There is something that everyone forgets - the Clipps can match any offer Denver makes and lock Brand up 6 or 7 years. IMO: I am not sure why Donald Sterling would want to give the Rockets Elton Brand for Cuttino Mobley when: 1) Cuttino would be the highest paid Clipper. 2) They already have Maggette and Q who together don't make 3/4s of what Cat makes. 3) He could surely get better offers elsewhere.
Just out of curiosity, who are these great players the Clippers have constantly refused to sign. I know Mo Taylor and Derrick Anderson were part of the last group to leave because the Clips would not offer them huge renewal contracts. Who else? Neither of those two are worth big bucks. Same for Olawakandi.
That's my point. Its the only trade I can think of that would match salary-wise, besides taking on Rice, Taylor or Cato, assuming that Brand will get the MAX, and I seriously doubt they'd do it. The only way they might, is if we sweeten it with draft choices. LAC loves draft choices. Adding Norris' contract reduces the feasability of the deal, requiring us to sweeten it, or reduce what we get. Norris is the only tradeable piece we have, unless we want to let go fo Boki, which I would NOT want to do. Piatkowski will be a free agent, and you can't have more than one S&T in a trade. Jaric is a cheap contact, and will become their starting PG, with Miller probably leaving. Richardson could be possible, but he's a cheap contract for them, too. We'll be lucky to get them to take Mobely and Griffin for Brand, but to ask for more, is unrealistic. They'll give us cap filler, whoever is worth the least to them. That's true. So, if Brand thinks LAC would match it, he won't accept the offer. But, I doubt LAC will pay more than one of Brand, Odom, Kandi, Maggette a max contract, and probably none of them. They will probably lose Brand, because he would rather sign a 1 year deal to gain his unrestricted FA, like Kandi did, rather than get stuck in SD, unless they S&T him with a max contract to somewhere he wants to go. (This is why the deal would have been better to do mid-season). But, LAC will want to see if anyone else is willing to do a MAX contract for Brand first. They still think they can play hardball and negotiate down his expectations. Only when it becomes apparent that he'll sign a one year deal, will LAC consider a S&T. LAC will pay someone a good contract, probably Odom, and he'll definitely get much more than Mobely's cheap contract. Maggette will be signed by someone else who will pay Maggette way more than LAC. He's gone. Q is cheap, but Mobely is better, and buds with Odom. I think so too. But ... we do have a better collection of young talent to trade than most teams, and Brand has to want to go to that team in a S&T. With Ming and Francis, he may believe he would go farther with the Rockets than anyone else ... and HE'D BE RIGHT!
Sherlock - Forgive me for my predjudice. Unlike 90% of everyone here, I do not think Brand is the best type of PF to pair with Yao. And I think if the Rockets remain in ISO mode, Brand would be a terrible choice. My impression of Brand is that he is a back to the basket type - same as Yao. Perhaps he can face up but I have not observed it. And I do not know if Brand is a good post entry passer. Both of these aspects are complimentary to Yao's game. (Yes, I know Yao can high post and pass to Brand, but how much high post play have we seen thus far other than PnR?). I doubt if either would happen, but IMO Odom is a better fit and would accomadate moving Posey to the 2 if Cat were traded.
"think Brand would love to come here. We have a brand new arena. Great coach. Great new center. Great point guard. Great city." Keep Juaquin!! THIS WOULD BE FALSE ADVERTISINGand you would get 6mts. in jail twice a year
