Bleacher Report - Articles by John Ligon

Chris Kaman Leaving L.A.? Five Options for the Clippers

John Ligon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:00:33 -0400

What? You didn't really believe he'd stick around with the Clippers now that the Camby-man's coming to town, did you?

The two players largely duplicate each other's skill set. Each is a defensive presence that has difficulty producing his own offense.

While some Clippers fans dream of a pairing that would lead to them having a tandem that would average 26 rebounds and 6.5 blocks per game, that simply would not happen.

Invariably, the two players would get in each other's way on defense, take away rebounds and blocks from each other, and neither would be utilized optimally.

In addition, sophomore Al Thornton's natural position is power forward, rather than playing as a SF alongside Camby and Kaman.

Therefore, it only makes sense that Kaman's going to be on the move very soon to give the Clippers some help at other positions.

Keep in mind that Kaman is coming off of a fantastic year in which he averaged 15.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 2.77 BPG. On a team other than the Clippers, those are potentially All-Star numbers. Considering he's still only 26 years old, he should command a major player in a deal.

Just a note: I haven't done the math, but I assume that after absorbing Camby's salary and signing Baron Davis, the Clippers are back in the situation where they can't simply take back a ridiculous amount of salary for while not giving up any in return anymore. If that's not the case, then there are probably several other interesting trades that could happen instead.

Here are some of the best deals I can come up with, in no particular order:

Trade No. 1: Kaman in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls for Ben Gordon and Cedric Simmons

There has to be an odd man out in the Bulls' backcourt, and Gordon may be the easiest to move.

Kaman would give the Bulls a solid inside presence to pair with Derrick Rose and clear up minutes in the backcourt for Thabo Sefolosha, Larry Hughes, and Kirk Hinrich. Meanwhile, Gordon would give Baron Davis a strong running mate in L.A., while of course the departure of Kaman would open up space for Camby to be at his best.

Simmons would only be included assuming that his contract was needed to get the salaries to match.

Trade No. 2: Kaman to the Detroit Pistons for Richard Hamilton

Honestly, I looked hard at Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince, but finally decided on Hamilton for a variety of reasons.

First of all, Hamilton once again gives the Clippers a legitimate second option alongside Davis. In fact, Hamilton would likely be exceptional in that backcourt considering how good he is playing off the ball, which would suit Davis fine seeing as Davis figures to be the primary option.

Second, Hamilton has an obvious replacement in Detroit, with Rodney Stuckey able to slide into the starting lineup alongside Billups. Though in a perfect world, the Pistons would like to move Wallace and simply plug Kaman into the starting lineup next to Jason Maxiel or Antonio McDyess, the Clippers are unlikely to have much interest in Wallace, considering his age.

This would create a glut of big men for the Pistons between Wallace, Maxiel, McDyess, and Kaman, without even mentioning reserves Amir Johnson and Cheik Samb.

But Joe Dumars has made it no secret that he's interested in making changes to improve his team, and if he could later swing a deal that moves Wallace and leaves them with the younger Kaman in the middle, I think he'd do it in a heartbeat.

Trade No. 3: Kaman to the Indiana Pacers for Mike Dunleavy

Did you realize that Mike Dunleavy scored 19.1 PPG last year on 47.6 percent shooting, including 42.4 percent on three-pointers? Neither did I.

Both players had breakout years this past season—and both teams also have someone new coming in to potentially take their place, with the Pacers drafting Brandon Rush.

Once again, as is a recurring theme with many of these trades, Dunleavy would give the Clippers a strong second option to pair with Davis. How Dunleavy would react to being coached by his dad is another story, but on paper this would make some sense for them.

Bringing in Kaman would give the Pacers a core of Kaman, Rush, T.J. Ford, Danny Granger, Troy Murphy, and Roy Hibbert. Hibbert looks like a strong backup, and a frontcourt rotation of Kaman, Murphy, and Hibbert would be quite juicy in the Eastern Conference.

Trade No. 4: Kaman and Tim Thomas to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion

Okay, you knew this was coming.

Marion is an enigmatic player. Though he had an off year last season, he still has undeniable All-Star talent, and he'll be playing hard for a new contract next season.

Furthermore, Marion is well-suited for the fast-paced attack that the Clippers may try to implement now that they have Davis on board. A running attack of Davis, Marion, Thornton, Camby, and Cuttino Mobley would be fearsome indeed.

The worst-case scenario? Marion's deal is, of course, expiring—so if he doesn't work out, they can always let his salary come off the books and take another swing at free agency.

For Miami, it relieves their glut of power forwards—Marion, Michael Beasley and Udonis Haslem. Furthermore, it gives them a defensive presence to put next to Beasley's scoring in the post. A core of Dwayne Wade, Beasley, and Kaman would be solid in the East.

Trade No. 5: Kaman, Thomas, Brevin Knight and Cuttino Mobley to the Knicks for Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford

Okay, let me say that this would be a stupid, stupid trade for the Clippers. No matter how many double-doubles Randolph churns out, he is a perennial good-player-on-a-bad-team type of guy.

However, he still averages 18 and 10, so he's not the worst deal in the world. He would give the Clippers a low-post threat on offense to pair with Davis, while Camby can cover up his defensive deficiencies.

Furthermore, Crawford is actually an attractive player. He'd give the Clippers another legit 20-point scorer next to Davis, so on paper the deal doesn't seem so bad for the Clippers.

Of course, paper and reality are two different players. I can't say how much I would never, ever want to see Zach Randolph on my team, no matter how good his stats may be.

For the Knicks, can anyone guess when Thomas' and Mobley's contracts are up? To the two of you that didn't say 2010, you clearly haven't been paying attention to LeBron James' contract situation.

Knight's contract expires after this season. After that, it will take one more small contract to make the deal work, so the Clippers could sign-and their free agents to a one year deal to make it work.

This move lets the Knicks outright shed Crawford's contract, which isn't up until 2011. While Kaman's deal runs well past 2010, this at least is a step in the right direction, as it would likely be much easier to try and move Kaman around the trading deadline than it would be to ever try and move Randolph himself for deals expiring in the next two years.

Wrap up

These are just the trades that spring straight to mind in the aftermath of the Camby deal. I'm sure there are more interesting, more elaborate deals that someone could come up with, but I think that in principle these deals make some sense for both teams.

In any case, while I can't say with certainty where Chris Kaman will call home next season, I feel fairly confident in saying that with Marcus Camby coming in, it won't likely be Los Angeles.

Breaking News: Denver Nuggets Send Marcus Camby to Los Angeles Clippers

John Ligon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:44:51 -0400

The Los Angeles Clippers have acquired Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby for a future second-round draft pick.

Camby, the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, comes to the Clippers one week after the Clippers lost power forward Elton Brand to free agency.

Camby's arrival leaves the future of Clippers center Chris Kaman in question. Kaman enjoyed a breakout season last year, averaging 15.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 2.77 BPG after a 2006-2007 season plagued with injuries.

The Clippers could elect to play the two centers together, forming one of the most formidable defensive front lines in the league. Camby finished second in the league in rebounds per game last season, and led the league in blocks per game, while Kaman finished third in both categories.

Alternatively, the Clippers could look to deal Kaman while his value is high after a good year. With lingering questions about whether he is prone to injury, trading Kaman now could net the Clippers the highest offer they will ever get for him.

Furthermore, considering Camby's own injury history as well as that of point guard Baron Davis, the Clippers may not want to move forward with a core so prone to injury.

For the Nuggets, the move comes as a pure cost-cutting move. Camby was on the books for $15 million over the next two seasons.

The Nuggets once again finished with one of the highest pay roles in the league and well into the luxury tax. Despite their high-spending, the Clippers were once again swiftly dismissed in the first round of the playoffs.

Trade rumors surrounding the Nuggets' core of Camby, Carmelo Anthony, and Allen Iverson, had abounded all summer. In addition to those three, Kenyon Martin and Nene are also under rich, long-term contracts.

The Nuggets hope that by unloading Camby they will be able to bring in role players around their duo of Anthony and Iverson to make the team competitive in the Western conference.

Also, it appears they are now finally committed to helping Nene develop into a player worthy of the money he is making. After signing Nene to a new multiyear extension averaging over $10 million per year, Nene struggled with injuries all year while averaging less than six points and six rebounds per game off the bench.

The move leaves the Nuggets with only ten players under contract for next season. However, with Iverson, Anthony, Martin and Nene all making salaries around or above $10 million next year, the Nuggets will still be over the salary cap even after dumping Camby's contract.

This means the Nuggets will be unable to make any major free agency signings this offseason beyond possibly retaining restricted free agent J.R. Smith. However, since the trade brings the team under the luxury tax, they should be able to bring in some role players at cheap prices to fill out the roster.

San Antonio Spurs: A Game Plan After Corey Maggette's Snub

John Ligon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:25:05 -0400

While over the next several days, approximately 34,958,094,385 articles will be written on where the Clippers must go now that Elton Brand and Corey Maggette have decided to leave. But for at least one legitimate title contender, Maggette's decision also has a dramatic impact on their offseason.

The San Antonio Spurs, widely considered the favorites to land Maggette's services before the Warriors stepped in and outbid them, are now back at square one in determining how to assemble next year's team.

Last season, it was more apparent than ever that the rest of the Western Conference—in particular the Lakers, Hornets, and Jazz—is catching up and have possibly even overtaken the Spurs.

The Spurs, plagued by a lack of a definitive fourth scorer after the big three of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, would have had the perfect solution to their problems had they been able to land Maggette.

Maggette possesses a perfect combination of perimeter shooting and slashing with the ability to create his own shot that would have made the Spurs extremely dangerous offensively. Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan and company would have been able to make up for his defensive deficiencies.

With Maggette out of the picture, the answer to the question of "what's next" will decide if the aging Spurs can keep pace with the rising, younger Lakers, Hornets, and Jazz in the West next year.

Indeed, while the Clippers have a big decision to make over the next few weeks, the Spurs' approach to this offseason may determine the next NBA champion, and the entire league should keep an eye on it.

The obvious need for the Spurs this offseason is to get a younger, more athletic wing player, and they could use a backup big man as well. From here, it appears there are three plausible courses for the Spurs to set this offseason:

Go after the Next Biggest Fish

While the some of the next biggest fish—Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Andre Iguodala, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Emeka Okafor, and Luol Deng—all figure to be offered more money by their current teams than the Spurs could offer, there are a few free agents left that the Spurs might be interested in that would likely command the majority of their mid-level exception.

The first player who will be linked to the Spurs is Nuggets guard J.R. Smith. Spurs fans have heard of J.R. Smith for a very long time now, ever since he was nearly traded to the Spurs at the deadline two years ago. Though the Spurs' interest in him is old news, he still must be the first player mentioned when it comes to candidates for the mid-level exception.

As a restricted free agent, the Nuggets would have the option to match any offer the Spurs make to Smith. However, while they won't let him walk away over pennies, Smith has repeatedly fallen out of favor with coach George Karl.

Considering how strapped the Nuggets are financially, they would have to think twice before matching an offer of anything over $4 million a year.

Smith possesses a number of skills that the Spurs could find useful. He averaged a solid 12.3 PPG off the bench while shooting a career-high 40.3 percent from three-point range last season.

At only 22, he would provide the Spurs with youth and athleticism that the Spurs desperately lacked last season with Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka taking turns as the second wingman next to Ginobili.

The question is whether the Spurs want to bank on a player with as many character problems and off-court issues as Smith, who has been suspended on multiple occasions due to his behavior on and off the court as well as facing legal issues.

For the Spurs, who pride themselves on personal character, such behavior must give them pause.

The next option has been somewhat less explored, but makes some sense. The Spurs could make a move on Chicago Bulls restricted free agent Ben Gordon. At 25 and a scoring machine at 18.6 PPG off the bench, Gordon would certainly give the Spurs their much-needed fourth scorer.

A player such as Gordon would certainly command the Spurs' full mid-level exception. On talent alone, the Bulls would be certain to match.

However, given his streaky play last season in which several of his stats dipped from 2006-2007, and the crowded backcourt in Chicago (after drafting Derrick Rose and with Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, Thabo Sefolosha, Andres Nocioni, and Luol Deng), the Bulls might elect not to match a full mid-level offer.

Ultimately, Gordon is a long-shot, and I suspect the Bulls would match the Spurs offer.

There are two more players left who have skills that might interest the Spurs at this price range, Blazers forward James Jones and Celtics swingman James Posey.

Jones seems to be seeking a deal starting at about $5 million per year, while Posey appears to be holding out for the full mid-level exception.

Each player can shoot from long range, and Posey plays gritty defense, and they would both be attractive to the Spurs. However, spending so much money on what will likely wind up being an eighth man is what gets teams locked in salary-cap hell. I don't think signing either would be a good move for the Spurs.

Look for a Hidden Bass

OK, so making a subtle allusion to Mavericks forward Brandon Bass, the prototypical hidden impact player signed for the cheap, may not have been the most clever maneuver in the world. Sue me.

Unfortunately, there's a reason why these kinds of players are hidden: nobody knows who they're going to be. So here's a list of players who would be my best bets to be a surprise contributor for a near minimum-salary deal next year. The Spurs could split their mid-level exception amongst two or three of these guys and hope they pan out.

Eddie House gave the Celtics much a much-needed scoring punch in the Finals last year. Unfortunately, the streaky nature of his scoring and his suspect defense led to him being mostly benched for the first three rounds of the playoffs. If the Spurs could get some consistency out of House, they could get a steal at about $2 million per season over two years.

Shaun Livingston is a point guard who showed a lot of promise with the Clippers before having both of his arms cut off by a chainsaw. Fortunately they were able to reattach them and it appears that his rehab is going fairly well, but the Clippers were so wary of his health after four years of inconsistency that they didn't tender him an offer sheet to make him a restricted free agent.

Again, something in the area of $2 million-$3 million per season would probably be enough to get him, but he could be a steal or a total waste of money.

Wizards point guard Roger Mason had a career year last season while filling in for Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels. Whether it was a lucky year or a sign of a developing player is anyone's guess.

Nuggets guard Yakhouba Diawara's name has supposedly been linked to the Spurs. I have no idea why, as his numbers were utterly unremarkable last year and he was another one of those players whose team didn't bother tendering an offer sheet.

Timberwolves guard Kirk Snyder was a solid stop-gap starter who was able to score here and there and shot over 50 percent last year. Unfortunately, his three-point shooting has been plummeting ever since he came into the league, which is usually a requirement to play wing for the Spurs.

Bonzi Wells has never been the same player since leaving the Kings two years ago. But the Spurs still remember what a strong, physical presence he was in their series against the Kings that year, and if the Spurs can rekindle some of that player, the Spurs would have a steal at $2 million. Of course, that's what the Rockets and Hornets have been thinking.

Alonzo Mourning apparently wants to play one more year, and when he's been healthy he's shown he can still be a strong defensive presence. The rebuilding Heat may not want him back, but it's unclear if he would consider playing for anyone else. Also unfortunately, this move would make the Spurs older, not younger.

Heat restricted free agent forward Dorrell Wright has been hyped ever since coming into the league, but he's always been battling injuries that have kept him from achieving his potential. Unquestionably athletic, could the Spurs pry this young guy away from the Heat for $2 million-$3 million a year?

Stay the Course

Likely the least satisfying but perhaps the most probable outcome could be the Spurs simply re-signing Brent Barry, Kurt Thomas, Michael Finley, and Robert Horry and returning the same team from last year.

Though many Spurs fans would immediately wonder why a team that seems to simply be a year older could improve on their conference finals exit, there would be a few reasons why this might make some sense.

First of all, it can easily be argued that the Spurs were one healthy Manu Ginobili ankle or foul call on Brent Barry's three-pointer from making it back to the Finals.

Barry had one of his strongest seasons as a Spur when he was healthy this year, Finley still played well in stretches, and Horry might be able to still contribute if he can stay healthy for the whole season. The Western Conference Finals look a lot closer than the 4-1 final result when seen through those rose-colored glasses.

Secondly, after Maggette, there are just no slam-dunk options available at the Spurs' price range this offseason. The Spurs could find an impact player such as J.R. Smith or James Posey for the mid-level exception, or they might sink all of their financial flexibility for the next 3-5 years over an ineffective player.

They could get a steal by getting Ben Gordon, or they could tie up their money for seven days and watch all of the other available free agents dry up only to have the Bulls match anyways. Re-signing their own veterans allows the Spurs to preserve their money for the future when they might be able to lure a true impact free agent.

Thirdly, the Spurs may be able to get younger through their draft picks. The Spurs are inordinately excited about first-round pick George Hill as a backup to Tony Parker, and they seem to think that Ian Mahinmi and Malik Hairston may be able to contribute this year as well.

Finally, the Spurs still have the ability to improve through trades. Unfortunately, this is likely fools' hope, as the Spurs lack many tradeble assets outside of a few moderately-sized expiring deals between now and 2010 unless one of their rookies develops quickly. Without an expiring deal like Kwame Brown last year, there will be no one like Pau Gasol riding to the Spurs' rescue.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I think the Spurs will most likely wind up simply bringing back the team from last year and let this team have one more run at a title. I think the Spurs find restricted free agency too risky, which might scare them away from Smith and Gordon, while none of those $1 million-$2 million players are so good that they are worth bringing in over someone like Finley who already knows the system.

It may be a far less sexy option than bringing in Maggette that Spurs fans were hoping for, and it probably isn't enough to keep pace with the competition in the West, but it may be the best they can do with the cards they're dealt.

However, if the Spurs could somehow swing bringing in a talent like Gordon or felt confident that they could get a steady head on J.R. Smith's shoulders, they should jump at the chance, in which case the Spurs would instantly move up to being co-favorites with the Lakers in the West next year.

The next few weeks will determine which direction the Spurs go this year, whether they keep their championship window open a crack for a couple more seasons or if it slams shut on their face.

The rest of the league would do well to watch what happens, because with a few good moves, the Spurs just might swing in and keep their bi-annual engagement with the championship trophy next June.

Orlando Magic Sign Mickael Pietrus; Corey Maggette Joins Golden State Warriors

John Ligon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:03:14 -0400

Florida Today reports that Golden State Warriors swingman Mickael Pietrus has agreed to a new deal with the Orlando Magic. Teams can officially begin signing free agents on Wednesday.

Pietrus will receive a multi-year deal starting at approximately $5.2 million. This eats up nearly 90 percent of the Magic's midlevel exception and ends any chance the Magic had of signing Los Angeles Clippers small forward Corey Maggette, who later agreed to move to the Golden State Warriors.

After spending the season moving in and out of favor with Warriors coach Don Nelson, Pietrus is expected to start at shooting guard alongside Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, and All-Star Dwight Howard.

Pietrus is known as a strong perimeter defender, a skill that apparently set him apart from other free agents such as Maggette in the sight of Orlando GM Otis Smith. Some also believe the Magic did not think they stood a legitimate chance to sign Maggette for the mid-level exception in the first place.

In addition, the move likely will end any attempt on the part of the Magic to re-sign their own free agents, Keyon Dooling and Maurice Evans. Evans was the starting shooting guard by the end of last year, and Dooling was one of Jameer Nelson's primary backups at point guard.

Pietrus, who shot 36.1 percent from three pointers last season, gives the Magic another strong perimeter shooter to surround Howard in addition to his defensive prowess.

However, his scoring average (7.2 PPG) was down last year from his career averages, and his rebounding dipped from 4.5 RPG in 2006-2007 to 3.7 last season. In addition, lackluster free throw shooting (66.2 % for his career) has always been a weak point in his game.

After signing Rashard Lewis to a lucrative deal last year in free agency—a move considered an overpayment by many pundits—the Magic appear to be tying their hands financially for the next several years to this core of players by spending most of their mid-level exception on Pietrus.

Though it seems questionable to pay so much money to a player who has been primarily a backup throughout his five-year career, Orlando seems convinced that he possesses the skills and intangibles that go beyond the stat-sheet necessary to bring the Magic into the elite level in the East.

With his hometown Magic out of the bidding for his services, Maggette's options seemed to have narrowed to primarily the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics if he was to follow through on his suggestion that he would be willing to accept the mid-level exception to play for a contender.

However, as is often the case, money was the deciding factor in who Maggette would join. After failing to sign Clippers forward Elton Brand, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Warriors quickly moved in to give Maggette a five-year, $50 million deal that neither the Spurs nor Celtics could match.

Maggette looks to be the favorite to start at shooting guard or small forward alongside Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and Andris Biedrins, assuming Ellis and Biedrins re-sign. They are both restricted free agents.

Though Maggette largely replicates the skill set of Jackson on the Warriors, the Warriors can't have enough quick wingmen slashers, who typically thrive in Nelson's fast-paced system.

The question in Golden State now appears to be whether to build for the future or to win now. With scoring machines Ellis, Jackson, and Maggette along with solid role players, the Warriors look to be able to score nearly 110 PPG as they have for the last several years, which is a clip that many teams find difficult to match.

However, they also have a number of young players in Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli, and Anthony Randolph who could all use some developing. If the Warriors intend to win now, it may be difficult for Nelson to find playing time for these projects.

The big question left in the free agent market appears to be where the Clippers will go from here. With the cap space they have left after Elton Brand signed with the 76ers and Maggette signed with the Warriors, they now may look to lure one of the top restricted free agents left on the market such as Chicago's Ben Gordon or Atlanta's Josh Smith or Josh Childress. Either way, it seems they must find a second star to pair with Baron Davis.

In addition, this leaves San Antonio and Boston with their full mid-level exceptions in play. Both teams will likely give a look at Celtics free agent James Posey, and the Spurs will likely look at Nuggets restricted free agent J.R. Smith, whom the Spurs have had interest in for several years.

As for the Magic free agents displaced by the Pietrus signing, Dooling apparently has interest from the Miami Heat and may also get a look from the Denver Nuggets, who (still) desperately need a point guard. Evans has gotten a call from the Nets, but no deal appears imminent for him.

NBA Free Agency: Day One

John Ligon — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:27:39 -0400

At 12:01 AM yesterday morning, this year's free agency frenzy kicked off in the NBA, and already the first shots have been fired.

Deals have been made that have ranged from shocking (Baron Davis heading to the Clippers to live it up in Hollywood) to irrelevant (Hassan Adams signs up in Toronto). Let's take a look at the deals that were supposedly agreed to yesterday:

Dallas Mavericks Sign SF Gerald Green and re-sign PG JJ Barea- I think this pick may be very much like the Mavs' coup of Brandon Bass last year. For whatever reason, after a strong 2006-2007 season with the Celtics, in which he averaged more than 10 PPG, he just never gained the trust of Randy Wittman in Minnesota, and eventually wound up being sent to Houston for Kirk Snyder before getting cut.

It's obvious that the former slam-dunk champ has tons of talent; there's a reason it was an upset that he fell out of the lottery when he was drafted a few years ago. The question I have is whether there's a problem with his work ethic - if you can't play on the team the Timberwolves had last year, that's a serious red flag for me.

Regardless, for a one-year deal it seems like a low-risk, high-reward deal for the Mavs. JJ Barea was their 13th man last year, and I doubt he'll ever be much more, but he will probably be given a shot to earn the backup PG spot.

Los Angeles Clippers Sign PG Baron Davis (Warriors)- Obviously, this is the deal everyone is talking about today. While I agree that any time it looks like Donald Sterling is willing to open his wallet to be competitive has to look good if you're a Clippers fan, I'm actually not as high on this move as it seems everyone else is.

Although Davis certainly looks like he's going to make the Clippers competitive again with a lineup of Davis, Mobley, Thornton, Brand, and Kaman, I don't think that's a championship-caliber starting five. I'm not even 100% sure it's a playoff- caliber starting five, when you look at the Nuggets' with Iverson, Kleiza, Melo, K-Mart and Camby only managing an 8th seed in the brutal West and Portland obviously on the rise.

The move looks even more suspect when you consider they now have no money to sign bench guys, and the best guy they have left returning is Tim Thomas. Nobody knows whether Eric Gordon can give them decent minutes off the bench. Furthermore, crossing your fingers and hoping that Davis, Brand, and Kaman, who have all had injury issues in the past will all stay healthy, is a dubious plan at best.

Personally, I think that NBA teams should always make moves with the intent of eventually building a championship contender, and I think the Clippers may have just tied their hands with Davis' huge salary to the point that they won't be able to get much better with this group of players.

For the Warriors, this move is going to seriously hasten Don Nelson's return to retirement, and probably jump-start the rebuilding process in the Bay Area. They're not going to pry Gilbert Arenas from the Wizards now that Jamison is sticking around, so they might as well just resign Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins and give guys like Brandan Wright and Marco Bellinelli a chance to develop. Trying to sneak into the playoffs in the stacked west with this roster just isn't going to work.

Memphis Grizzlies sign C Marc Gasol- I really have no opinion on Gasol, though everything I hear about him seems to be good. I've heard some people say that the Grizzlies might consider starting him and Darko together, which leaves me wondering where Hakim Warrick lies in their future plans.

In any case, this guy was still the 48th pick last year, so I really can't imagine this guy is going to remind anyone of his brother anytime soon, and three years at $3.3 million per seems like a lot for someone who figures to be a prospect.

Portland Trail Blazers sign SG Rudy Fernandez- I also haven't seen Fernandez play personally, but the fact that he's turning down much bigger offers to come play for the rookie scale of $900k means this has to be a steal for the Blazers.

The owner of multiple MVP awards overseas, Fernandez gives the Blazers yet another asset to add to their embarrassment of riches on their bench. The only question left is how the Blazers plan on developing all of their young talent.

They have Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster, Jerryd Bayless, Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez, Ike Diogu, and now Fernandez, all figuring to require some seasoning before they reach their full potential.

Trying to simultaneously develop all those young players at once can really take a toll on a coaching staff. I would imagine that some of those guys will likely leave at some point this season for a veteran.

Sacramento Kings re-sign PG Beno Udrih- Ladies and gentlemen, your winner of the 2008 Jerome James Memorial Award, Beno Udrih! Let's give him a hand! Five years at full mid-level? Seriously, how many times have we seen a player do very little and then come out of nowhere to have a career year when he's playing for a new contract, get ridiculously overpaid, and then vanish off the face of the earth?

Just off the top of my head, Jerome James, Brian Cardinal, Erick Dampier, Al Harrington, Marko Jaric, Raef LaFrentz... there are two perfect examples on the Kings' own roster in Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and the list goes on.

Udrih's numbers are actually kind of underwhelming- a mere 12.8ppg, 4.3 apg isn't going to light the world on fire, and as a Spurs fan who watched him his first three years, his confidence is extremely fragile. He can have a couple of weeks where he strings together a few good games, but then even one bad game can send him into the toilet for the rest of the year.

Udrih looks like one of the classic cases of a guy being touted as a big free agent pickup only to be found getting shopped six months later as a bad contract. With Ron Artest talking about how he wishes he'd opted out, Brad Miller looking like a shadow of his former self, and Mikki Moore still inexplicably being a starter in this league, it looks like a long couple of years coming up in Sacramento.

Toronto Raptors re-sign PG Jose Calderon and sign PG Roko Ukic and PG Hassan Adams- This was a no-brainer. Calderon was their best point guard anyways last year, and we all knew this was coming since they traded T.J. Ford. Even better, it looks like they got Calderon at an extremely reasonable salary at around $8 million a year, which is excellent considering he was putting up All-Star numbers when he was starting.

Ukic, a former second-round pick, and Adams, who played with the Nets the year before last, are both minor pickups, but if one of them can be a serviceable backup to Calderon, the Raptors could just close the checkbook and call it a good offseason.

The Corey Maggette Situation

The Davis signing leaves Corey Maggette in a suddenly very uncomfortable position, as it looks like he'll have to settle for the mid-level exception somewhere. Whoever gets a 28-year old 22ppg scorer for that amount is getting a serious steal.

Rumor has it the Celtics have called and have offered the full mid-level, but it's not clear how he would fit into their plans; either Maggette or Ray Allen would have to come off the bench, and Maggette has never made it a secret that he thinks he's a starter in this league.

Maggette would like to hear from his hometown Orlando, but word is that the Magic would be wary about committing so much money to one player, although their starting five would be great with Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu, they'd be left with virtually no money to buy a bench; the Magic are rumored to be leaning towards splitting their midlevel amongst two guys like Keyon Dooling and someone else.

The other team that is known to be interested in Maggette is the Spurs, who would give him the full MLE in a heartbeat, but Maggette would likely need some convincing that the Spurs are not too old to still contend for a title.

Maggette is sure to hear from some other teams as well in the coming days, as before yesterday it was widely assumed that it would cost much more than the mid-level to land him. If the Sixers strike out in their bids to sign Josh Smith and Josh Childress, they may be willing to pay Maggette more than the other teams can offer. The Grizzlies have the money to spend on Maggette, but are not expected to spend most of it this summer.

Wrap-up: The best of who's Left: Gilbert Arenas is said to be entertaining offers from both the Warriors and Wizards, but will likely return to the Wizards; Elton Brand, who many are whispering may have helped orchestrate the Davis signing, is also expected to stay with his team the Clippers;

Chris Duhon is attracting some serious attention from the Knicks; Brent Barry, after surprising the Spurs and opting out, is getting calls from the Lakers and Rockets; DeSagana Diop might give Beno some competition for the Jerome James Memorial Award if rumors that the Mavs are considering giving him a significant portion of the MLE are true;

The Sixers have apparently come on strong to Hawks restricted free agents Josh Smith and Josh Childress, while the Hawks maintain they will match any offers for Smith; the Celtics are apparently trying to undercut James Posey in negotiations, and considering Posey has always followed the money, he may be on his way out- the Lakers and Hornets have apparently expressed interest; and the Bulls are focusing on bringing back their own restricted free agents Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, who figure to be forced to settle for much less than the offers they turned down a year ago considering the dry market.