Heat ready to offer Brand $82.2M

Heat ready to offer Brand $82.2M
By Ira Winderman and Harvey Fialkov Staff Writers
July 16, 2003

Less than a week after saying he might take a passive approach to the NBA's free-agent signing period, Heat coach Pat Riley is poised to make a splash similar to those he previously has made in South Florida with the high-stakes additions of Alonzo Mourning, Eddie Jones and Brian Grant.

Los Angeles Clippers power forward Elton Brand was in South Florida on Tuesday and today will be extended a contract offer from the Heat that could be as high as $82.2 million over six years -- the most an outside team can offer.

Riley spoke last week of avoiding the type of contracts he previously extended to Mourning, Jones and Grant, but hedged by adding, "There's only one player I would consider doing that for."

That player turned out to be Brand.

Unlike the Heat's previous megabucks bids, this one comes with strings attached -- plenty of strings, including what likely will be a tense waiting period.

Because Brand is a restricted free agent, the Clippers would have 15 days to match a Heat offer sheet. However, the Heat and agent David Falk are believed to have constructed the offer sheet in a way to make it particularly unpalatable to notoriously tightfisted Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling.

Foremost, the Heat can make Brand's expected $10.96 million 2003-04 salary payable immediately and can advance additional funds into that lump-sum payment through accelerated signing bonuses. In addition, a maximum trade kicker is expected to be written into the offer, automatically accelerating remaining payments by 15 percent should Brand be dealt.

For the Heat, it means if Brand accepts the offer, as expected, that until July 30, Riley's team will be out of the free-agent market. It also means if the offer to Brand is not matched by the Clippers, the Heat would have to fill out the balance of its roster with minimum-salary players.

With Brand, 24, the Heat could field a lineup of Grant at center, Caron Butler and Brand at forward, and Jones and rookie Dwyane Wade in the backcourt.

More likely in the scenario of Brand being added would be a trade of a veteran, perhaps Jones, in a bid to either bolster needed depth at center and point guard, or to lessen the Heat's overall salary burden, with an eye toward adding another prime free agent next summer.

The addition of Brand would more than offset the free-agent loss of Mourning, who today will join the New Jersey Nets. The expiration of Mourning's $105 million contract created the space for the potential addition of Brand.

While the built-in incentives in the offer sheet would allow Brand to realize a financial windfall by the end of the month, a decision to accept the Heat's offer sheet would display a faith in Riley's ability to rebuild a franchise that dropped to 25-57 last season and has not won a playoff game in three years.

Because NBA rules sharply favor incumbent teams when it comes to free agents, Brand is eligible for a far greater deal from the Clippers, one that could max out at $105.5 million over seven years. Under NBA rules, outside teams may only offer 10-percent annual raises in offer sheets, while incumbent teams may offer 12.5-percent raises. In addition, outside teams may only offer six-year contracts, while incumbent teams may offer a maximum of seven years.

Once Brand signs the offer sheet, it means Brand would be property of the Heat or Clippers by the end of the month. No other team is allowed to negotiate with the 6-foot-8 power forward once the offer sheet is executed.

While Brand is, by far, the Clippers' most productive player, he also has toiled for an owner reluctant to pay the going rate for productive talent. The largest deal previously approved by Sterling, a Los Angeles real estate magnate, was a five-year, $15 million package to guard Eric Piatkowski in 1998.

As much as anything, the Heat's gambit is based on timing. The Clippers are expected today to also receive offer sheets from the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets, respectively, for guards Corey Maggette and Andre Miller, worth about $100 million combined.

To further give Sterling pause is the reality that if the offer for Brand is matched, the Heat is expected to immediately extend an offer sheet to Clippers forward Lamar Odom, a player Riley has coveted since the 1999 NBA Draft, when he offered valued forward P.J. Brown in a trade.

The Heat likely has made its intentions with Odom already known. One agent said Tuesday that Odom may stand as the ultimate goal, with Sterling unable to quickly recover from the haymaker of the Brand offer sheet.

In Brand, the Heat is looking at an undersized forward who has displayed an uncanny ability to get the ball to the rim as a scorer and snag it off the boards as a rebounder.

Because most teams take the full 15 days to decide on offer sheets, the Heat will be forced to the sidelines at a time the free-agent market is being picked clean.

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WOW! This is totally out of nowhere! Interesting move! If the Rockets can't get Brand I like the idea of him going to the East! That would be very cool! Also interesting references about Lamar Odom! Looks like teams are going to throw all these HUGE contracts in the Clippers face and hope they blink! Very interesting!

 

It actually is a good deal for Miami. Why? Because they can afford to wait the 15 days unlike some other teams that need to fill voids NOW. Miami seems like they are comfortable with the fact they just might have to wait until next year to get a big time player with their cap room. They look like they are either going to get a STUD or just hold off. Smart move. They are in no hurry. Their championship window is not right now like other teams. They can afford the risk of taking themselves off the FA market for 15 days. If they get their guy, great. If they dont get him and all the good FA are gone then so be it.

 

Ya know, I am now wondering why Denver does not try to jump over Utah to get Maggette! Denver doesn't have Kandi in the picture anymore (signed with Wolves) and thus still have TONS of money to spend! They only spent about half of their available cap room on Miller, why not the other half on Maggette? Who eles are they going to spend it on? They have a need at SG and Center. No centers are available (assuming B Miller signs with Indiana) so among the available SGs it seems Maggette (along with Richard Hamilton) is the best of the bunch.

If Brand goes to Miami (or stays a Clipper) then the Jazz are screwed in getting him. Why does Maggette go to Utah if Brand does not have a chance to play there?

 

Miami getting Brand would be huge for them. It would give them a legitamte low post scorer that would demand double teams. That is huge for them, especially in the East!

Finally Jermaine Oneal would competition from a PF in the East!

Brian Grant playing center in the east versus the west is en entirely different thing. In the East Grant can easily get away with playing center since most teams in the east dont have dominant big men. In the West it is much more difficult.

I see Eddie Jones being the odd man out in this scenario if they get Brand. Dwayne Wade is more of a 2 guard than a PG so they need to move Jones to try to pick up a PG.