The Los Angeles Clippers were convinced that DeAndre Jordan would stay with the team when all was said and done, but on Friday afternoon, the 6-foot-11 center threw Doc Rivers and the Clippers a huge curveball, when he announced that he would be signing a four-year, $80 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Jordan’s decision shocked a number of people in the NBA, and leaves the Clippers with a massive hole in the middle of their defense.

Although Jordan was begging for a team to offer him an expanded offensive role, the Clippers stood their ground, and as a result the Clippers defense and rebounding takes a big hit. Jordan finished the 2014-15 NBA season averaging 11.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. His defensive prowess and rim protection will be sorely missed, especially considering the team doesn’t have any in-house options to help fill the void.

With Jordan out of the picture, there aren’t a whole lot of free agent centers left on the market. The likes of JaVale McGee, Bismack Biyombo, Kosta Koufos, and Aron Baynes pale in comparison to the impact that Jordan brought to the Clippers. There’s truly only one big impact player left on the market at any position, and that’s LaMarcus Aldridge, but Aldridge has stated on more than one occasion that he refuses to play center.

Rivers must be scrambling, trying to find a trade partner after looking at the talent-level of the free agent centers left. Maybe he will give a call to the Sacramento Kings to check in on DeMarcus Cousins, but that seems like a long-shot. If Rivers can’t find a rim-protector who can rebound half as well as Jordan, the Clippers could be in real danger in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

Jason Fletcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.