NBA Rumors: Sixers Expected to Sign Former Lakers Center DeAndre Jordan

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Lakers made a notable roster change by waiving the veteran center, DeAndre Jordan. As Jordan found himself on the outside of

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Lakers made a notable roster change by waiving the veteran center, DeAndre Jordan. As Jordan found himself on the outside of the Lakers' rotation, it didn't come as a surprise that they looked to move on.

Once it was noted that Jordan would eventually become available, he was immediately linked to the Philadelphia 76ers.

A few weeks back, the Sixers struck a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets. By sending Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to Brooklyn, the Sixers landed James Harden and Paul Millsap.

The Harden acquisition was key as the Sixers needed to pair up Joel Embiid with another star. However, the loss of Drummond was significant considering Philadelphia's All-Star big man lost his primary backup.

The Sixers have several candidates to replace Drummond in Charles Bassey, Paul Reed, and Paul Millsap. They also acquired the veteran center Willie Cauley-Stein with a ten-day deal. However, outside of Millsap, the Sixers haven't utilized any of those guys much since getting rid of Drummond.

Philadelphia's interest in Jordan is far from surprising, considering he played for Doc Rivers when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers. While Jordan is far from the player he was during his first stint in Los Angeles, he could fill a need for Philadelphia.

Is Jordan Philly-Bound?

Earlier this week, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski labeled the Sixers as frontrunners to land Jordan. On Thursday, he followed up that report by stating that barring any "unlikely" claims on Jordan, the 76ers intend to bring on the big man.

Barring an unlikely waiver claim before the 5 PM ET deadline today, center DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Lakers waived Jordan on Tuesday and Sixers have an open roster spot and desire to add another backup center.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 3, 2022

This season, Jordan appeared in 32 games with the Lakers. He started in 19 matchups. When he was receiving playing time, Jordan averaged 12 minutes on the court. During that time, he put up four points per game and averaged five rebounds.

In Philly, Jordan would undoubtedly have a limited role as he would play behind one of the NBA's top centers. However, he would have an opportunity to carve out a decent role during limited minutes on a team that could be considered championship contenders.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.