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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3491156

The Clippers on Tuesday agreed to terms on a deal with the Denver Nuggets to acquire center Marcus Camby as their replacement for Elton Brand, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Clippers will only have to surrender a future second-round pick to acquire Camby, who is being jettisoned into the Clippers' salary-cap space vacated by Brand to generate payroll relief for the Nuggets.

Looks like Okafor won't be going to LA.

Yes!! I just saw that. His suitors are evaporating one by one. Lets pray he doesn't just sign the qualifying offer.

cmon seriously!!! Camby is only worth a second round pick???
one of the best defender in the league for a 2nd round pick!!!!
why aren't bobcats offering their 2nd round again???

denver gets a trade exception for around $11 million. This could have just relocated our problem from L.A. to Denver. Now all they have down low is Kmart and Nene.

chabber wrote:Yes!! I just saw that. His suitors are evaporating one by one. Lets pray he doesn't just sign the qualifying offer.

You know he will ha

Denver may be in play for Okafor now unless they're planning to make a move for Artest instead. When it's all said and done there will be 2 teams with extra cap space by the end of free ageny. One of them should be the Grizzlies.

I wish they'd just get a deal done with Okafor already and call it a day.

I don't see how Denver is in the running for Okafor. I thought trade exceptions can only be used in, well, trades. The only thing more unlikely than us trading Okafor for somebody, is us trading Okafor for a trade exception.

I think it's a good sign, because it shows that the Clippers probably thought they wouldn't be able to sign any of the restricted agents away from their respective teams, so they went this route instead.

I don't know what Denver was thinking, though. I guess they're hoping to turn that trade exception into a decent player who's team is looking to get rid of their contract. Seems like a bad deal for Denver, but I guess we have to wait and see what they turn that trade exception into.

PS - I thought some of you meant that maybe Denver got under the cap by trading away Camby, but that doesn't look like the case either. Hoopshype had them at 76m before they traded Camby, so they'd still be WELL above the cap regardless. Like I said, unless there's something I don't know about, I don't see how Denver is in the running to sign Okafor.

Denver isn't in the running for Okafor... even if they COULD offer him the money, they obviously aren't going to. This deal was very simple; if it were the NFL, they would simply have cut Camby, but since his contract is guaranteed, they trade him for nothing to get him off the books. Denver is well into the luxury tax; this was a financial decision, not a strategic one. The Bobcats are right about at the cap; we couldn't simply absorb Camby's deal, we'd have to send something back to Denver, which neither team wants. This is not a deal we could have done.

Stupid deal for the Clippers, though... great value or whatever, but what are they doing with Kaman and Camby? That's not a contender, they blew their space, Camby's getting old... they'd have been much better off throwing money at the remaining RFAs.

We don't have th cap room to trade a second rounder for Camby. That and it would take us out of the running for Okafor. So all in all, that's why we didn't make the deal.

Okafor would have been PERFECT for the clippers, I'm so glad they are out of the running now.

Lock up Okafor, trade for Boozer, and we have ourselves a team!

I was thinking the same. Maybe Clippers think Kaman could play at 4. They will be a really rebounding team with Camby, Kaman and Thorthon...

Good news for us!

Its a great deal for the Clippers, but I'd be pissed if I was Marcus Camby...or Okafors agent.

Prior to the free agent period starting, he had the Sixers, Clippers, and Bobcats all potentially vying for his services. Then Brand became a Sixer, which made the need for Brand higher in Clipperland. Except they get Camby for a 2nd round pick.

Now you've got the Bobcats at a multiyear deal or the Bobcats at the qualifying offer. Nice options.

Please be smart and take the multiyear, Okafor.

Looks like unless Memphis wants a crack at him he's ours or we get to S&T him.

He would really sacrifice himself for money for Africa if he would sign with Grizzlies. He would left HOF coach, better team and go to the tougher conference. I can't see how sane Okafor could do that. Except because of the charity.

Well I'll just say now that if he accepts a qualifying offer from us then he's probably as good as gone next season. Then my previous posts where I talked about him not wanting to be in Charlotte will be looking more and more valid.

I hope I'm wrong.

Paydro70 wrote:Stupid deal for the Clippers, though... great value or whatever, but what are they doing with Kaman and Camby? That's not a contender, they blew their space, Camby's getting old... they'd have been much better off throwing money at the remaining RFAs.

You guys would've matched for Okafor anyway, unless we threw 70mil at him or some ridiculous number. Would he have made us that much better?

We're getting Camby for 2yrs/15mil (20 with incentives) and he comes off the books along with Mobley and Thomas just in time for the 2010 FA class. We will have over 20mil in cap room. I'd rather be in that position that have my hands tied for 5yrs overpaying Okafor. And BTW, Camby is a PF who's been playing out of position for years. He can and will play the 4 spot.

the camby deal is a much better deal for the clips than josh smith or okafor, for the simple fact that is mentioned above, the contract is done in 2 years. the clips werent going anywhere with josh smith or okafor, first round at best. camby wont improve their chances but they will get to reload and try again in 2 years. camby is a stop-gap.

probably a good move for the nugs as well. they were going anywhere with that cast of players. they have to ride it out until martin comes off the books or until they can trade him. his deal, along with nene's, is killing them.

Nonsense... they might leave the 2010 FA class empty-handed anyway, or overpay for someone not as good. Josh Smith fits the team better than Camby, is a young stud with major potential, and clearly is ready to leave Atlanta. At the very least money should have been thrown at him to see what would happen (do they even need to pay that much given the screwed-up ownership situation AND Smith's comments on the coach?). What's the rush? The Nuggets had no one else to turn to, the deal would still have been there if they didn't get any of the RFAs.

The Clips get to sign other minor free agents now too with the Camby trade. If they had gone after a RFT they would have had to wait for two weeks or whatever the time the other team has to make up it's mind about matching or not ... and teams do use that time to punish the other team even if they know on day 1 what they are going to do. That wait would have paralized the Clips and they would not have had the ability to really negotiate with the guys they need to fill up the roster.