DeAndre Jordan’s Change Of Heart Could Benefit Celtics

DeAndre Jordan certainly didn't do the Mavericks any favors when he abandoned the verbal commitment he made to the team last week and signed a four-year max deal to return to the Clippers, but Jordan may have done the Celtics a solid in the process.

Thanks to the Rajon Rondo deal, which has been a disaster for Dallas, the Celtics own the rights to the Mavericks' 2016 first-round draft pick. The pick is top-seven protected, but the Celtics could still get a lottery pick if Dallas fails to make the playoffs.

Dallas missing out on the playoffs is certainly a possibility in a very tough Western Conference. A respectable 50-32 record last season earned them the seventh seed in the playoffs, compare that to Boston, another seven seed who finished two games under the .500 mark.

Not only does losing out on Jordan cost Dallas a few wins next year, the team, figuring DJ was a done deal, watched as Tyson Chandler signed with Phoenix in free agency.

Dallas still has enough talent to make a top-seven pick seem unlikely, unless they decide to completely tank, but it's hard to image Dirk Nowitzki going along with that idea.