Corey Maggette?

[DowJones]

What are your plans for Maggette? Are you looking to trade him? If so, what are you looking for? I would love to see Cleveland get him. We don't have much to offer except a BUNCH of expiring contracts. We could take back a bad contract or 2 and give you a future 1st rounder. I am a Cleveland fan that is just trying to see what offensive-minded wing player might be available to pair next to LeBron.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Expiring contracts of useful players is always a possibility in a sign and trade with the Clippers. Instead of matching Quentin Richardson's offer sheet, we let him walk and traded a 2nd rounder for Kittles expiring contract. Instead of re-signing Marko Jaric, we traded him for Sam Cassell's expiring contract.

I could see a Maggette S&T + Tim Thomas for Wally Szczerbiak + Joe Smith. Both Wally and Smith are expiring and can help the team compete next year. Such a trade wouldn't surprise me.

[jgustav1]

What are your plans for Maggette? Are you looking to trade him? If so, what are you looking for?

The Clippers would likely be looking to move Maggette for a young PG if they don't get lucky next Tuesday in the lottery. I don't see a good combination from Cleveland that would make sense in exchange for Maggette at this point.

[loflin3hree5ive]

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The Clippers would likely be looking to move Maggette for a young PG if they don't get lucky next Tuesday in the lottery. I don't see a good combination from Cleveland that would make sense in exchange for Maggette at this point.

You remember Donald Sterling owns this team, right? If a team is offering up expirings, anything is possible. Especially if it means getting Tim Thomas off the books. I can't even imagine how bad DTS is itching to stop paying Tim Thomas.

[jgustav1]

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You remember Donald Sterling owns this team, right? If a team is offering up expirings, anything is possible. Especially if it means getting Tim Thomas off the books. I can't even imagine how bad DTS is itching to stop paying Tim Thomas.

Yeah, like Sterling is going to be happy to give away a 22 ppg game scorer for Wally Szczerbiak and his 13 million dollar contract? I'd rather have Tim Thomas on the books than give away Maggette like this.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Wally is a solid perimeter scorer. It's hardly like we're talking about trading Maggette for Raef Lafrentz's expiring contract. And even if Wally does make $13 million, that cancels out what Sterling is going to pay Thomas and Sterling won't have to be on the hook for Maggette's extension. And I wouldn't call that trade "giving away" Maggette. You gotta take into account that Maggette's injury history is no secret and the way Maggette plays makes him vulnerable to more injuries. Giving Corey a long-term deal isn't the safest investment in the world.

[Denisaur9]

TJ Ford or Calderon in some kind of Package for Maggette..you guys get a PG and with the emergence of Thorton I think its makes Maggette expandable.

[jgustav1]

And I wouldn't call that trade "giving away" Maggette. You gotta take into account that Maggette's injury history is no secret and the way Maggette plays makes him vulnerable to more injuries. Giving Corey a long-term deal isn't the safest investment in the world.

The Clippers would let Corey walk before making the deal you proposed with the Cavs. No way do they want anything to do with Szczerbiak and his 13 million dollar contract. They can get a lot more in return in another sign and trade deal. Cap space doesn't mean as much to the Clippers as another team because of the difficultly in getting players willing to sign here. They have had cap spaces and offers out for Bryant, Arenas and Ray Allen and lost out on all these players.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Because the Clippers missed out on a few top notch free agents hardly means they will/should give up on the idea of signing free agents. Wally provides a service, shooting, something the Clippers need. Take that into account with the trend that the Clippers take on expiring contracts rather than commit to extensions and you have a deal that could very easily happen. I'd rather get more for Maggette too (Hinrich/Ford/Calderon/Davis), but taking DTS into consideration you gotta believe such a deal is possible, like it or not.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Also, Sterling wouldn't let Corey walk. That's way too hard of a PR hit that he knows he can't afford right now.

[jgustav1]

Because the Clippers missed out on a few top notch free agents hardly means they will/should give up on the idea of signing free agents. Wally provides a service, shooting, something the Clippers need. Take that into account with the trend that the Clippers take on expiring contracts rather than commit to extensions and you have a deal that could very easily happen. I'd rather get more for Maggette too (Hinrich/Ford/Calderon/Davis), but taking DTS into consideration you gotta believe such a deal is possible, like it or not.

NBA free agents who have value to multiple teams want to join a winning franchise - not the Clippers. The Clippers have had to overpay to obtain a player such as Cuttino Mobley or pick up a player virtually no other team wanted - Brevin Knight is an example of this.

If Szczberiak was making the MLE he could be a decent contributor to the Clippers but not at his bloated salary next season.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Acquiring Szczerbiak isn't for the purpose of signing a free agent the next year. If that happens, it's more of an unintended benefit rather than the sole purpose of the trade. Szczerbiak fits because Sterling is cheap and he fills a void. And again, a trend is forming when the Clippes are faced with decision. I'm just paying attention to history. Would you have said the same thing you are saying now when we let Q Rich walk and took on Kittles contract which is similar to Wally's? It's history repeating itself.

[jgustav1]

Would you have said the same thing you are saying now when we let Q Rich walk and took on Kittles contract which is similar to Wally's? It's history repeating itself.

Why repeat a mistake like that? I didn't like the Kittles trade when it happened even before he missed almost the entire season due to injuries.

[loflin3hree5ive]

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Why repeat a mistake like that? I didn't like the Kittles trade when it happened even before he missed almost the entire season due to injuries.

Actually, I'd argue the Kittles/Richardson series of events wasn't a mistake at all. It was too bad that year we had Kittles he wasn't healthy, but I'm sure glad we had him for only that one injury-plagued year rather than be stuck with Q-Rich and his chronic back injuries for several years. Making that trade (and the similar Cassell trade) have proven to actually be a couple of the better decisions Baylor has made in his Clippers career. Who knows what kind of mess our franchise would be in if we still had Jaric and Richardson (and their overpaid salaries) on the roster. Maggette is better than both those guys but we've traded in the past but the salary clearing moves have worked for us in the past and like Sterling would probably say, "If it ain't broke, and it saves me money, don't fix it.".

[jgustav1]

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Actually, I'd argue the Kittles/Richardson series of events wasn't a mistake at all. It was too bad that year we had Kittles he wasn't healthy, but I'm sure glad we had him for only that one injury-plagued year rather than be stuck with Q-Rich and his chronic back injuries for several years.

That's fine if you think Q Richardson was overpaid and shouldn't have been matched, but obtaining a banged up Kittles and then overpaying for Mobley hasn't been a good move for the team. If the Clippers were a considered a decent place to play by free agents, someone like Raja Bell could have been signed with a lot more production and at a lower cost than the Kittles/Mobley combination.

[loflin3hree5ive]

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That's fine if you think Q Richardson was overpaid and shouldn't have been matched, but obtaining a banged up Kittles and then overpaying for Mobley hasn't been a good move for the team. If the Clippers were a considered a decent place to play by free agents, someone like Raja Bell could have been signed with a lot more production and at a lower cost than the Kittles/Mobley combination.

The Clippers intelligently put themselves in a position not to be tied down by the cap when they traded Richardson and Jaric. What the Clippers have done and will do in free agency, and whether or not free agents want to come to the Clippers is an entire different issue and is irrelevant to Corey Maggette's contract situation.

Now, if you are suggesting the Clippers not worry about managing the salary cap because free agents won't sign here or we have to overpay or you dislike the Clippers history in free agent signings, that's your opinion and I respectfully disagree, to put it lightly.

I hope a Milwaukee Bucks fan is in here reading this right now. They could definitely relate to what I am saying.

[jgustav1]

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The Clippers intelligently put themselves in a position not to be tied down by the cap when they traded Richardson and Jaric. What the Clippers have done and will do in free agency, and whether or not free agents want to come to the Clippers is an entire different issue and is irrelevant to Corey Maggette's contract situation.

Now, if you are suggesting the Clippers not worry about managing the salary cap because free agents won't sign here or we have to overpay or you dislike the Clippers history in free agent signings, that's your opinion and I respectfully disagree, to put it lightly.

I hope a Milwaukee Bucks fan is in here reading this right now. They could definitely relate to what I am saying.

Huh? The Clippers didn't trade Richardson, he left as a FA. Why are you even bringing up the Jaric trade? Most fans agreed that this wasn't the spot for him and he needed to either be traded or leave as a FA.

If the Clippers obtain Szczerbiak and Joe Smith in exchange for Maggette and Thomas for the sake of managing the salary cap because they are only are committing to one year deals, this make little sense. Without a plan to intelligently use the money that would be freed up, the Clippers will go nowhere.

I'd rather see them trade Maggette for an asset they can use next season and for the future such as Calderon.

I absolutely dislike the Clippers history in free agent signings of players from other teams, I can't imagine too many fans who would disagree, maybe you are one of them. Mobley and your favorite, Tim Thomas, are some recent examples of these signings.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Forgive me: Letting Richardson walk and trading for Kerry Kittles as a replacement the same day.

A trade like the on we're talking about wouldn't be made for the sole intention of managing the cap. This is Sterling's team, saving money is always going to be on the agenda. We just gotta hope winning is higher on Sterling's priority list than saving some cash.

Besides, do you really think I'm discussing this because I want Wally and Joe Smith over Calderon? I'd be thrilled if we acquired Calderon, and maybe we will. But on the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if the Clippers continue the trend of acquiring expiring contracts rather than commit to a player long-term.

[jgustav1]

This is Sterling's team, saving money is always going to be on the agenda. We just gotta hope winning is higher on Sterling's priority list than saving some cash.

Running the business at a profit has always been more important than fielding a winning team to Sterling, why would this change given his track record over the last 25 years?

[loflin3hree5ive]

I don't know but spending money on Elton, Corey, Cat and re-signing Sam gives us hope.