THIS JUST GETTING AROUND, SOURCED LA TIMES …
Sunday, Jul 6, 2008 11:12 am EDT

Clippers deserve better from Brand, Kaman
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Typically for the Clippers, at the end of what should have been a gorgeous summer week, we have been left with two gloomy thoughts. Elton Brand as a Golden State Warrior. Chris Kaman as a German.

The poor Sterlings just can’t seem to get any Gluck, their best player threatening to walk away from his reputation while their most promising player takes complete leave of his senses wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke.

“It’s always something,” said Coach Mike Dunleavy.

In this case, two somethings, both of which should be nothings. Brand should not sign with the Golden State Warriors, not even for $20 million more than the Clippers’ offer, not if he is true to his image and his word. Kaman should not play for the German national team, even though his grandparents were German, because stronger loyalties should lie with his health and his $52-million Clippers contract.

After the celebrated agreement with Baron Davis, neither of these things should even be an issue.

Shouldn’t the rest of the fellas be excited about the arrival of a star?

Isn’t this how the Boston Celtics just won a championship?

Source: Los Angeles Times

Brand could be waiting this out for any number of reasons. From a public image standpoint, given the fact that the guy probably has one more contract to sign after this one, he might not wanna spite teams by acting like he is not even CONSIDERING a maximum type offer. There could be dozens of other reasons why he is waiting. We don’t know. There are a couple of things we do know, however. First, he was QUICK to come out and say he was only opting out to give the clippers more cap room. He surely would have been able to decipher the fact that other teams would be offering him huge contracts when he did opt out, yet he still said he was going to sign with the clips. Next, my opinion is that he pushed the clips to sign b. diddy and forced their hands in a contract that will cripple their payroll 3 years down the road. Bottom line, a whole bunch of people did a whole bunch of things based on his word and the general consensus is that he is a man of “character”. The factors just don’t weigh in our favor. Don’t get me wrong I would LOVE to see this, but i think the best way to do it is to convince yourself its not gonna happen, and if it does then…yeeeeeeeeeee! and if it doesn’t (which it probably won’t) then… Oh well.

P.S. on the off chance we do get him, I say we send him packing to Miami and get Marion year asap.

“It was just to clear room to get another player, but you have to understand. They drove a dumptruck full of money up to my house. I’m not made of stone!”

No offers can be official and the cap figures aren’t out. Brand doesn’t know the actual size of the offer that the Clippers can give him yet to make a reliable decision, though waiting does seem to suggest that money is factoring heavily it it all.

im guessing the wait has more to do with the holiday weekend. i agree with sarangc, were probably looking at a 10% chance we land him, but mullin had to at least thow him and arenas(before he re upped) a bone strictly for PR image.

...who I think it’s safe to say knows more about the W’s dealings than anyone, says the longer Brand is silent, the more obvious it is that he is trying to find a way not to come to the W’s. If he wanted the $, he would’ve taken it already.