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Sources: Clippers pursuing Davis - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

Sources: Clippers pursuing Davis
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
4 hours, 17 minutes ago

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The Los Angeles Clippers are making a hard run at signing free agent Baron Davis, multiple league sources said.

Within hours of the midnight deadline on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors guard opted out of the $17.8 million owed him in the final season of his six-year contract. Davis could still re-sign with the Warriors, but the possibility of returning to his Southern California roots is most intriguing to him.

Davis’ decision stunned the league late Monday.

“You just don’t opt out of that kind of money,” a dubious Eastern Conference general manager said.

Davis’ career had been reborn under Don Nelson’s small ball, but acrimony over a benching in the season’s final game and the organization’s reluctance to enter into long-term contract negotiations have strained relations between the Warriors and Davis. With a burgeoning movie production company and a love for Los Angeles, where he was a high school and UCLA star, the Clippers are a natural for Davis.

The possibility of bringing Davis to Los Angeles promises to be a major incentive in re-signing their own free agent, forward Elton Brand. The Clippers could have between $25 and $27 million a year to share between Brand and Davis, space that could help be cleared by renouncing Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston.

Before Davis opted out, sources said the Clippers were prepared to make a lucrative long-term offer to Sacramento Kings point guard Beno Udrih. Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy is believed to be enamored with Udrih, who blossomed after leaving the long shadow of Tony Parker in San Antonio. Udrih is still a possibility, but clearly the chance to get Davis would elevate the Clippers back into Western Conference contention.

The Clippers also still have a brief window to make a run at Gilbert Arenas, but the Wizards were close to agreeing to a $100 million contract with Arenas, an Eastern Conference executive said early Tuesday. Once Washington re-signed forward Antawn Jamison for four years, and $50 million, Wizards officials believed that Arenas would honor his word and stay in Washington.

Brand and Maggette opted out of Clipper contracts on Monday, but Brand has expressed a strong desire to negotiate a new contract with the team. Finding a way to fit Davis, 29, into the franchise would make Brand – who left $16.4 million on the table with the opt-out – far more eager to stay with the Clips. Davis had one of his best seasons in the league, averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 assists without missing a game for the Warriors.

Orlando and New Orleans are possible destinations for Maggette, sources said. Maggette, who scored 22 points a game, has probably played his last game for the Clippers.



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Gerald Wallace has fallen so far out of favor with Charlotte owner Michael Jordan that the Bobcats will look to move the forward this summer. …San Antonio is plotting a bid for Denver restricted free agent J.R. Smith. Brent Barry, who the Spurs nearly traded for Smith in 2006, also opted out of his contract and became an unrestricted free agent Monday. The Spurs hope to re-sign him along with Kurt Thomas, another of their veterans. …The Dallas Mavericks are expected to make a run at re-signing center DeSagana Diop, a league source said. The Mavs traded Diop to New Jersey in the Jason Kidd trade. The Mavs could be willing to use their entire mid-level exception to sign the 26 year old. …The Nets will likely use free agent Nenad Krstic in a sign-and-trade, but are determined to re-sign Bostjan Nachbar, a favorite of coach Lawrence Frank. …The Chicago Bulls have surrounded new coach Vinny Del Negro with three veteran assistants, including Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris, league sources said. Bob Ociepka will be the third assistant.

In a couple of days, The E-N will maybe report that Barry has opted out.

Nice find. Okay, so I guess it's safe to say Barry has opted out. The JR Smith thing is probably just a rehash of that Buck Harvey article.

Nuggets will be in Luxury tax trouble only this year. A short term, high salary contract will be the harder to match for Nuggets.

Let's say Smith get $5M per year.
A 2 years $10M contract will cost Nuggets $15M, that is to say $7.5M per year.
A 5 years $25M contract will cost Nuggets $30M, that is to say $6M per year.

sign and trade makes sense JRSMITH + KLEIZA for barry + scrubbs do it!!!

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Originally Posted by TDMVPDPOY

sign and trade makes sense JRSMITH + KLEIZA for barry + scrubbs do it!!!

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Didn't Kleiza just sign an extension? Not sure the Spurs want that deal... and I am not impressed by Kleiza's defense. So basically, you pretty much are signing to of the same type of player.

No thanks. Maybe J. Smith, but pass on Kleiza.

If things don't work out with JR Smith then I'd love to have an athletic 3 pt shooting defensive oriented specialist like James Posey.http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...poseys_ag.html

wow baron AND brand to the clippers, with thornton, kaman, and the rest is a scary lineup.

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Originally Posted by Demo Dick Marcinko

If things don't work out with JR Smith then I'd love to have an athletic 3 pt shooting defensive oriented specialist like James Posey.http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...poseys_ag.html

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I agree, but don't think we would have enough cap space to sign him. The Finals was his time to make his last effort at some money before he has to hang it up.

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Originally Posted by angelbelow

wow baron AND brand to the clippers, with thornton, kaman, and the rest is a scary lineup.

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My thoughts exactly. The only problem might be trying to bet on who would stay healthly longer... Brand or Davis?

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Originally Posted by Demo Dick Marcinko

If things don't work out with JR Smith then I'd love to have an athletic 3 pt shooting defensive oriented specialist like James Posey.http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...poseys_ag.html

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Check this out:

James Posey opts out of contract — Lakers next?
June 30th, 2008, 4:43 pm · Post a Comment · posted by JANIS CARR, OCREGISTER.COM
Did you see this Mitch?

The Boston Globe is reporting that James Posey is not going to exercise a $3.2 million option and will officially become an unrestricted free agent, according to Mark Bartelstien, Posey’s agent.

Posey is expected to get a lot of interest from a lot of teams, the Lakers among them, but will also be the Celtics’ top priority.

New Orleans is the other team rumored to be interested in the defensive and 3-point specialist. Posey is known to follow the money trail, which means Mitch Kupchak needs to clear room on the roster (Lamar Odom? Luke Walton?) if he has any hopes of landing Posey.


http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/20...t-lakers-next/

If he opted out of a 3.2million contract, he is looking for the MLE or a little below. As stated, he will probably be out of the Spurs price range for someone his age and injury history. Although, I would hate it if he went to NO or the Lakers.

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Originally Posted by montgod

I agree, but don't think we would have enough cap space to sign him. The Finals was his time to make his last effort at some money before he has to hang it up.

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True, but since he was only making 3.2 million, throw the MLE at him and see if he bites. This guy brought it every night during this year's playoffs and truthfully I've liked his game ever since he came into the league.

I'm having a hard time deciding if I was GM (good thing I'm not) and had a chance at JR Smith or Posey who I would choose. Posey's money from the 3 point line and I love Smith's athletic ability. Posey is better defensively though.
I'd expect the Lakers to make a serious run at him with their MLE.

Both could end up costing the same, however Posey is 31 and Smith is 22 yrs old and while not as good defensively Smith is a better all around scorer.

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Originally Posted by Demo Dick Marcinko

True, but since he was only making 3.2 million, throw the MLE at him and see if he bites. This guy brought it every night during this year's playoffs and truthfully I've liked his game ever since he came into the league.

I'm having a hard time deciding if I was GM (good thing I'm not) and had a chance at JR Smith or Posey who I would choose. Posey's money from the 3 point line and I love Smith's athletic ability. Posey is better defensively though.
I'd expect the Lakers to make a serious run at him with their MLE.

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That's a lot of money to be putting into a player like Posey who is injury prone and never heard from during the season.

I see the Spurs trying to address a few more needs with that money.

Besides, I believe they will bring back Horry especially since he will take a pay cut for the vet minimum which is around 1.5 million.

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Originally Posted by montgod

That's a lot of money to be putting into a player like Posey who is injury prone and never heard from during the season.

I see the Spurs trying to address a few more needs with that money.

Besides, I believe they will bring back Horry especially since he will take a pay cut for the vet minimum which is around 1.5 million.

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All in all I hope he ends up with the Hornets rather then the Lakers.

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Originally Posted by angelbelow

wow baron AND brand to the clippers, with thornton, kaman, and the rest is a scary lineup.

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Yeah lots of people sad that about the Suns as well.

Can the Spurs front load an MLE deal to Smith and if so does the added front loaded portion weigh against the Nuggets 2008-2009 luxury tax?

pop wants jr. smith....and what pop wants normally pop gets....dont be surprised to see barry gone and smith in........my friends as hard as it may seem, smith would help manu stay healthy alot more then barry.......barry isnt gonna get faster...and we have enough arc players......we need speed and creation and barry doesnt have those anymore

Beno in the City of Angels?!?!?! The horrah!!!!!!!

Looks like Vinnie is surrounding himself with some veteran ex-head coaches. Maybe he has as much confidence in his head coaching skills as a lot of us do.

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Originally Posted by TDMVPDPOY

sign and trade makes sense JRSMITH + KLEIZA for barry + scrubbs do it!!!

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It makes no sense. Barry would walk before he'd agree to be signed by the Spurs and then traded again.

Damn, if the Spurs are gonna get Barry and Smith, they're more than likely gonna have to spend every penny they got.

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Originally Posted by picnroll

Can the Spurs front load an MLE deal to Smith and if so does the added front loaded portion weigh against the Nuggets 2008-2009 luxury tax?

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I believe they can front load it, but the Lux Tax would be computed based on the cap figure.

I guess the mavs are going to use their ENTIRE MLE for diop :bang

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Gerald Wallace has fallen so far out of favor with Charlotte owner Michael Jordan that the Bobcats will look to move the forward this summer.

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Interesting. I doubt the Spurs have the pieces to trade for a guy of his value, but he would be a huge addition if they could.

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Originally Posted by Bartleby

Interesting. I doubt the Spurs have the pieces to trade for a guy of his value, but he would be a huge addition if they could.

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We don't have the pieces to get him, he signed a $56 mil deal..safe to say..not gonna happen.

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Originally Posted by Bruno

In a couple of days, The E-N will maybe report that Barry has opted out.

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Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe need to step their game up significantly, or what remains of their current reader-base will need to "go in a different direction"....if the Express-News doesn't do so.