Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has taken time out of his side's pre-season preparations to heap praise on DeAndre Jordan.

Reports had suggested that Jordan was close to leaving the franchise in a trade which would have seen Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett move to California.

However, Rivers has claimed that the 25-year-old is an important factor for his team.

"That was the strangest thing in the world. I was seeing the trade talks and I was saying, 'Wait a minute! We don't want to give away that guy!' We wanted that other guy too. That was the home run to get both," Rivers told reporters.

"[Jordan] is just too young and too gifted to let walk out your door, bottom line. He's a game changer defensively. When you have one of those guys, you want to keep them."

Jordan was drafted by the Clippers in 2008.