Clippers up their offer to Brand

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Clippers Face Tough Choices
Team could lose as many as four key players and officials say they will take their time to match contract offers.

By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer


Team or buffet line?

The Clippers' day of reckoning is approaching as free agents Michael Olowokandi and Andre Miller negotiate with Denver, Corey Maggette talks to Utah and teams line up to extend offer sheets to Elton Brand if he's still on the market when the free-agent signing period opens Wednesday.







The Clippers, notorious for letting players go when prices were a lot lower, have never been under such siege, with all but one of last season's starting five about to get $40 million-plus offers.

However, in a break with their tradition, they're now out-bidding the field for Brand. Clipper vice president Andy Roeser confirmed Monday they raised their offer to Brand over the weekend from $65 million over five seasons to $78 million over six, moving beyond the $74 million other teams have as their limit.

Brand's suitors include Utah, which has to replace Karl Malone; San Antonio, which has to replace David Robinson; and Miami, which has to replace Alonzo Mourning.

The Spurs considered offering a front-loaded $74 million deal, with $22 million payable immediately. They may, instead, pull out of the bidding, even though Brand has become their No. 1 prospect.

San Antonio has already lost out on Jason Kidd, P.J. Brown and Malone, and can't afford to spend 15 days wrangling with the Clippers, who have the right to match any offer and are promising everyone they'll do it.

Instead, the Spurs may go to their fall-back position, trying to sign Minnesota's Rasho Nesterovic.

Indeed, the Clippers understand they can discourage bidders by tying them up for the entire 15 days and are promising to use each and every day.

"Let me impress one thing upon you," Clipper spokesman Joe Safety said Monday. "We will use the whole runway."

Jazz officials were also told the Clippers would probably match on Brand but last week were still planning to extend an offer. According to a source, Jazz General Manager Kevin O'Connor said, "We've got to do what we've got to do."

Meanwhile, Brand's agent, David Falk, is traveling the country, seeking more options for his client. Said a source: "David's been writing offer sheets for weeks."

However, Clipper officials aren't sure how far owner Donald T. Sterling, whose biggest previous commitment was Eric Piatkowski's five-year $15 million deal, will let them go to keep their other players.

"Depends on the price," a team official said last week.

Olowokandi is unrestricted and the Clippers have no right to match. Sterling has little regard for Olowokandi, who has been considered gone by team officials for months.

But new Coach Mike Dunleavy, hired last week, made an eleventh-hour appeal to keep him. Olowokandi's agent, Billl Duffy, is expected to meet today with Clipper officials.

If it doesn't work out here, Olowokandi has other opportunities. He was to meet Monday night with Denver owner Stan Kroenke at the Summer Pro League in Long Beach, presumably to receive an offer. He's also on the list in Miami and Orlando, to name two others.

Miller and Maggette, both restricted, were both negotiating with Denver and Utah. In a surprise, Miller wound up as the Nuggets' choice, instead of going back to Salt Lake City where he played in college at the University of Utah. The Jazz then upped their offer to Maggette and stole him.

Miller's offer is reportedly $50 million over six seasons, Maggette's $45 million over six. Their agents have said they'll accept the offer sheets.

Of the two, the Clippers are more inclined to match on Maggette, but as a team official noted, "I've heard he might get a $7 million offer and that's a lot of money."

There is less chance the Clippers will match on Miller, who was a disappointment in his only season here. The Clippers still have cheap help at point guard with Marko Jaric under contract for two more seasons at $1.9 million and $2.1 million and Keyon Dooling locked up by the rookie cap for $2.3 million this season, plus the right to match any offer next summer.

The Clippers also have Lamar Odom, a restricted free agent, and Piatkowski and Sean Rooks, both unrestricted, so what happens starting Wednesday will determine their future.

"The free agent period begins Wednesday and then we'll see what happens," Roeser said. "We've said all along, we like our players and we expect to re-sign our players."

Actually, they've said it annually but never with as many of them to lose.

[Marcus Bryant]

However, in a break with their tradition, they're now out-bidding the field for Brand. Clipper vice president Andy Roeser confirmed Monday they raised their offer to Brand over the weekend from $65 million over five seasons to $78 million over six, moving beyond the $74 million other teams have as their limit.

Brand's suitors include Utah, which has to replace Karl Malone; San Antonio, which has to replace David Robinson; and Miami, which has to replace Alonzo Mourning.

The Spurs considered offering a front-loaded $74 million deal, with $22 million payable immediately. They may, instead, pull out of the bidding, even though Brand has become their No. 1 prospect.

San Antonio has already lost out on Jason Kidd, P.J. Brown and Malone, and can't afford to spend 15 days wrangling with the Clippers, who have the right to match any offer and are promising everyone they'll do it.

Instead, the Spurs may go to their fall-back position, trying to sign Minnesota's Rasho Nesterovic.

**** Rasho. Call Sterling's bluff.

However, Clipper officials aren't sure how far owner Donald T. Sterling, whose biggest previous commitment was Eric Piatkowski's five-year $15 million deal, will let them go to keep their other players.

Indeed.

[Temple Of The Dog]

well this means a sign and trade with them for someone that sterling really wants, or no brand? i personally think its been taken out of sterling's hands and they have the greenlight from him to basically counter offer anything for brand at this point... (other than a trade)

if this report about their offer is true... then by tomorrow afternoon we'll either have rasho in uniform (so to speak) or the spurs front office will have made up its mind to go after brand through trades. if we get rasho...obviously no brand.

[blackbucket]

Brand or no dice.

One year deals and wait until next year for Brand. Don't settle for garbage that you can't throw out for years.

[Marcus Bryant]

Someone leaked the terms of that potential offer to Brand from the Spurs to send a message to Sterling. $22 million? He's gonna sh*t a brick.

[Temple Of The Dog]

so basically admit that this offseason was a bust... take the egg in the face that kidd, pj and zo left us with... all but willingly say that you're tanking the season to get brand next year and that you're willing to waste a "repeat chance" in tim duncans career?

i think the front office would take rasho than do all that... or admit to it anyway. maybe they lowballed rasho and they'll say they went after everyone they could...blah blah blah... but they'd also have to let go of sjax... and also try to convince a semi decent or even bad backup point guard to play for a one year deal... i don't know if they'd do that (or even if they could the way this offseason has been going)

[2pac]

Forgive me for being stupid, but I am an Ag major

With the CBA - how do we give him $22million upfront?

[Temple Of The Dog]

wait a second... if they already up'ed their offer to 4 more million than we can offer... doesn't that mean that they can use that as their counter-offer if we do try to sign him?

i mean, its been said that they have to match... but if their offer is 4 million more, doesn't that automatically trump ours? (basically forcing us out of any bid) in other words: they'll match anything - even a front loaded contract which would end up being less in the long run

[Marcus Bryant]

members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#59

59. How about signing bonuses? Are they allowed? How do they count against the cap?

Teams are allowed to offer the players they sign a bonus worth as much as 25% of the total compensation, and may do so whether or not the team is over the cap.

If a player has a signing bonus, that bonus is averaged among the guaranteed years of the contract and added to the team salary during those years. If a player has an opt-out clause, the bonus is allocated only to the years prior to the opt-out date. Payments in excess of $350,000 that are made to non-NBA teams or federations to release rights to a player are treated like signing bonuses under this rule. Option buy-out amounts are also treated like signing bonuses.

[SpursWoman]

So wouldn't the Clippers have to match or beat the offer term for term? Like performance incentives, player options....etc? Any potential signing bonuses? Not just dollar value?

[Marcus Bryant]

members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#34

When another team wants to sign a restricted free agent, it signs the player to an offer sheet, the principal terms of which the original team is given 15 days to match. The offer sheet must be for at least three seasons. The principal terms of the offer sheet cannot include non-cash forms of compensation. For example, it doesn't work to offer Denver's free agent a house on the beach within 15 minutes of the arena, knowing that it's impossible for Denver to match those terms. If the player's original team exercises its right of first refusal by matching the principal terms of the offer sheet, the player is then under contract to his original team and is no longer a free agent. If the player's original team does not exercise its right of first refusal within 15 days, the offer sheet becomes an official contract with the new team, and the player is no longer a free agent.

I would imagine that a signing bonus would be a part of the "principal terms" of the Spurs' offer sheet.

[Marcus Bryant]

A quick question...could the Spurs sign Brand to an offer sheet that contains a 7 year deal since the offer sheet must contain terms that the player's current team can match? Just a thought but that might explain the $22 mil figure (that is the $22 mil = 25% of a 7 year max deal).

[Marcus Bryant]

One thing's for certain, the Clippers still are not offering Brand the maximum deal they can:

However, in a break with their tradition, they're now out-bidding the field for Brand. Clipper vice president Andy Roeser confirmed Monday they raised their offer to Brand over the weekend from $65 million over five seasons to $78 million over six, moving beyond the $74 million other teams have as their limit.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Some other things come in to play here with the Clips offer:

Namely a 9.3% state income tax, so knock 8 million off of the Clips 78 million deal (it's now less than SA's).



I'm gonna call this offer by LA for what it is -

A desperate attempt to get SA to say forget it. I think there's no way in they match the 22 mil up front, but they are trying to bluff us by saying 1) they want to pay more (which when the accountants break it down will be false) and 2) the little smug comment that "we'll take all 15 days, you can bank on it" to try and scare us into going after our alternatives.

Time to put our balls on the table and call Sterling's ass on this one.

AHF

[Marcus Bryant]

Assuming a $42.5 million cap:

On a 6 year deal the maximum the Clippers can offer Brand is $83.7 million.

On a 7 year deal the maximum the Clippers can offer is $102.3 million.

For the Spurs, on a 6 year deal the maximum they can offer is...$79.7 million.

25% of the maximum the Spurs can offer is $19.9 million. So that's close to the $22 million that is stated in the article.

[MannyIsGod]

AHF, I think you're on to something.

Why all the bluster?

I mean, if they really want to keep him, it's almost better if we sign him to an offer sheet because of the fact that they won't have to pay as much.

Sounds to me like a hand in Texas Hold'em where my oppent is trying to bet his way out of a bluff. **** that, lets see what sterling is holding, because I have Aces over Kings and I bet that mofo doesn't even have a pair.

[Marcus Bryant]

If they really wanted him they would have offered him the max by now. Their offer now is still well below the 7 year $102 mil deal that they could theoretically offer Brand. Even for 6 years it is not the maximum.

Their "raising the stakes" does seem for show. It's like, 'look, we did all we could do but we can't afford the terms he got from SA.'

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Well Marcus,

[contingent on the cap]

For one thing that says that the article is not even right - SA would have offered the max (79 mil, not 74).

Further, it says LA still isn't maxing him out.


Also, I don't think we necessarily offered the max 25% bonus, more like that 22 million is the combination of first year salary (~10.6 mil) and signing bonus (in your case of the cap that would be a roughly 14.5% signing bonus).

Remember that bonus is averaged out over the length of the contract and counts against our cap, that 19.9 million bonus would be one of a cap hit.

AHF

[Marcus Bryant]

AHF, there isn't a difference in the cap hit. Yes, the bonus is averaged out across the life of the contract but the total amount guaranteed to him over the life of the contract cannot exceed the maximum salary for him over that time. So while the bonus is averaged out over the contract, the 'base salary' is lower than max.

No cap worries.

[T Park Num 9]

Loose out on brand and Rasho

who the is left??

No one.


They better get either one or they are screwed for the up coming season.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Thanks Marcus, I was a little hazy on that aspect about the signing bonus.

AHF

[Marcus Bryant]

Another thought is that this could push him into a sign and trade with SA. Spurs send him a pick and $ or something just to get it overwith now and not have to spend 15 days in limbo. It would be like...'this is what we are going to sign Brand to, now you can get something back from us if you do the deal now or....'

[grjr]

I don't think the $22 million is paid all at once. It would be paid out over the first year.

jr

[Marcus Bryant]

grjr, even if, that means that Brand would roughly have a payment of $30 million coming to him (signing bonus + 1st year salary) in that year. In addition Sterling would still have to s out $20 million for other salaries. So he'd be looking at $50 million in actual cash salary payments in that year.

I doubt he goes for that.

[Marcus Bryant]

Well, it looks like Ghost was right. The Spurs never do anything.