Elton Brand opts out

[elcheato]

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."

Brand is forgoing the $16.4 million on the last year of his deal, a final decision he made at Monday's deadline to notify the team and the league. Earlier in the day, teammate Corey Maggette filed the paperwork to opt out of his contract, the Los Angeles Times reported, creating potentially $10 million of salary cap space if the Clippers do not re-sign him.

Brand's agent, David Falk, said the forward wants to see the Clippers sign a quality free agent and try to assemble a winning team in Los Angeles.

"It preserves options to make the team better," Falk said. "Clearly, if Elton decided he wanted to simply max out the dollars, he would have stayed in the deal, had a monster year and a lot more teams will have cap room next year."

Brand now has the right to leave the Clippers without compensation. Yet it's more likely that he would push for a sign-and-trade to a new team if he can't negotiate a new long-term deal to his liking with L.A, which Falk insists is Brand's preferred scenario.

Memphis and Philadelphia are the only teams with the requisite salary-cap space this summer to make sufficiently lucrative offers to sign Brand away from the Clippers outright. Even the Sixers  despite their publicly stated interest in acquiring a power play  might not have enough with an estimated $11 million to offer for a first-year salary.

It's believed that the Miami Heat will make another hard pitch to land Brand via trade. The contract Brand is vacating was originally signed with Miami when the 29-year-old power forward was a restricted free agent in the summer of 2003, with the Clippers matching that seven-year, $82 million deal.

Falk said a visit to Boston for Game 2 of the NBA Finals influenced Brand's decision to opt out.

"He watched what happened when a few stars get together and agree to have a communal effort," Falk said. "He said 'That's what I'd like to accomplish in my career.'"

Of course it helps to trade for a couple of All-Stars, as the Celtics did when they acquired Ray Allen and then Kevin Garnett. The Clippers have a solid young frontcourt in Brand, center Chris Kaman and Al Thornton, who is coming off a promising rookie season. Guard Cuttino Mobley has two seasons remaining on his contract, and the Clippers selected Indiana guard Eric Gordon with No. 7 pick in the draft last week.

Since Shaun Livingston's devastating knee injury last season, point guard has been the Clippers' most unsettled position. Beno Udrih of the Sacramento Kings is an unrestricted free agent and a potential target.

Brand injured his knee last summer and appeared in only eight games near the end of the 2007-08 season, averaging 17.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. The best season in his nine-year career came in 2005-06, when he averaged 24.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, shot 53 percent and led the franchise into the second round of the playoffs for the first time since it played in Buffalo in 1976.

On Monday, Brand sounded interested in staying in Los Angeles. He has branched out into film production (his first movie, "Rescue Dawn," was released last year) and his wife is expecting a son in October.

"Right now it's just trying to solidify my future and work things out with the Clippers," Brand said. "I've got a lot of going on."

I think he's just going to sign a long term and stay with the Clippers for at least this up coming year, I don't know if the Clippers would want to deal him.

 

[DJT]

I see the Clips re-signing him to. But they possibly could trade him, doubtful though.

 

[.dk92]

yeah. i don't see anybody signing him. he is still recovering from a knee injury

 

[MapleLeaf]

Good, another big name in free agency. Love to see drama.

 

[bulls12]

I wish he could go back to Chicago...

 

[_roboy]

No one can give Brand his 16M contract so I'm not worried. Unless he wants to take a major cut back and still want to lose..

 

[Pugz]

He's gunna stay, unless a sign and trade happens.

 

[RipCity32]

Detroit would look into a sign and trade for sure.

 

[Pugz]

Detroit would look into a sign and trade for sure.

I hope, but that would cost us most of the little youth we got.

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

<Censored> yeah! Paxson please fix Jerry Krause's HUGE (and I mean HUGE) mistake.

 

[Chiefwahoo]

I wish he could go back to Chicago...

 

[dez]

yeah. i don't see anybody signing him. he is still recovering from a knee injury

Teams would jump at the chance to sign him. The 76ers are said to have a offer they expect to give him as well as a few other teams.

But I dont think the Bulls are going to pursue him, they still wanna re-sign Deng and Gordon right? unless its a sign and trade they're not gonna get him....shoulnt of let him go.

 

[VC3]

He's coming to Golden State.

 

[DJT]

Clippers, 76ers, and the Grizzlies are the teams with most CAP space.

fyi

 

[kdogg]

I wasn't surprised by this one, hope he goes to a contender now.

 

[_roboy]

Lol.. EB is staying in LA and is gonna play in a Clippers jersey. If not, I'm gonna bandwagon on another team.

 

[The Young One]

He's gonna be a sixer i have no doubt.

 

[.s31t]

He wants to join a team with Vets. I doubt philly.

 

[.s31t]

LOL. I think Baron Davis might end up in LAL with Elton. Think of that because right now it's a huge possibilty.

 

[kdogg]

LOL. I think Baron Davis might end up in LAL with Elton. Think of that because right now it's a huge possibilty.

Are you talking about the Clippers, LAC lol.