers, shooting 62.4% from the field and 49.1% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, Jordan Jr. played a total of 2 games for the team, averaging 6.5 minutes per game, averaging 2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game, shooting 50% from the field and 100% from the free throw line.
Jordan Jr.'s performance on the court is indeed very bad, his performance on both offensive and defensive ends is indeed very limited, and his influence on the game is indeed very limited. But Jordan Jr.'s ability to stay with the Nuggets for a few seasons also shows the significance and value of Jordan Jr. to the team. Jordan Jr. is indeed basically no longer in the rotation, his athleticism has declined, his game concentration is getting lower and lower, and his movement speed is far less than it used to be. Jordan Jr. is basically a presence that has been blown up by opponents on the court, but since Booth is willing to offer him a contract extension in this situation, it also shows how important he is.
However, the problem is that the strength of the Nuggets rotation lineup is very average, and it can even be said that it is very weak, and the number of people who can play in the team lineup is very limited. In this season's playoffs, the lack of strength in the team's rotation lineup has also been completely exposed. Considering that Jordan Jr. is basically not capable of playing, giving him a contract would mean that the team is wasting another spot that they could have used to sign a stronger and capable base salary player. Jordan Jr. may be able to play in the locker room, but will that role offset the impact of his unavailability on the team? I don't know if the Nuggets are doing the right thing.