Nba Free Agency: Brand a Sixer? Maggette a Warrior? Baron?
Elton Brand leaves the Clippers for the Sixers. Corey Maggette going to Golden St. What’s Baron really going to do?
I have to say that the Sixers gm is a smart guy. He deals 2 guys off the scrap heap and a 1st round pick that he thinks will be lousy to Minnesota so that he can free up some money to go after Brand and it worked. They are reportedly going to sign him for 5 years 82 million dollars. That’s a ton of money for a guy coming off achilles surgery who didn’t really play much last season. Brand is the missing piece for the Sixers who now have a lineup of Miller, Iggy, Brand and Dalembert in their starting 5. That isn’t bad at all. What’s most impressive is prying away Brand from the Clippers after it clearly seemed that he was just trying to make the Clippers better by talking Baron into playing there.
Now what is Baron going to do…he commited to them but that doesn’t mean he still has to do it. He could treat this like a ’soft verbal’ in college football and just go elsewhere now. But where? He could go back to Golden St I guess but that ship might have sailed. He could go to Memphis but they have some younger players and don’t want the guy. He’s very limited in his options. I think he’s stuck and going to play for the Clips and be miserable. I’m not even sad about it as he shouldn’t have opted out in the first place.
Corey Maggette goes to the Warriors and I’m not sure exactly why. Don’t the Warriors seemingly have a team full of guys just like him. It may not be so but it just seems that the entire team is 6*6 and athletic and can shoot. That isn’t the case, but the perception. Corey can score and this offense will suit him just fine. He’s a great athlete and an improved shooter and I look for big things from him. Monta Ellis is going to have a really big season and put up some big numbers even though he only looks like a junior high kid right now.
Overall we are going to see some more signings and more trades in the coming days as their are plenty of guys still out there. I look forward to it…Keep the thoughts coming.
