Elton Brand opts out!

[salqaddoumi]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-cli ... 4796.story

Goodbye Shawn Marion?

[Carolina Heat]

If we could only get so lucky...

I'm betting he signs long term with the Clips.

Given that he turns 30 in March and is coming off major surgery, I might prefer a run at Boozer next season anyway...

[dflash3]

Just in Brand to sign with the Heat for the MLE!!!

I wish

[CB4MiamiHeat]

Brand is a million times better than Boozer...hes a much better defender, we could even plug him in at Center. But i expect him to go back to LA.

[Rodrizzle]

Id love Brand maybe there is a sign and trade in the works?

[vincent]

What no no

The Clip has no needed for Marion
a thrid team is needed

N>J.NET
Buck

[Heat11114]

Problem is even if Brand wanted Miami we have nothing to offer. We're not gonna offer Beasley at this point, I doubt they have any interest in Marion and we dont even have a 1st rounder to offer since we one to Minnesota.

[Flash3]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3468389

"Elton Brand said on Monday that he is opting out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, but that he hopes to re-sign with the team.

"We're opting out," Brand said. "It definitely doesn't mean I'm leaving the Clippers. We're trying to work it out. My intention is to stay.""

[Rodrizzle]

Problem is even if Brand wanted Miami we have nothing to offer. We're not gonna offer Beasley at this point, I doubt they have any interest in Marion and we dont even have a 1st rounder to offer since we one to Minnesota.

If Brand wants to go then the Clippers would be left with nothing. Atleast with Marion they have a huge expiring to try and move by the deadline to get something of value. I dont see the Clippers in any position of power in the situation

[salqaddoumi]

You guys aren't getting the point here.

If Brand tells the Clipps he wants to leave and go to Miami than they'd much rather get Shawn Marion + fillers in return for him rather than let him walk to the Sixers. The man signed an offer sheet with us before, it's not that outlandish to think we have a chance.

I wouldn't put way too much stock in his comments that Flash3 just posted either, he said what he had to say.

edit: And to whoever said they don't need Marion, Maggette is also opting out and I highly doubt he is returning to the Clips. Even if they don't need Marion, he's 17 mil in expiring and that is VERY valuable.

[Heat11114]

Problem is even if Brand wanted Miami we have nothing to offer. We're not gonna offer Beasley at this point, I doubt they have any interest in Marion and we dont even have a 1st rounder to offer since we one to Minnesota.

If Brand wants to go then the Clippers would be left with nothing. Atleast with Marion they have a huge expiring to try and move by the deadline to get something of value. I dont see the Clippers in any position of power in the situation

So the advantage is they have an expiring contract? Brand's going to walk anyway, what good is an expiring contract? All the Clippers have to do is play hard ball, they offer 70-80 over 6 years, Miami offers the MLE who wins?

[MartyConlonJr]

If I'm the Clippers, I'm offering Baron Davis a contract if Brand forces his way out instead of trading for Marion. Baron Davis has had a love affair with LA from the day he was drafted. He has a better chance of success than Marion

C - Kaman / Jordan
PF - Thornton / Thomas
SF - Maggette / Thomas
SG - Gordon / Mobley
PG - Davis / Knight

[BBallFreak]

Problem is even if Brand wanted Miami we have nothing to offer. We're not gonna offer Beasley at this point, I doubt they have any interest in Marion and we dont even have a 1st rounder to offer since we one to Minnesota.

If Brand wants to go then the Clippers would be left with nothing. Atleast with Marion they have a huge expiring to try and move by the deadline to get something of value. I dont see the Clippers in any position of power in the situation

So the advantage is they have an expiring contract? Brand's going to walk anyway, what good is an expiring contract? All the Clippers have to do is play hard ball, they offer 70-80 over 6 years, Miami offers the MLE who wins?

I think the advantage in a Marion for Brand deal is a third team giving up value for Brand.

[vincent]

If I'm the Clippers, I'm offering Baron Davis a contract if Brand forces his way out instead of trading for Marion. Baron Davis has had a love affair with LA from the day he was drafted. He has a better chance of success than Marion

C - Kaman / Jordan
PF - Thornton / Thomas
SF - Maggette / Thomas
SG - Gordon / Mobley
PG - Davis / Knight

ok Baron Davis opt out 18 million
Clipper fans are saying LA don't have to use Elton bird -right
can go over the cap after signing Davis,baron

give them a line up of Davis Gordon Thornton Brand Kaman
now did Monta Ellis know this....

[CaliHeat]

^^^ Yea but he can also opt to sign with the 76ers or another team as well.

I really think Marion for S&T Brand sounds pretty good to both parties, if Brand tells the Clippers that he is gonna sign with a team like the 76ers.

[MartyConlonJr]

I think if it came down to Marion for Brand, they'd rather let him leave and retain max cap space. No point paying an extra 18 million for the lineup they would have.

[HeatSince88]

I'm going to go out on the limb with my outlandish, non-sensical prediction from a couple months ago:

Watch Riley call Brand & Maggette at the stroke of midnight, offer them huge new contracts in sign-and-trade, get them to say "f*ck yeah" on the phone, then offer Marion & Beasley to the Clips. The Clips choose the cheaper, younger route and take the deal, rather than losing Brand for nothing to Philly.

Riley gets two guys he's targeted for years and completes his instant rebuild, then our Big 3 of Wade-Maggette-Brand contends immediately. Cheap-ass Donald Sterling and the Clips avoid committing $150 million in new contracts, while still getting a young impact big man (Beasley) and an all-star (Marion) to replace them.

I know, most of us would love to keep Beasley, but this is how Riley rolls!

Or not.

[MartyConlonJr]

^ I agree, and it's basically the trade I offered up a month ago, although now we get em locked in long term

C - Blount / Mourning
PF - Brand / Haslem
SF - Maggette / Wright
SG - Wade / Cook
PG - Banks / Chalmers

Riley probably makes follow up trades and signings. I mean, he can use the MLE on Pietrus, and then package the potential of Wright and Cook, or the talent of Haslem to net some immediate help at PG or C.

Don't know what Hinrich costs us, but I'm sure his value is similar to Haslem for some team involved in a three way trade. Say it costs us Haslem and Cook to work a trade for Hinrich with an intereted party.

C - ? / Mourning
PF - Brand / ?
SF - Maggette / Pietrus
SG - Wade / Pietrus
PG - Hinrich / Chalmers

Theres 8 of 10 spots sewn up long term (Mourning gets replaced at backup C by Blount when he retires) and we have the LLE and Wright to trade, and no fear of maintaining cap space. Hell Pietrus may take half the MLE, but I think he's perfect with his defense and corner 3's, even if his BBall IQ isn't awesome.

[Tommy Udo 6]

Baron Davis is out now too

Rumors here have Baron, an LA native, joining Brand in LA

Of course, it that happens, Maggette will not be re-signed. Sterlings isnt going to pay Lux Tax

(

[daniel3]

Brands not coming here, stop with the dreams. LA would be ridiculously crazy to let him go.