Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly maintained interest in upgrading at center in advance of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the Bucks "have been linked" to Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and "continue to be mentioned in NBA circles as having eyes for Miami's Hassan Whiteside."

Kyler added a deal for Whiteside may be a long shot because Miami's recent ascent up the Eastern Conference standings "seems to have them backing away from significant trade talk."

The Heat, who opened the year 15-15, are now 29-21 and a half-game back of the third-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

The story differs for the Clippers, who shifted the direction of the franchise Monday when they agreed to trade Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons.

Once that deal was completed, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that L.A. planned "to pursue packages of young players and picks in talks for DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams."

Williams is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, while Jordan can join him if he declines a $24.1 million player option for the 2018-19 campaign.

However, head coach Doc Rivers has pushed back against the notion that the Clippers are intent on selling off their most prized assets.

"We make this trade and then everyone thinks we're just trading everybody away. That's not true," Rivers said Tuesday, according to ESPN.com's Jovan Buha. "But that's what's out there. Sometimes you can't control the narrative. You just can control your job, and that's what I have to do."

Should the Bucks ramp up their pursuit of Jordan over the next eight days, they'll likely have to part with a serious talent to close the deal.

According to Kyler, it's "hard to imagine" a trade would be completed without the Bucks including Jabari Parker.



Parker, 22, will make his 2017-18 debut Friday against the New York Knicks after recovering from his second ACL tear since he was selected second overall in 2014.