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Schedule highlights: Season opens with champs versus King James

The NBA's 2008-09 schedule is out ... and you know what that means. An equally anticipated document has to go with it: ESPN.com's first rundown of must-see games for the coming season to immediately input into your electronic calendar of choice. Oct. 28: Opening Night An earlier-than-usual launch to the season starts with a tasty TNT doubleheader, leading off with the new champs from Boston hosting LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers on ring night and capped by Greg Oden's long-awaited NBA debut in Blazers at Lakers. Oct. 29: Opening Night (continued) Elton Brand makes his 76ers debut in the same game that Jermaine O'Neal makes his official Raptors debut: Toronto at Philadelphia. Furtherm ore:Michael Beasley makes his pro debut at Madison Square Garden (along with Dwyane Wade's official return from injury) in Heat at Knicks, Ron Artest makes his Rockets debut in Memphis at Houston, and Oklahoma City makes its debut as a full-time NBA city with a visit from the Milwaukee Bucks. And ... ESPN dishes its own doubleheader doozy: Phoenix at San Antonio to renew year after year of recent playoff pleasantries, followed by Lakers at Clippers in a fitting bow for the Clips' new Angeleno point guard: Baron Davis. Oct. 30: Houston at Dallas (TNT) The Mavericks are one of two teams (along with Charlotte) that must wait until Thursday for their opening game, giving Mavs fans more time to fret that the Rockets' acquisition of Ron Artest reduces Dallas to the third-best team in Texas. Oct. 31: San Antonio at Portland (ESPN) The best of the Halloween fare, at least in NBA terms, is unquestionably Oden matching up with Tim Duncan. Nov. 1: Washington at Detroit (NBA TV) The league is still sorting out its full 96-game NBA TV schedule, but Wizards-Pistons has been confirmed as the opener of NBA TV's maiden doubleheader, which concludes with a Portland-at-Phoenix nightcap. [+] EnlargeJesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images If Yao can stay healthy, this could be a preview of the 2009 Finals. Nov. 4: Boston at Houston You don't have to wait long for a look at the NBA's reigning threesome of doom (Garnett, Pierce and Allen) throwing down against the new trio on the block (McGrady, Yao and Artest). P.S. How much playing time will the twins get in Phoenix at New Jersey ... also known as Robin Lopez at Brook Lopez? Nov. 5: Charlotte at New York Larry Brown returns to Madison Square Garden with his (latest) new team. We'll spare you the dates on Larry's returns to Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Indiana, Philly and Detroit. Nov. 6: Houston at Portland (TNT) Yao Ming and Oden go toe-to-toe for the first time. Health permitting, of course. Nov. 9: Houston at L.A. Lakers The denizens of Lakerland who so badly wanted to see Artest in purple and gold will get their first dose of torture early. In L.A.'s first Sunday home game of the season, actually. Nov. 10: Portland at Orlando Oden will have lined up against Shaquille O'Neal (Nov. 1), Yao and Dwight Howard in a span of 10 days by the time he gets through this one. Health permitting, of course. Nov. 12: Atlanta at Boston Are the Hawks and Celtics rivals now because of what happened in the first round of the playoffs? Better question: Shouldn't Olympiacos be required to swing through Atlanta as part of the usual October spree of exhibition games against top European clubs? Nov. 13: Dallas at Chicago (TNT) Mavs owner Mark Cuban could know by this point whether he has won the race to buy the Cubs, which would make this somewhat of a home game for him and certainly spice up his relationship with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, since Reinsdorf owns the White Sox. Nov. 14: Detroit at L.A. Lakers (ESPN) What sort of reception awaits Kwame Brown at Staples Center? Just a hunch: If history is any guide, Kwame needn't expect (or want) any mention of a cake. On the undercard: Kareem Rush's Philadelphia 76ers visit brother Brandon Rush's Indiana Pacers. Nov. 18: Cleveland at New Jersey LeBron and Jay-Z! In the same building! Exactly one week before LeBron goes to MSG to hang with Spike Lee and the Knicks! Cavs fans will want to avoid online consumption of the New York tabloids for a good few days before Thanksgiving. Nov. 20: L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (TNT) Kobe, tell me how many times do you think you and Shaq will be asked about recent rapping exploits? Detroit at Boston, incidentally, isn't exactly a bland appetizer for TNT. Nov. 21: Boston at Minnesota A hamstring strain prevented KG from playing in his first visit to 'Sota as an ex-Wolf last February. Hard to see him missing two in row, though. In Philadelphia, meanwhile, Baron and Elton will be in the same building for the first time since they did not end up on the same team as so many of us expected. And over in Oklahoma City, New Orleans is in town to play the OKC TBAs for the first time, which makes

Lakers let Turiaf go to Warriors, will look to Bynum in middle

LOS ANGELES -- With great reluctance, the Los Angeles Lakers decided at Friday's deadline they wouldn't match Golden State's offer for Ronny Turiaf, meaning the former second-round draft choice will move up the California coast to play for the Warriors. ESPN.com's J.A. Andande first reported the Lakers would not match the offer. "There are emotional ties with Ronny that go beyond basketball," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said on a conference call. "I think that makes it difficult. I think organizations that draft players who turn out to be good players, it's hard for them to let go of those players. And if you know Ronny, you know he's a special kid." The Warriors signed Turiaf, a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $17 million offer sheet last week. By rule, the Lakers had seven days to decide whether to match it. The three-year veteran from Gonzaga averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 78 games with the Western Conference champions last season, making 21 starts. The Lakers played much of last season without starting center Andrew Bynum, giving Turiaf the opportunity for more playing time than he would have had otherwise. But, Kupchak said, Bynum is expected to be healthy when training camp begins in early October, and Turiaf's opportunities figured to be diminished significantly. Kupchak said Bynum has been in New York and underwent physical therapy in 19 of the last 21 days and has been cleared to work out and play. "He's basically on his own to begin conditioning and basketball activity, starting today," Kupchak said. "It's a process. Based on what he did last year, I would expect him to come in in mid-September basically in great shape. I know that's his goal. He's coming back this weekend, we're going to meet with him Monday. He will go to Atlanta late next week to begin his training for the upcoming season." With frontcourt players like Bynum, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton, Trevor Ariza and Chris Mihm on the roster, that wouldn't appear to leave much playing time for Turiaf. Kupchak said he believes that Mihm, who missed most of the last two seasons with ankle problems, will also be fully healthy at the start of training camp. "We will miss Ronny, we will miss his contributions on and off the court, the emotion and the energy he brought, whether he's playing or not," Kupchak said. Kupchak said he met with Turiaf for about an hour Thursday. "It was a very emotional meeting because he loves the city, he loves the organization, there are certain bonds here," Kupchak said. "He feels it's in his best interests to move on. The last thing you want is a young player like Ronny no matter what he's being paid is being on the bench at 25 years old and not playing. "We discussed it yesterday, he wants to play, and sees an opportunity to play in Golden State at least twofold what he can play here." The Warriors certainly have a much greater need for big men than the Lakers. Kupchak said the Lakers will now focus on re-signing guard Sasha Vujacic, another restricted free agent.

Maggette signs contract with Golden State

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors acquired free agent Corey Maggette on Thursday, signing away the Los Angeles Clippers' scoring leader. While the team would not comment on terms of the contract, a person with knowledge of the deal previously told The Associated Press that Maggette would be signed for five years at around $50 million. Maggette The6-foot-6 swingman is expected to be a good fit for Warriors' coach Don Nelson's frenetic, fast-paced style of play. The 28-year-old former Duke star appeared in 70 games last season with the Clippers and averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.01 steals in 35.7 minutes per contest. Maggette trades teams with Baron Davis, who left the Warriors last week to sign with the Clippers. Davis opted out of a $17 million deal for next season to accept a smaller salary to play in his hometown with Elton Brand and perhaps Maggette. However, Brand signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and now Maggette is a Warrior. Landing Maggette was not necessarily easy for the Warriors. He reportedly received interest from five other teams, including reigning NBA champions Boston, as well as San Antonio. But the Warriors were able to offer a longer-term deal and more money after Davis' departure cleared cap room for the team. Maggette is expected to fill voids left by the departure of swingman Mickael Pietrus to Orlando, and the loss of forward Matt Barnes, whom Nelson said won't be back. "He's been one of the most productive players in our league for the last several years and provides us with additional versatility and veteran leadership," said the Warriors' top basketball executive, Chris Mullin. Veterans Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington are the only regulars currently under contract, but Mullin has said the team will sign high-scoring guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins -- both restricted free agents -- at any price, hopefully to long-term deals

Ranking the best available free agents

At midnight Wednesday, NBA free agents finally could change teams. As you might have noticed, there already has been plenty of action. Baron Davis stunned us by agreeing to a five-year, $65 million deal with the Clippers. Then, Elton Brand one-upped his buddy by bolting the Clippers for a five-year deal with the Sixers. Then, Corey Maggette bolted the Clippers for the Warriors, agreeing to a five-year deal worth about $50 million. Also, Chris Duhon is leaving the Bulls for the Knicks, DeSagana Diop is saying goodbye to New Jersey and returning to Dallas, Mickael Pietrus is jumping from the Warriors to the Magic, and James Jones is leaving Portland for Miami. So much for the sleepy, uneventful free-agency period we predicted. Only a handful of free agents have agreed to re-sign with their teams. Gilbert Arenas agreed to a huge six-year, $111 million deal with the Wizards. Jose Calderon quickly agreed to re-up with the Raptors. And Beno Udrih agreed to a five-year, $33 million deal to remain with the Kings. It's the restricted free agents who have struggled to get deals done. Though the Hawks' Josh Smith has earned some interest, it's been uncomfortably quiet for a number of restricted free agents, such as Emeka Okafor and Luol Deng. Teams are hesitant to offer big deals to restricted free agents because once the player signs an offer sheet, his former team has seven days to match -- which thus ties up cap space for a week. However, with all of the top unrestricted free agents off the market, the focus should shift to the restricted free agents. Now that Brand is leaving the Clippers, Los Angeles becomes one team flush with cash to spend on free agents. Even with Baron Davis' deal in the books, the Clippers should have $13.8 million to spend given the new $58.68 million salary cap number. The Warriors also have significant room, even after signing Maggette. Assuming the Warriors keep restricted free agents Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis, the team should have roughly $9 million to $10 million of cap room to spend, depending on Maggette's starting salary. The Grizzlies got under the cap by trading away Pau Gasol for expiring contracts at the trade deadline. But Memphis GM Chris Wallace has been sending signals that the team might not spend its estimated $14.5 million in cap room this summer. The Grizzlies are hinting that they will wait until the summer of 2009, when they'll have more cap room. Meanwhile, the Sixers will use virtually all of their cap space on signing Brand. Here's a look at who's left on the market: Group I: Restricted free agents Only six first-round draft picks from the 2004 draft were signed to extensions last fall. That means some serious young talent is available this summer. These players' restricted status makes it likely they'll stay with their current teams, but at least they'll be in play: Smith1 .Josh Smith, Hawks: Smith has been the hottest restricted free agent, drawing interest from the Sixers, Clippers and Warriors. He's a freakish athlete who can score, rebound and block shots. What holds him back is his questionable attitude. Right now, only two teams, the Clippers and Grizzlies, are far enough under the cap to give Smith an offer sheet big enough to potentially scare the Hawks. Given Atlanta's messy ownership situation, would the Hawks match a huge offer from L.A. or Memphis? That's the big question right now. 2. Andre Iguodala, Sixers: Iguodala's decision to turn down a $57 million deal last summer is tough to justify. At the time, the Sixers appeared to be the only team with significant cap room; I'm not sure where he thought his next paycheck would come from. Now that Elton Brand's on board, expect the Sixers to do everything possible to lock him up. Okafor3. Emeka Okafor, Bobcats: Okafor turned down $13 million per season to hit free agency this summer. He's not the best player on this list, but he's the best young center on the market and one of the few guys in the league who's a lock to average a double-double. It sounds as if the Bobcats are open to a sign-and-trade if the right deal were to come along. 4. Luol Deng, Bulls: Everyone loves Deng's talent, including the Bulls. At least they used to. Injuries and a poor season have hurt his value around the league. Still, it's hard to see the Bulls not matching any offer Deng gets next summer. He declined a $57.5 million extension in October, so if he makes more than that, he'll come out ahead. It will be interesting to see whether the budget-conscious Bulls will take advantage of the market conditions and offer him much less. Biedrins 5.Andris Biedrins, Warriors: Biedrins didn't get the lucrative contract offer that several others did. He was looking for something in the five-year, $50 million range but got an offer that reportedly was substantially

With Brand out of picture, Warriors reach verbal agreement with Maggette

What next for the two teams that tried and failed to secure an agreement with this summer's No. 1 free agent? The Golden State Warriors quietly pulled out of the Elton Brand chase Tuesday afternoon once they realized that Brand was going to Philadelphia if he was going anywhere, quickly moved on to new targets and reached a faster-than-expected verbal agreement to sign someone else from the Los Angeles Clippers: Corey Maggette. Although Golden State still has a huge hole at point guard after also losing Baron Davis to the Clippers, sources said that the Warriors are also preparing to sign Los Angeles Lakers restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf to a four-year offer sheet in the $4 million-a-year range, which the Lakers would have seven days to match. The Clippers, meanwhile, are expected to meet face-to-face as early as Wednesday with Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Smith, who was already in Los Angeles as of Tuesday. It's believed that a hard run at Smith and another restricted free agent -- Charlotte Bobcats center Emeka Okafor -- are at the top of L.A.'s priority list as it seeks to fill the holes created by the departures of Brand and Maggette. If the Clippers wind up signing Smith or Okafor to an offer sheet, as with Turiaf, their respective teams would have seven days to match. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Maggette decided against waiting to see if the Clippers would keep Brand or lose him to the 76ers -- with the latter theoretically creating an opportunity to stay with the Clippers -- to jump at a five-year offer from the Warriors worth a reported $50 million. The Warriors, Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies are the only teams with salary-cap space to spend on free agents above the mid-level exception, which the league announced early Wednesday to be worth $5.585 million next season. Philadelphia was on that list as well before reaching a verbal agreement Tuesday to sign Brand away from the Clippers. Maggette had drawn strong interest from several top contenders who are over the cap and only had the mid-level exception to offer -- including Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Utah and most notably San Antonio -- but was intent on holding out to try to sign with a team that had cap room. Maggette averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season for the Clippers, then opted out of a contract that would have paid him $7 million next season. Golden State initially responded to the loss of Davis by offering Brand a five-year deal worth an estimated $90 million, but the Warriors never came as close to luring Brand away from L.A. as the Sixers. The Warriors also lost swingman Mickael Pietrus to Orlando on Tuesday and will now try to integrate Maggette with veterans Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington and two prized restricted free agents they expect to re-sign comfortably: Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins.

Sixers strengthen low post play, sign Brand to five-year deal

PHILADELPHIA -- Elton Brand believed his career would end as an L.A. Story. Forced by an ultimatum Brand would not accept, the would-be movie mogul and two-time NBA All-Star instead opted to take his production east and see his name roll on the credits of Philadelphia's roster. Brand and the 76ers made it official Wednesday on a five-year deal worth $79.795 million, a shrewd move that promptly turned the emerging franchise into Eastern Conference contenders. "I'm prepared to do some big things this year," Brand said. For that kind of commitment, Brand should be ready. Last week, Brand opted out of his contract with the Clippers, but Los Angeles was expected to make a strong push to re-sign him. Instead, he spurned the Clippers once agent David Falk said he was offered a "take it or leave it" contract on June 30. The deal was nearly $20 million less than what Brand signed for in Philadelphia. "My intention was to try and work something out with the Clippers," Brand said. Falk said the greater insult came when he was told that Clippers owner Donald Sterling said he would be happy with the 29-year-old Brand's decision either way. Messages seeking comment left with the Clippers were not immediately returned. Falk also said the Golden State Warriors offered more total money -- about $90 million -- but Brand felt the 76ers were a better fit. Sixers president Ed Stefanski was on the phone with Falk shortly after midnight on July 1 -- the first day teams could begin negotiating with free agents. Philadelphia wanted to land a big man this summer and had Hawks restricted free agent forward Josh Smith in town last week for a visit, but he left without being presented with an offer sheet. Smith will look elsewhere, or possibly stay in Atlanta. The 76ers entered the summer $11 million under the salary cap, but even that wasn't enough to land a franchise-shifting free agent like Brand. Philadelphia was able to swing a deal with Minnesota that sent forward Rodney Carney and a future No. 1 pick to the Timberwolves as part of a trade that cleared an additional $2 million in salary cap space. The trade allowed the Sixers to offer a starting salary in the $14-million range. Brand had $16.4 million left on deal he signed in 2003. AP Photo The Sixers are hoping the addition of Elton Brand, right, will give the team the low post presence it lacked during last season. "All we kept saying was we needed an opportunity, and that opportunity came," Stefanski said. Brand's arrival signals the Sixers are ready to become a threat to contend in the East. He should immediately bolster the frontcourt, and his career numbers of 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds over nine seasons make him one of only four active players to average a double-double. However ,Brand played in only eight games last season because of an Achilles' tendon injury. Brand said Wednesday night he was 100 percent and ready to go. "I won't let anybody down," he said. Brand was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft out of Duke and spent two seasons with the Bulls before he was traded to the Clippers. Brand had tried to leave Los Angeles once before as a restricted free agent. He signed an offer sheet with Miami, but returned to the Clippers once the deal was matched. Brand also founded Gibraltar Films and served as co-producer on a movie that starred Christian Bale. The Sixers had been pointing toward this summer since they traded 2001 NBA MVP Allen Iverson in 2006 and decided to rebuild. They started clearing contracts -- notably last season's trade of Kyle Korver to Utah -- to have enough cash under the cap to pursue a marquee free agent. Once Brand surprisingly rejected the Clippers, the 76ers had their man. Brand joins a Sixers team that is no longer the lottery-bound loser it was a year ago. Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and the blossoming Thaddeus Young turned the 76ers into a surprise playoff team, even stretching Detroit to six games in a first-round series. Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks had his team playing hard every game and he earned an extension from Stefanski. The Sixers got only 5.2 points out of last season's power forward, Reggie Evans. "I feel even stronger and tougher once I've got Elton Brand behind me," Stefanski said. "I'd have to say, yes, we have closed the gap." Their starting lineup now looks like this: Miller and Iguodala in the backcourt; Young, Brand and Dalembert in the frontcourt. Willie Green, Louis Williams and Evans become the top reserves. The Sixers played an up-tempo style in the second half of last season that helped turn their season around. Stefanski said Brand -- even coming off an injury -- fits in fine with their running game. "This guy can run," Stefanski said. "This is the prototype power forward." Now, Philadelphia has made a move that shows it not only expects to make the playoffs -- it can

Sources say Brand will spurn Clippers, sign with 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have apparently won the Elton Brand free-agent sweepstakes. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Brand has informed the Sixers that he will accept a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million and spurn what was presumed to be a slam-dunk return to the Los Angeles Clippers to hook up with Clipper-to-be Baron Davis. The Sixers cannot formally sign Brand before midnight, with Wednesday serving as the first day that NBA teams can officially complete signings and trades after the lifting of a leaguewide moratorium which began July 1. But Philadelphia has secured Brand's verbal commitment, sources said, after first reaching an agreement in principle with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a trade that, according to sources, will send Sixers forward Rodney Carney, center Calvin Booth and a future first-round pick to the Wolves without Philadelphia having to take back any salary. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the Sixers will receive a future second-round pick in return. That trade will shave nearly $3 million off the Sixers' payroll next season and increase what was already substantial salary-cap space, positioning them to sign Brand to a five-year deal believed to be starting in the $14-to-15 million range. Exact figures are expected to be available later Tuesday evening when the league reveals next season's salary-cap figure to its 30 teams and the media. Said one source close to the process: "Elton wants to go East." Another source had described Brand as leaning "70-30" in favor of going to the Sixers and didn't rule out the possibility that the Clippers could still increase their five-year offer beyond the latest estimate of roughly $75 million. The Clippers are also the only team in the running with the ability to offer a no-trade clause to Brand, something that only one other player in the league -- Staples Center co-tenant Kobe Bryant -- has in his contract. Philadelphia 'sshedding of two salaries to set up a major free-agent signing is reminiscent of the move made by Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 1996, when then-Lakers personnel chief Jerry West sent Anthony Peeler and George Lynch to the then-Vancouver Grizzlies, creating the cap space that made it possible for L.A. to sign Shaquille O'Neal away from Orlando. Getting Brand away from the Clippers might not quite have a Shaq-sized impact on the Sixers, but it would be an undeniable coup for Philadelphia on a variety of levels. Brand is the proven power player Philadelphia clearly lacks on an otherwise promising roster that won many admirers as last season progressed. The Sixers extended Detroit to six games in a first-round series more competitive than many anticipated and, if they can formally secure Brand's signature, would be adding a two-time All-Star to veterans Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala, top youngsters Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young, and the considerable wingspan of Samuel Dalembert at center. A move to the East would also come with on- and off-court benefits for Brand, sending him to a conference with far fewer title contenders and moving him closer to his East Coast-based family with Brand and his wife expecting their first child this fall. If Brand indeed goes through with his apparent intent to join the Sixers, such an outcome is bound to be widely branded as a shocker after he and agent David Falk announced last week that Brand was opting out of the final year of his previous contract (worth $16.4 million) to give the Clippers more payroll flexibility to strengthen the team around Brand. Within 24 hours, L.A. responded on the first day of free agency by reaching a verbal agreement with Davis in what easily ranks as the biggest free-agent coup in Clippers history. Brand told ESPN.com on June 30 that his "intention is to stay" with the Clippers, while Falk spoke optimistically of Brand signing a deal to "finish his career with the Clippers" if the team could make another significant personnel acquisition or two. ESPN.com reported late last week that Davis was the player Brand specifically asked Clippers management to chase in June. During the ensuing week, while L.A. has been trying to convince its 29-year-old franchise forward to stay, Brand has also been weighing an offer from the Golden State Warriors believed to be worth more than what the Clippers or Sixers can offer him. After Davis informed the Warriors that he was leaving the Bay Area to sign a five-year deal worth an estimated $65 million with his hometown Clippers, Golden State responded by presenting Brand with a five-year offer worth an estimated $90 million

Will Clippers have Brand loyalty? Signs point to yes

There was no definitive word during the NBA's quiet holiday weekend pinpointing precisely when Elton Brand will do what pretty much everyone around the league expects him to do and verbally commit to re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers. One source close to the process said Sunday night that Brand's decision should be public knowledge within the "next 24 to 48 hours." Another suggests that the Clippers have known since the middle of the past week that they would have to wait until after July 4 to confirm Brand's intentions. Common sense, meanwhile, says this saga isn't likely to stray much beyond Wednesday, which is the first day NBA teams can officially announce signings and complete trades after the annual leaguewide moratorium on roster moves is lifted. Teams will actually know Tuesday night, via official league memorandum, exactly what next season's salary cap will be, which will finally provide the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors (and possibly even the Philadelphia 76ers) with iron-clad figures to throw at the 29-year-old Brand. Yet even if we're forced for now to rely on the best salary-cap estimates in circulation -- right around $59 million per team is the figure I keep hearing -- it becomes clearer why almost no one believes the Warriors can actually land Brand. If next season's cap is indeed $59 million or thereabouts, Golden State will be able to offer Brand a five-year deal worth just over $95 million, according to multiple salary-cap experts ESPN.com has consulted. But even if Brand is not interested in the extra sixth year that only the Clippers are allowed to offer him and insists on a five-year deal -- as my tireless colleague Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reports -- L.A. can still assemble a five-year deal worth $80-85 million and give Davis his estimated $65 million over five years. Upping their reported five-year, $70 million offer to Brand depends on how many of the following free agents that the Clippers are willing to renounce in addition to possibly waiving Josh Powell: Corey Maggette, Shaun Livingston, Quinton Ross, Nick Fazekas, Marcus Williams, Paul Davis, Dan Dickau, Boniface N'Dong, James Singleton and the immortal Smush Parker. So... We might eventually be looking at a difference of only $10 million or so between the two contracts, as opposed to the widespread assumption that the Warriors are offering some $20 million more than their Pacific Division co-tenants ... as long as Clippers owner Donald Sterling is willing to go to the five-year max. No matter how jittery Clippers officials might be about Golden State's rich offer -- as we also keep hearing -- Sterling shouldn't have much to fret about if he's willing to nudge Brand's new deal past the $80 million plateau. I struggle to see a shortfall of $10 million or $12 million or anything in that ballpark convincing Brand to walk away from L.A. to join a Golden State team that suddenly has a major hole at point guard as well as a younger core than the team he'd be leaving. It's especially hard to picture that scenario when you factor in Brand's well-chronicled love of Hollywood, his one-of-a-kind pride in being a Clipper and the fact that Brand, as ESPN.com reported last week, specifically told Clippers management during negotiations on a contract extension in June that Davis was the player he hoped they'd pursue if Davis became available in free agency. ----------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------- Ther e'ssomething else only Sterling can offer Brand that could help the Clippers seal this deal. A no-trade clause. As we've covered often in this cyberspace, no-trade clauses in the NBA are extremely rare. But Brand meets all the prerequisites needed to get one and join fellow Staples Center resident Kobe Bryant on the short list of players known to possess specific no-trade language in their contracts. At least eight seasons of NBA service time? Check. At least four seasons with the same team? Check. Unrestricted free agent with the right to negotiate a no-trade clause into a new contract with his old team? Check. Most NBA stars in Brand's stratosphere sign their first big-money deals well before their eighth pro season and frequently sign extensions to those big contracts as opposed to going onto the open market and then re-signing with their current team as Bryant did in the summer of 2004. Therefore, many stars are never even eligible for a no-trade clause, because the NBA does not allow such clauses to be added to contracts that are merely extended. P.S. -- We are obliged here to remind you that Devean George was taking advantage of a little-known league rule that prevents certain players with one-year contracts from being dealt without their permission -- as opposed to a no-trade clause in his contract -- to pull himself out of the Dallas

What other free-agent surprises can we expect this summer?

So much for our nice, orderly summer. What was supposed to be a humdrum offseason has been thrown into disarray in just 48 hours by the unexpected free agencies of Baron Davis, Elton Brand and the Sonics (or the Claymations or the $75Mers or whatever they're calling themselves now); already, two of the three have changed cities. In doing so, the rest of the free-agent chase is suddenly upside-down. Most notably, no longer does Philadelphia own the most cap room. With Davis gone to the Clippers (and Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba spared the annoyance of rubbing elbows with the commoners in Oakland), the Warriors now have $6 million more in their war chest than Philly. They don't seem afraid to use it, either. That, in turn, means teams with restricted free agents no longer can rest quite so comfortably with the assurance that they'll be able to match any offer -- not if Golden State wants to drive up the prices on the likes of Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala and Josh Smith. As a result of those events and a few others like them, we have way more to discuss than we thought we would at this point in the summer. So let's break it down. Here's one man's quick look at the top questions from free agency so far and what some of the answers might be: What does Golden State do now? Well, the team has started with the right plan. The Warriors have swung for the fences with the other star free agents out there, offering their pile of cap space to Gilbert Arenas and Brand; Arenas seems nearly certain to say no, but Brand will at least ponder an offer worth $20 million more than the Clippers are bringing to the table. If Brand takes the Warriors' offer, it will be an ironic reversal of the loss of Davis to L.A. earlier this week. On the other hand, the Brand-Davis dual free agency seemed so unusually well choreographed that it's hard to imagine Brand landing in Golden State. So let's suppose that one falls short, too. In that case, the Warriors have a few options. First, they can make a run at restricted free agents, with Josh Smith likely the first choice, given Atlanta's bumbling ownership. They'd overpay him, but to nab a restricted free agent, a team almost has to. Second, Golden State can go after the other top unrestricted free agent, Corey Maggette. He doesn't fit a need necessarily, but he can really score, and Don Nelson always has found uses for players like that. And Maggette probably would use only about half of the Warriors' available cap room, leaving enough space to make a run at another quality player through either free agency or trade. The latter might be the more promising alternative. The Warriors are far enough under the cap that they could, for instance, just trade a second-round pick to New Jersey for Vince Carter (not that I've heard this, mind you … I'm just saying). A number of other trades are available, too -- it would just depend on which other team's unwanted contract they wished to take on and how cheaply they could get it. As for the specific void at point guard left by Davis' departure, the Warriors have one other option if nothing else works out -- a seemingly too-sensible-not-to-happe nswap of Al Harrington to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich. ----------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------- Howgood are the Clippers now? Assuming Brand stays, they're decent … and that's about it. I'm not sure they're even a playoff team in the West. Seemingly everyone is talking about the 2005-06 Clippers who won 47 games and comparing this bunch to that group, but what about the gang from 2006-07? That team had Brand, Maggette, Chris Kaman, Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley healthy all year, and it went 40-42. Replace Maggette with Al Thornton, and replace Sam Cassell with Davis, and you basically have the 2008-09 Clippers … except with Mobley halfway to the glue factory and no depth whatsoever. So we're really supposed to buy that they'll rocket into the West's upper crust? I wonder whether everyone is overlooking the personality angle, too. On paper, few pairings seem more flammable than Mike Dunleavy and Baron Davis. Dunleavy is a control guy at the offensive end who likes to call set post-up plays over and over, while Davis has bristled under every coach who didn't give him free rein to launch contested 3s off the dribble with 21 on the shot clock. Don't get me wrong, Davis is a fantastic player. But I wonder how it's going to work when Dunleavy calls 4-down six plays in a row and whether Davis' disdain for structure ultimately will cause him to underachieve the same way he did for Tim Floyd, Byron Scott and Mike Montgomery. While I'm on a roll, one other thing -- let's not overreact to Donald Sterling spending money on talent. Signing both Davis and Brand takes the Clippers to the salary cap … and that's it. Granted, that's a pleasant departure from the days in t

Warriors' Davis opts out of deal; Clippers to pursue?

What has been widely described as a shallow pool of NBA free agents got surprisingly deeper Monday night when Golden State Warriors guard Baron Davis joined Los Angeles Clippers forward Elton Brand in opting out of the final year on his contract. The decision was especially unexpected in Davis' case, after strong indications as recently as last week that he would not be forfeiting next season's $17.8 million salary to become an unrestricted free agent. But the move -- after Davis' camp made little progress in recent weeks in its attempts to secure a contract extension with the Warriors -- suddenly creates the very real possibility that the former UCLA star could wind up alongside Brand in a homecoming with the Clippers. Brand told ESPN.com that opting out "definitely doesn't mean I'm leaving the Clippers" and that his "intention is to stay" and re-sign with L.A. Davis' agent, Todd Ramasar, likewise told ESPN.com late Monday that his client "has always been adamant about remaining a Warrior." But NBA front-office sources said early Tuesday that the Clippers would be making an immediate run at trying to pair Davis with Brand, although that would almost certainly require L.A. to abandon any interest in re-signing swingman Corey Maggette -- who also opted out his contract Monday after averaging 22.1 points per game last season -- and force Brand to take a slight pay cut. Davis As of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning, NBA teams were permitted to commence negotiations and strike verbal agreements with free agents, with actual signings and trades on hold until a leaguewide moratorium is lifted July 9. Brand and agent David Falk insisted that their decision to forfeit next season's $16.4 million salary and allow Brand to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career was designed to give the Clippers more payroll flexibility to strengthen the team around its face of the franchise. Falk told ESPN.com that a visit to Boston for Game 2 of the NBA Finals to see the Celtics' triumvirate of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen was Brand's spark. "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.'" Signing Davis away from the Warriors would certainly supply the Clippers with elite anchors in the backcourt as well as the front line, provided that Davis continues to stay healthy after playing all 82 games last season and if Brand continues to recover from an Achilles tear that limited him to just eight games in 2007-08. Davis, 29, was the key figure on a Golden State team which halted a 12-season playoff drought in 2006-07 and produced a historic first-round upset of the 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs. He then averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds last season, but the Warriors just missed out on a second consecutive playoff berth despite a win total (48) exceeded by only three teams in the Eastern Conference. Davis has repeatedly professed his desire to establish long-term roots in Oakland and responded angrily last Wednesday to suggestions that he wanted to be traded, telling ESPN.com: "I know what's in my heart and the people in the Bay Area know what's in my heart." But it's believed that Davis is not only frustrated by his inability to reach a long-term agreement with the Warriors but is also somewhat unsettled by the fact that Golden State still must re-sign young cornerstones Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins and has coach Don Nelson under contract for only one more season. "[Opting out] was a difficult decision to say the least," Ramasar said. "The past couple years, he's had a lot of success with the Warriors and I think they've had a lot of success with him. "But he had gotten to the point that we were at a crossroads and it was something we had to address. ... With no extension or deal in place ... [opting out] was a bit unexpected but something that I advised Baron to do." The Clippers appear to be the only realistic free-agent destination for Davis if his opt-out gamble doesn't lead to a new round of contract negotiations with the Warriors or if he can't convince Golden State to participate in a sign-and-trade. Memphis and Philadelphia are the only other teams with cap space to offer and neither is expected to pursue Davis. The Warriors, meanwhile, weren't commenting Monday night, so it was not immediately known whether they plan to return to the negotiating table or if they're willing to let Davis go -- in spite of Golden State's success since pairing Davis with the free-wheeling Nelson -- and press ahead with their growing youth movement and the cap space that would be created by Davis' departure. Golden State let a $9.9 million trade exception -- created by the 2007 draft-day deal that sent Jason Richardson to Charlotte -- expire Monday in part to ens

Wizards close on 4-year, $50 million extension for Jamison

The Washington Wizards appear to be getting a jump on their offseason business. A contract extension with Antawn Jamison that would keep the veteran forward off the free-agent market is "imminent," according to NBA front-office sources. Sources told ESPN.com on Monday that the Wizards and Jamison would soon finalize terms on a four-year extension believed to be worth around $50 million, mere hours before Jamison was to become an unrestricted free agent. Antawn Jamison Power Forward Washington Wizards Profile 200 8Season Stats GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 79 21.4 10.2 1.5 .436 .760 Free agency in the NBA begins at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and Jamison was expected to draw serious interest from the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the few teams -- along with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers -- to have salary-cap room this summer to bid for top players. A deal must be completed before midnight or the Wizards would be forced to wait until July 9 to re-sign Jamison when the league's moratorium on signings and trades is lifted. That could also expose Jamison to interest from other teams. Although he just turned 32, Jamison is coming off his best season as a pro. He averaged 21.4 points and a career-best 10.2 rebounds in 79 games, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team and helping the Wizards (43-39) reach the playoffs as a No. 5 seed despite injuries that limited franchise guard Gilbert Arenas to 13 games and fellow All-Star forward Caron Butler to 58 games. Washington's first-round loss to Cleveland in six games was its third consecutive playoff elimination inflicted by the Cavaliers, but the Wizards believe that they can compete with the East's elite if the Arenas-Butler-Jamison core could find some sustained health. The Wizards did post a 3-1 record last season against the eventual champions from Boston, with no other team in the league beating the Celtics more than twice during the regular season. Securing Jamison's signature would enable the Wizards to focus on re-signing Arenas, who has opted out of next season's $12.8 million salary to become a free agent despite the knee problems that have plagued him for more than a year. Arenas maintains that he intends to represent himself this summer as he seeks a new six-year contract in excess of $100 million. Jamison earned $16.4 million last season in the final year of max extension he received from the Golden State Warriors back in August 2001. Although he's taking a healthy pay cut in terms of annual average salary, Jamison has maintained for months that he hoped to re-sign with Washington after four successful years with the Wizards following a one-season stint with the Dallas Mavericks in 2003-04, which earned him NBA Sixth Man Award honors. "This organization has believed in me from Day 1. ... I definitely know they want me to stay and I want to stay," Jamison told ESPN.com in December. Jamison also spoke fondly at the time of his role as Washington's elder statesman, saying: "You know what? I've been in a lot of situations before. I've been the young fella, I've been the guy who's trying to learn how to be a leader, I've been the guy coming off the bench as a sixth man. And now all of a sudden I'm the old head. It's been 10 years and it's gone by fast. But I'm really enjoying this."

The Best Available Free Agents

Iguodala 1. Andre Iguodala, Sixers: Iguodala's decision to turn down a $57 million deal last summer is tough to justify. At the time, the Sixers appeared to be the only team with significant cap room; I'm not sure where he thought his next paycheck would come from. He had a great regular season, but a woeful postseason has put his stock back in check. He's coveted by the Grizzlies, but the chances of them prying him away from Philly look very slim. 2. Josh Smith, Hawks: On talent and potential, Smith should be on top of this list. He's a freakish athlete who can score, rebound and block shots. What holds him back is a questionable attitude. Nonetheless it appears the Hawks have to re-sign him. Given the Hawks' ownership woes, Smith is one of the few restricted free agents a team with cap space may try to pluck away -- the same way the Hawks did with Joe Johnson a few years ago. I could see the Sixers making a run at him. Okafor 3. Emeka Okafor, Bobcats: Okafor turned down $13 million per season to hit free agency this summer. He's not the best player on this list, but he's the best young center on the market. Still, there's no guarantee he'll get more money from another team. I'm sure the Grizzlies will be interested, but they know the Bobcats will match. I don't see him going anywhere, but a sign-and-trade isn't out of the question here if the negotiations go on too long. 4. Jose Calderon, Raptors: Calderon played at an All-Star level this past season. When T.J. Ford went down with injuries, he became the leader of the Raptors and proved to be the best true point guard on the free-agent market. The Raptors say they'll match any offer for Calderon and I believe them -- especially now that they've agreed to a trade with the Pacers that will ship T.J. Ford to Indiana. As it stands now, he's their only point guard. Still, don't be shocked if the Sixers make a big offer to him. They need a long-term replacement for Andre Miller and I hear Sixers GM Ed Stefanski is a big fan. Deng 5. Luol Deng, Bulls: Everyone loves Deng's talent, but so do the Bulls. At least they used to. Injuries and a poor season have hurt his value around the league. Still, it's hard to see the Bulls not matching any offer Deng gets next summer. He declined a $57.5 million extension in October, so if he makes more than that he'll come out ahead. It will be interesting to see if the budget-conscious Bulls will take advantage of the market conditions and offer him much less. 6. Andris Biedrins, Warriors: Biedrins didn't get the lucrative contract offer that several others did. He was looking for something in the five-year, $50 million range and got an offer that was reportedly substantially lower. Biedrins falls a little bit into the Anderson Varejao category -- energetic big man whose stats don't tell the whole story in terms of on-court contributions. Given that he continues to improve and he's only 21 years old, it's hard to believe the Warriors wouldn't match an offer. Ellis 7. Monta Ellis, Warriors: He's young and he can score. But his restricted status is going to hurt him. No team has the money to offer him more than the midlevel, and he probably feels as though he's worth considerably more than that. He's a player who may be better off taking the one-year tender from the Warriors so that he can be an unrestricted free agent in 2009. 8. Josh Childress, Hawks: Childress doesn't get nearly the respect or hype of many of his teammates in Atlanta, but he's been a devastatingly effective sixth man and who might still be expendable given all of Atlanta's wing talent. He probably can't get more than a midlevel deal on this market, but he'd be a bargain at that price. Gordon 9. Ben Gordon, Bulls: Of all the players who turned down lucrative contract extensions last summer, Gordon made the most mind-boggling decision. He turned down a five-year, $50 million deal that seemed above market value on a down season. For him to recoup that money this summer seems almost impossible … and now that the Bulls have added Larry Hughes to the mix, it's no longer clear where Gordon fits into the picture. There isn't a huge market for undersized 2-guards with streaky jump shots. Gordon is most likely to be the top restricted free agent not to have his offer matched, but he's going to struggle to get a huge offer from anyone. Gordon may be better off taking the Bulls' one-year tender offer. 10. Nenad Krstic, Nets: Before his knee injury last season, Krstic looked like he'd be locked up by the Nets. Now the uncertainty over his health could hurt his value. Philadelphia is one team to watch for. Sixers GM Ed Stefanski was a fan while he was back in New Jersey. A sign-and-trade is another possibility for the Nets.

They didn't win the lottery with these picks:The Top 14 Worst picks in history

The first NBA draft lottery was held in 1985. The Knicks drew the lucky card and the obvious top prize: Patrick Ewing. But the history of bad lottery picks soon began, as players such as Benoit Benjamin (third overall to the Clippers) and Jon Koncak (fifth overall to the Hawks) were drafted ahead of future All-Stars such as Chris Mullin (seventh), Detlef Schrempf (eighth), Karl Malone (13th) and Joe Dumars (18th). Here are the worst picks for the top 14 slots in the draft since 1985 (though we'll try to avoid players who suffered unexpected injuries such as Jay Williams or Dajuan Wagner): 1. Kwame Brown, 2001 (Wizards) Michael Jordan made this pick, and there's a reason NBA TV hasn't aired any specials on Jordan's career as an executive. Somehow, Brown has lasted seven seasons in the NBA even though he's never averaged better than 10.9 points per game. (And that was just one season -- his career average is 7.5 ppg.) Brown also has been involved in two of the most lopsided trades in recent years, going to the Lakers in exchange for Caron Butler and ending up in Memphis in the Pau Gasol "trade." Speaking of Gasol, he's one of the many players the Wizards could have picked instead of Brown. Dishonorable mentions: Pervis Ellison (Kings, 1989), Michael Olowokandi (Clippers, 1998), [+] EnlargeAP Photo/Ed Betz How many titles would the Pistons have if David Stern had instead greeted Dwyane Wade with the No. 2 pick? 2. Darko Milicic, 2003 (Pistons) In the past two seasons, Milicic has improved from comically horrible to just your run-of-the-mill bench player. His per-36-minute averages put him near double-double territory, but considering he was drafted immediately ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, that's just not good enough. Dishonorable mentions: Danny Ferry (Clippers, 1989), Shawn Bradley (76ers, 1993), Stromile Swift (Grizzlies, 2000) 3. Chris Washburn, 1986 (Warriors) Let's be honest. We could put a lot of people from the 1986 draft in this list (and we've got one more coming), but Washburn is the poster child for the flameouts that followed. He played just two seasons, never showing any kind of maturity or ability on the court while getting into trouble with drugs off it. Sure, there weren't many great players picked in this draft, but the Warriors would have been better off with John Salley or Dennis Rodman, who teamed for two titles in Detroit. Dishonorable mentions: Benoit Benjamin (Clippers, 1985), Dennis Hopson (Nets, 1987), Adam Morrison (Bobcats, 2006) 4. Marcus Fizer, 2000 (Bulls) The 2000 draft was nothing special (Kenyon Martin was the top pick), but Fizer was special in his disappointment. A power forward who measured surprisingly short leading up to the draft (Ring any bells, Chicago?), Fizer started just 35 games in his career and has been out of the league for two seasons. Dishonorable mentions: Donyell Marshall (Timberwolves, 1994), Antonio Daniels (Grizzlies, 1997) 5. Nikoloz Tskitishvili, 2002 (Nuggets) For all the flak Darko Milicic takes as the poster boy for workout wonders, it's a wonder that people have forgotten about Skita. He demonstrated amazing athletic ability in his pre-draft workouts, then showed nothing on the court. Amazingly, this scene repeated itself in the summer of 2005, when a great showing in the NBA Summer League got Skita a contract with the Timberwolves. He lasted five games. Dishonorable mention: Jon Koncak (Hawks, 1985) [+] EnlargeAP Photo/Luis Alvarez Suggested rule for NBA GMs: Don't draft a guy nicknamed "Tractor." 6. Robert Traylor, 1998 (Mavericks) Don't blame Dallas for this one. They picked Traylor only to trade him to Milwaukee for some tall guy from Germany with funny hair. Oh, what's that? That guy turned into future MVP Dirk Nowitzki. And Traylor turned into a guy who ate too much, averaged 4.8 ppg in seven seasons and later pleaded guilty to preparing a false tax return after hiding assets for a convicted drug dealer. Dishonorable mentions: Joe Kleine (Kings, 1985), William Bedford (Suns, 1986), Bryant Reeves (Grizzlies, 1995) 7. Roy Tarpley, 1986 (Mavericks) Tarpley's stats (career averages of 12.6 points and 10.0 rebounds) are actually decent. He even won the NBA's sixth man award in 1987-88. But he managed to get into so much trouble with drugs that he was twice banned for life (1991 and 1994). Dishonorable mention: Chris Mihm (Cavaliers, 2000), Eddie Griffin (Nets, 2001) 8. Bo Kimble, 1990 (Clippers) Kimble is best remembered for shooting left-handed free throws in honor of his late teammate and friend Hank Gathers during the 1990 NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, though Kimble was a good college player, he wasn't Gathers. He was already 24 years old as a rookie when he shot just 38 percent and averaged 6.9 points. Injuries shortened his career after that, and his most notable contribution to the Clippers was his involvement in the trade