RE: Tidbit from ESPN Insider's Chad Ford

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If the Clippers are looking to rent a PG for next year and avoid shelling
out big bucks for Olowokandi long term (given the other young studs they'll
behaving come up for renewal soon) perhaps we can swing a deal offering
Kenny and Battie and $3 mil cash for Olowokandi and #12? or just Olowokandi?
I believe that the Clips have enough cap room to make such a deal work.

If the bottom line is that crucial (and given that Sterling is still owner
is must be) then the $3 mil we can include takes a large bit of sting out of
the last year of Kenny's contract for the Clips - in effect they be getting
a 33% discount on Anderson's contract or Battie for free for one year
depending on how you want to look at it. (An added benefit - they would get
the $3 mil in cash but we would get the cap room to avoid the luxury tax AND
re-sign Rogers and Strickland or whatever else).

I doubt the Clips would view V as an adequate replacement for Olowo
(particularly since V backed up Battie and will start next year injured) but
IIRC they had interest in Battie before (the aborted swap for Rogers
ironically) and Battie is coming off one of his best seasons and a very good
playoffs. Certainly Battie's long-term relatively inexpensive contract would
be attractive to them compared to what Olowo might command. Furthermore,
Elton Brand's the big body and rough-and-tumble game would compliment
Battie's physique (the same can be said for Olowo's combination of
size/shotblocking with Walker at PF).

It would represent an interesting trade. Boston would get the combination of
strength and athleticism at center that it has lacked since Parish left.
This would represent a definite achievement but Boston would also be left
with a gaping hole at PG. This could hopefully be plugged on a temporary
basis by a re-signed Strickland or someone of his signability as Cook/Forte?
is/are eased into the role. All in all I think the odds are better securing
a solid defense/rebounding presence at center and gambling on addressing the
needs at PG rather than continue with partial solutions at both positions.
Plus Boston secures the best player in the deal (over the long term).

The Clips come away with an upgrade at PG for one year (and possibly longer
if Kenny will agree to an appropriate reduction in salary), an equitable
replacement at center that allows them to acceptably 'thin the ranks' of
players to re-sign in the near future thereby putting the proper focus of
the franchise (financially and otherwise) on Brand, Miles and possibly Odom.