There’s a handful of teams that will be actively pursuing Los Angeles Clippers‘ impending free agent center DeAndre Jordan once NBA free agency begins at midnight. Right now, the Dallas Mavericks are considered the front-runner to land the big man. If Jordan does decide to leave Los Angeles, the Clippers already have a contingency plan.

ESPN.com senior writer Ramona Shelburne is reporting that if Jordan signs with the Mavericks, the Clippers are preparing to make a move on Mavericks center Tyson Chandler.

Clippers still “hopeful” that they’ll keep DeAndre Jordan, but I’m told if he were to leave for Mavs, they’ll try to S&T for Tyson Chandler

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2015

This should really come as no surprise, since Chandler and Jordan are similar players. Both players are well known for their defensive prowess, and the Clippers would have a pressing need for a player who can serve as a rim protector. Another reason why Chandler would be a great fit for Los Angeles is because of his history with star point guard Chris Paul. The two played together for a few seasons in New Orleans.

One of the trademarks of the Clippers is their flashy-pass laden fast breaks ending in explosive alley-oop dunks, hence the nickname ‘Lob City.’ That name doesn’t have to go away if Jordan leaves because before Paul was hooking up with DJ, he was making the SportsCenter Top 10 with Chandler.

It won’t be a forgone conclusion that the Clippers will land Chandler if Jordan signs with Dallas, but they must make every effort to ensure it happens.

Brandon Austin is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BMoreThanGreat, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.