Report: Cavs, Clippers agreed to DeAndre deal, but couldn't find 3rd team

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended up doing just fine on trade-deadline day last week, but one area they didn't really address was their poor rebounding and paucity of rim protection. It wasn't for lack of trying, though, and they reportedly got pretty close to filling both needs with one acquisition.

Cleveland had an agreement in place with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire center DeAndre Jordan, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The framework of the deal had the Cavs sending Jae Crowder, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, and their own 2018 first-round pick to the Clippers. But the Clippers would only sign off on the trade if they were able to find a third team willing to take on the rest of Shumpert's contract - along with some manner of draft-pick compensation - in exchange for a replacement center, according to Wojnarowski.

The two sides stayed in contact regarding the Jordan trade throughout Thursday, and the Clippers reportedly closed in on a third team. At that point, however, Cavs general manager Koby Altman had already made up his mind to send Frye and the first-rounder to the Lakers as part of the package to acquire Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.

He pulled the trigger on the Lakers deal, and then moved Crowder and Shumpert in a separate three-teamer that brought back Rodney Hood and George Hill.

It's tough to argue with the results so far, as the Cavs have convincingly won both games - both on the road, against quality opponents - that their deadline-day acquisitions have played in.