FREE AGENCY:
Ex-Clippers center, ex-Blazers shooting guard beef up Dallas’ haul
Mavericks claim center DeAndre Jordan and shooting guard Wesley Matthews.
The Dallas Mavericks made the biggest splash Friday in free agency.
Center DeAndre Jordan has chosen the Mavericks over the Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas also reached an agreement with Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews on a four-year contract worth approximately $13 million per year.
Two sources said Jordan’s deal was worth $80 million over four years. No deals can be completed and signed until Thursday.
Jordan is the biggest freeagent pickup in Mark Cuban’s 15 years as Dallas owner. The deal comes two days after the Mavericks lost last season’s starter, Tyson Chandler, to the Phoenix Suns.
The last of Jordan’s four meetings was with the Clippers. But coach Doc Rivers couldn’t persuade the Texas native to stick with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the franchise that drafted him seven years ago.
Jordan, who turns 27 this month, led the NBA in rebounding the past two seasons and is coming off career-best averages of 11.5 points and 15.0 rebounds. Since the Clippers drafted the Texas A&M star with the 35th overall pick in 2008, Jordan has averaged 8.0 points and 9.0 rebounds.
The 6-11 Houston native figures to have a more prominent role in Dallas after being mostly an alley-oop and secondchance option behind Paul and Griffin in Los Angeles.
The first step to landing Jordan might have come when Matthews agreed to terms with Dallas.
Before Matthews’ commitment, the only starters returning for the Mavericks were 37-year-old star Dirk Nowitzki, going into his 18th season, and forward Chandler Parsons.
The 26-year-old Parsons was the closest thing Dallas had to a young building block after the failed December trade with Boston for point guard Rajon Rondo, who clashed with coach Rick Carlisle and was banished two games into a first-round playoff loss to Houston. Rondo is a free agent.
The Mavericks also let shooting guard Monta Ellis go to Indiana after he led them in scoring — the first player other than Nowitzki to do that since 2000. Dallas didn’t contact Ellis in free agency, and he agreed to a four-year, $44 million deal with Indiana on Thursday.
Matthews, 6-5, reportedly had wanted to play for the Mav-
ericks since he turned down a four-year, $64 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.
Matthews averaged 16.1 points and shot 44.9 percent from the field in 59 games for the Blazers last season. In a March 5 game against Dallas, Matthews suffered a season-ending left torn Achilles tendon.
Matthews subsequently underwent surgery but reportedly will be healthy by the time camp opens this fall. Elsewhere:
A source says the Sacramento Kings and point guard Rajon Rondo have agreed to a one-year deal for $10 million.
Rondo’s addition came hours after the Kings and shooting guard Marco Belinelli agreed to a $19 million, threeyear contract.
Belinelli played the past two seasons with San Antonio, helping the Spurs win the NBA championship in 2014.
The Rockets have reached deals with Corey Brewer and Patrick Beverley to keep them in Houston.
Beverley’s agent Kevin Bradbury, said his client got a four-year, $23.4 million deal. A source said Brewer agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal.
Robin Lopez has agreed to sign with the New York Knicks, a source said Friday, and will play just across town from Brook Lopez, his twin brother and a Brooklyn Nets center.
Robin Lopez will leave the Portland Trail Blazers to fill the open spot in the middle for the Knicks, reportedly for a four-year deal worth $54 million.
The Knicks have been seeking a center since trading Tyson Chandler last summer.
Lopez is limited offensively but is a solid defensive player. He has averaged 8.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in his career, which includes four years in Phoenix and a stop in New Orleans before two seasons with Portland.
He is the second player to leave the Blazers for the Knicks this summer. Arron Afflalo agreed to a $16 million, two-year deal on Thursday. The Knicks came into the summer with more than $25 million to spend and have enough left to keep looking for more help on the free-agent market.
Free-agent shooting guard Gary Neal agreed to a $2.1 million, one-year contract with the Washington Wizards.
Agent David Bauman said Neal wanted to join a playoff team after finishing last season with the league-worst Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 30-year-old Neal has averaged 9.9 points and 38.1-percent shooting on 3-point attempts during five NBA season with four franchises. He was traded to Minnesota by Charlotte in February.