Latest NBA Rumors: Elton Brand and Kirk Hinrich
Elton Brand is not going to leave the Clippers. He’s the one who talked Baron Davis out of leaving Golden St. and he wants a winner in LA that isn’t the Lakers. Brand is a great players coming off injury and the Clippers got a great season out of center Chris Kaman so adding Davis will make a big deal to this team.
Brand has been offered a lot of money from Golden St. and Philly and is acting like he is being tempted by both of them. All he’s trying to do is get himself the best deal possible from the Clippers and the Clippers can’t afford to call his bluff. If they do and he leaves they will lose all the momentum from the Davis commitment. It is only a commitment thus far as they can start signing free agents on Wednesday. Brand will keep his leverage as long as possible so I imagine he’ll wait to comment until Wednesday on his intentions to stay with the Clippers.
Kirk Hinrich is another story. In fact, the Bulls drafting of Derrick Rose has caused a stir in Chicago’s locker room. The Bulls have Hinrich locked up long term but he’s a point guard and Rose didn’t get taken number 1 to sit the bench. Rose will play because he’s better than Hinrich right now. The Bulls have some choices with Ben Gordon but he’s more of a shooting guard albeit a smaller one. I see Hinrich going to Golden St. and I think it is only a matter of time before those teams get together. The Warriors are going to strike out in free agency and will be a better team with Hinrich anyway. Baron Davis is an amazing talent but his shot selection is sketchy at best. Hinrich will thrive under Don Nelson and the Warriors will be better defensively. The only other possibility in Chicago is for the Bulls to keep Hinrich and then do a sign and trade involving Ben Gordon. Hinrich would play the two guard and get absolutely destroyed by some of the bigger guards in the league just as Gordon has in his career. Blow it up and start over Chicago basing your franchise on Rose, Deng and the combination of big guys. Rose will get Tyrus Thomas some dunks over the next few years and make him look very good.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:04 am
I like the theory that Brand is just pretending to think about these other offers, so the league doesn’t look into fact that he and Baron Davis planned this whole thing. That he did in fact want to see what else is out there, not make cap space by opting out of his contract.
July 8th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Would anyone really care if guys are ‘tampering’ with other players to try to get them to their team? C’mon. It has to happen all the time. I can’t imagine the players wearing overcoats and dark glasses talking to each other about this. In reality, if players want to come together and agree on things then more power to them. I don’t think the players could come together with 12 guys who would be willing to play for the Clippers and actually win the whole thing. It will never happen. I’m a cub fan, I know some things just are not meant to be.
July 9th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Well, Brand jumped ship to go to the 76′ers, count me down as suprised.