Reasons debated as Elton Brand leaves Clippers for 76ers
Star and his agent say it was Clippers' first low offer and other issues that made them look elsewhere. Coach Mike Dunleavy says team did everything to retain Brand and will move on with Baron Davis.
By Jonathan Abrams
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 10, 2008
One thing is certain: Elton Brand is now a Philadelphia 76er.
How, exactly, he got there, was up for debate Wednesday among the Clippers, Brand and his agent, David Falk.
Brand, who signed a five-year deal with the 76ers worth an estimated $82 million, originally received an offer from the Clippers last week for five years and $70 million, a deal that was delivered as a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum, Falk said.
"I wasn't angry, but I was surprised. You don't expect a team to give a franchise player an ultimatum. You wouldn't expect the Lakers to do that with Kobe Bryant. You wouldn't expect the Heat to do that with Dwyane Wade," Falk said.
Countered Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy:
"After I supposedly gave him a take it or leave it offer, we raised the offer to $75 million and $81 million. They can spin this thing anyway they want to try and spin it. The bottom line is, anything Elton ever wanted I did it for him. They stopped having communication with us more than a week ago."
And finally, the player himself:
"That was my intent to sign with the Clippers," Brand said Thursday. "But I'm not a lawyer. We need to make a deal. And in making the deal, it fell through."
Falk said Brand opted out of the final season of his contract with the Clippers, a season in which he was owed $16.4 million, with every intention of re-signing with the organization.
"In free agency, everything is compressed," said Falk, who also represented Michael Jordan and negotiated Sam Cassell's buyout from the Clippers last season.
"You don't have time to play ping-pong. When they said $70 [million], I took it for face value. It was too much of a sacrifice, that's all."
Falk said neither he, nor Brand, was seeking revenge or additional money and, if that had been the case, they would have accepted a five-year and $90-million offer from Golden State.
"Elton made the decision," Falk said. "Coming to Philadelphia wasn't a move made out of revenge. The Warriors were terrific. They were patient and waited. And I know they were very disappointed. If revenge was the motive, he would have ended up in Golden State."
Others in the Clippers organization, including some of Brand's former teammates, believed a deal had been locked in place with him, especially after a verbal agreement was reached with free-agent point guard Baron Davis. Brand had text messaged teammates that he was excited about the prospects of the team, according to NBA sources who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about player movements.
Falk said that he found out, belatedly, that the Clippers had been negotiating with Brand without his agent. "I didn't know it then, I know it now," Falk said. "I know it after the fact. It's probably the reason that the deal fell apart."
Still, once the negotiations officially began between the parties last week, with Falk involved, a sticking point became an early termination option that Brand wanted.
Brand said he was told the Clippers could not get owner Donald T. Sterling on the phone to grant the request. So, he and Falk immediately began to look elsewhere.
"It's negotiations. No matter what was said, David Falk, my registered agent, never agreed to any deal" with the Clippers, Brand said.
Said Dunleavy:
"I don't know what poisoned Elton against us. But obviously something did. I loved Elton as a player. I'm disappointed and hurt that he left us, but I wish him the best in his future career in Philadelphia."
Late last week, after the Warriors offered Brand $90 million, the Clippers upped their offer to $75 million. Then, Tuesday, the 76ers made a trade to clear some cap space for Brand. That was when the Clippers offered him $81-million deal for five years, a deal, Falk said, that was only extended after the organization knew they had accepted Philadelphia's offer.
Brand reiterated that he felt the Clippers' first offer was a take-it-or-leave it demand: "That's exactly what it was. Or that's what they said it was. And then, they came back and matched. But it's like, 'OK, do that the first time.' "
Dunleavy said the Clippers never got the proper chance, because the communication lines had been cut.
In the end, Brand said the decision was made to be closer to his family -- he is from New York -- and the chance to play with a strong, young nucleus in Philadelphia.
And what about that potential Brand-Davis pairing?
"That could have been a good team and a real special team. But sometimes, enough is enough," Brand said. "I wish them well. They're not bad people and this isn't like a get-out-of-jail card."
But, he is gone, with a Clippers Nation wondering what went so wrong, so fast.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/clippers/la-sp-clippers10-2008jul10,0,2055853.story
So this is what we get from this article:
Brand claims:
He felt he wasn't being treated like a franchise player
The Clippers' offer of $70 million was "take it or leave it"
A major part of the deal was an ETO, which the Clippers denied
Dunleavy tried to negotiate with Brand without Falk's knowledge
The Clippers offer of $81mil was too little too late
Dunleavy claims:
The offer of $70mil offer was not "take it or leave it" but was part of negotiations
Brand and Falk wouldn't give the Clippers a chance to negotiate
He did whatever Brand asked him to do
The Brand camp cut off all communication over a week ago.
