Clippers match Heat's offer, keep Brand

[MFFL]

Friday, July 18
Updated: July 19, 8:17 PM ET
Deal will be for $82 million over six years
ESPN.com news services

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers retained All-Star forward Elton Brand on Saturday by matching an offer sheet he signed with the Miami Heat earlier this week.

The Clippers did not disclose the terms of Brand's deal, which is believed to be worth $82.2 million over six years. Los Angeles had 15 days to match the offer sheet Brand signed with the Heat on Wednesday.

"I am very pleased that Elton Brand will continue to be an important part of our organization," said Elgin Baylor, the Clippers vice president of basketball operations. "I never doubted the outcome of this process and I couldn't be happier."

The first overall selection by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 NBA draft, Brand has averaged 19.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 38.3 minutes over his four-year career.

Brand, who could have signed a one-year tender and then become an unrestricted free agent next summer, didn't seem fazed that the historically penny-pinching Clippers are going to keep him from going to Miami.

"If they match, I'm going to be excited either way," Brand told the Los Angeles Times by telephone on Friday when the Clippers; plans first came to light. "I'll be ready to go in a new direction with the Clippers, start winning some games and get into the playoffs. If they're going to match, that's saying they're in the direction of trying to get players."

The retention of Brand is the first step in an unprecendented outlay of Cash by the Clippers, in efforts to retain much of the team's core. The Clippers also have indicated that they will match the six-year, $42 million offer Utah made to guard Corey Maggette.

The Clippers already lost center Michael Olowokandi, who signed with Minnesota earlier this week, and likely will not match Denver's offer sheet to Andre Miller, a disappointment in his only year in L.A.

According to the Times, new Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy called Brand on Thursday and repeated the team's interest in retaining him. "I told him it's all my fault," Dunleavy joked. "I said, 'I signed on to coach you, that's the way it's going to be.'

After opting not to lock up Brand last summer, the Clippers made an initial offer of $65 million over five years on July 1. They later increased the offer to $78 million over six years, the max they could offer with the salary cap assumed to be $42 million.

When the official salary cap figure of $43.8 million was released by the NBA on Wednesday, the Heat were able to include an additional $4 million in their offer, which the Clippers now must match.

"I honestly think that if they do match, and other players are here, it can turn around," Brand said to the Times. "The problem was, players weren't getting paid, so they were leaving or trying to do their things to get paid by other teams ... If we're there, then it's on us. It's in L.A., it's a great city, we've got great fans. We've just got to get over those old problems. We should be able to do that."

[MavsFanFinley]

Not only have the Clippers matched the Heat's offer to keep Brand, they've matched the Wizards offer to Gilbert Arenas.

Clippers: Arenas offered a six-year deal

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Sunday, July 20, 2003

News

The Clippers matched the Wizards six-year, $60 million offer to restricted free agent point guard Gilbert Arenas on Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reported. Arenas, who has indicated that he would like to play in Los Angeles, now has offers from the Clippers, Wizards, and Jazz. The Nuggets are thought to be another team in the running. If Arenas signs an offer sheet, the Warriors have 15 days to match. The report went on to say that the Clippers still plan to match Utah's offer to Corey Maggette, and the team would also like to re-sign Lamar Odom.

Views

Donald Sterling's money seems to be flowing pretty freely these days. Only Gilbert knows who the frontrunner is right now, but we believe the Clippers have a slight edge over the Wizards and Jazz. However, there is no word on when Arenas might make a decision, so it's tough to know which team he'll end up choosing.

[Drbio]

Wow. Sterling must have fallen, hit his head and found his brain. Arenas to the Clips would be a coup. I had Arenas to Denver the whole way. Sterling may finally have figured out his basketball people know what the hell they are talking about.

[kg_veteran]

I still think Brand (and apparently Maggette) have been banished to basketball hell.

I'll believe that the Clippers are for real when they start living up to expectations.