OT: Brand and Bird rights

[lapassione]

From LA Times:
The offer came after the Clippers expected to reach an agreement with Brand, 29, as soon as Wednesday for a five-year deal worth about $70 million, the most the team could offer under salary cap considerations and still sign free-agent guard Baron Davis, whom the team had come to a verbal agreement with Tuesday, according to the sources

Question:
Does the Clippers hold Bird rights for Brand? If so, can't they give him ANY money (up to league's maximum) they want?

[lapassione]

San Fransisco Chronicle:
The most the Clippers could offer Brand is a five-year contract worth about $75 million - or roughly $15 million less than the Warriors' proposal.

[UCFJayBird]

From what I understand it depends on what the salary cap is limited at. The current belief is that to sign Baron Davis, the Clippers had to renounce their rights to Maggette AND Brand, thus losing their bird rights for both players. But they're still way under the cap, so they'd still be able to offer Brand a large contract. Unfortunately, the Warriors, and Sixers, are further under the cap and can offer more.

[lapassione]

Thank you.
I think the bit i missed was; them renouncing their rights for Elton Brand and loosing bird rights.
At this moment, Elton Brand is just like any other free agent for them...

[UCFJayBird]

in theory yes, but i've read reports saying that it depends what the salary cap is set at. If they can get Baron to maybe accept slightly less money, or if the cap limit is high enough, maybe they won't have to renounce the rights. But right now I think teams are operating on the idea that yes, Brand will be an unrestricted free agent.

[JTSUCF]

The issue is Brand's cap hold. His hold will disappear when he signs a new deal. I think that since Baron hasn't officially signed a contract with the Clippers but they have the parameters, the Clippers could sign Brand to his new deal, thus giving him the 10.5% increases, renounce Magette's rights, and then sign Baron to the deal they have already agreed on.

I think that teams are allowed to do this now. I know that this issue came up back when the Heat tried to sign Juwan Howard and pair him with Alonzo Mourning but they had agreed with Mourning before they came to terms with Juwan so his contract was voided and he then signed with the Wizards.

[KingRobb02]

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#25

[lapassione]

Kind of free agent
Previous salary
Free agent amount
---------------------------------
Larry Bird, except when coming off rookie scale contract
At least the average salary
150% of his previous salary*
---------------------------------
this means Elton Brand's cap hold is pretty high.

[Tommy Udo 6]

The point is that Brand is willing to take less so that Davis can be signed

That Chronicle quote is only valid considering that Clips want to sign Baron.

If Baron wasnt in the picture - Clippers (who have full Bird rights on Brand) can offer him as much as Gilbert is being offered by Washington and more than the Sonics signed Lewis for last year before the trade to Magic. They can offer over $120 million

Brand is willingly taking a massive pay cut in order to be on a competitive team.

[Tommy Udo 6]

From what I understand it depends on what the salary cap is limited at. The current belief is that to sign Baron Davis, the Clippers had to renounce their rights to Maggette AND Brand, thus losing their bird rights for both players. But they're still way under the cap, so they'd still be able to offer Brand a large contract. Unfortunately, the Warriors, and Sixers, are further under the cap and can offer more.

No - they first sign Brand to the reduced deal.

Then they renounce Maggette (and lose his Bird Rights)

Then they actually sign Baron

Only Maggette is the one out.