Wow.

What looked like a two-horse race for the services of Elton Brand became a three-horse race when the Sixers freed up enough money to offer the talented forward a five-year, $82 million contract. Marc Stein's sources say Brand is headed to Philly.

(Read the rest after the jump.)

I love covering the NBA. It's amazing sometimes how one comment or one second-hand report bounces around in the echo chamber and suddenly becomes a big story.

Take, for instance, Rod Thorn's comment that Richard Jefferson "didn't seem very happy" when the news broke about the trade that would send him to the Bucks. Keep in mind that Thorn hadn't actually spoke to Jefferson when he made that comment. He had only spoke to Jefferson's agent and tried to call and text Jefferson himself.

Suddenly, there were reports everywhere that Jefferson was upset with being traded to Milwaukee. Some people even wondered if he'd try to force a trade elsewhere.

There's that echo chamber that I was talking about...

(Read the rest after the jump.)

In Part 1, we looked at the members of the draft class of 2004. Those players are restricted free agents this summer because last summer they failed to agree on an extension with their team. In Part 2, we'll look at members of the draft class of 2005, who have the option to sign long-term deals with their current teams. Typically, this means that they are looking at less money than they could sign for as a restricted or unrestricted free agent, but they have the peace of mind of all that guaranteed money (in case of injury) and knowing where they'll be playing for the next five or six years.

Two players from the draft class of '05 -- Chris Paul and Deron Williams -- are widely considered to be no-brainer max extension players. In fact, Paul has already extended for four years and $68 M, and Williams' camp is currently negotiating with the Jazz. It would be a coup if Utah could convince their young point guard to take a bit less money to allow for the team to have salary cap flexibility in the future.

So let's take a look at the other big-name players from the class of '05 and try to gauge their total value. Remember, this includes performance (John Hollinger's PER), age, potential, and the salaries of comparable players.

(Read the rest after the jump.)

You know you've made a fair deal is when both parties think they got screwed.

It's that time of year again. Restricted free agents from the class of 2004 ( Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Josh Smith, etc.) are being wooed by teams that are hoping to make them an offer that their current team won't match. Likewise, players from the class of 2005 ( Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, etc.) can negotiate extensions with their respective teams that will keep them off the free agent market for the foreseeable future.

These negotiations are a battle of will and expectations. The player's job (via his agent) is usually to squeeze as much money out of the team as he can. The team's job is to sign the player to a contract that is a good value for the team. Naturally, the player's camp brings up all the positives about the player while the franchise has to balance this with the player's negatives to try to convince the agent (or the player) that they aren't worth what they're asking. Teams that repeatedly bow to players' demands are sure to find themselves in salary cap hell before too long.

So in an effort to predict a market value for these players, I am going to take a look at their total value -- performance (John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating), age and potential -- and try to come up with a yearly salary that fits with what other players of their caliber are making. I'll list comparable players and their average salaries over the spans of their current contracts.

Let's start with the class of 2004. These players are free to sign offer sheets from other teams, but their current team can (and usally do) match those offers. These are players that unsuccessfully negotiated extensions last summer, and since many NBA teams are reluctant to extend an offer to a restricted free agent, most of these players are likely to play out the final year of their rookie contract and become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Dwight Howard, Devin Harris, Al Jefferson and Kevin Martin took care of their extensions last year, while Beno Udrih just recently re-signed with the Kings. Here are the other big names, in their original draft order...

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I'm not sure why, but I was watching ESPN's "First Take" this morning and the subject of Elton Brand came up. Scoop Jackson and Skip Bayless debated what Brand should do now that he has two offers on the table, one from the Clippers and one from the Warriors.

Jackson said - and I'm paraphrasing here - that since the Warriors made Brand a max offer that it is "honorable" to consider it and go and talk to them about it because this might not be the last contract that Brand will sign and he might need the Warriors down the road. He went on to say that if the Clippers match the Warriors offer (which they can't) then all bets are off.

What?

(Read the rest of the post after the jump.)

Okay, he doesn't have to re-sign with the Clippers, but he needs to.

As more details come out about Brand's situation, it has become clear that when Brand elected to opt out of the final year of his contract, he and the Clippers had an understanding about how the team would proceed in free agency.

From the LA Times...

(Read the rest of the post after the jump.)

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti has always been mildly irritating, but I haven't been exposed to him enough to be truly bothered by his shenanigans.

Well, that changed today when Mariotti (and his oddly-coiffed eyebrows) invaded the "Pardon the Interruption" set to act as co-host with J.A. Adande. The duo discussed the news that Brett Favre may return to football and Mariotti went on this rant about how everyone is sick of Favre's tease. He brought up his boy Michael Jordan and said that he never teased the public with his retirement.

I don't know what's worse, Mariotti's inane comment or the fact that Adande didn't call him on it. Michael Jordan retired… three times. How is that not a tease? Sure, when he said he was going to retire he did walk away from the game for a year or two, but he came back twice. How is that better than what Favre has done? At least Favre's struggles with the thought of retirement are understandable. He didn't walk away in the middle of his prime and waste a few of his best years trying to play another sport. This all started when Favre had a bad season or two and people started to question his ability. Then he comes back last season and has a MVP-caliber year.

Why can't people understand that this is a difficult decision to make?

This story is getting stranger by the minute.

Just hours after news broke that Brett Favre might be getting the itch to play another season, the Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that Favre has already contacted the team about returning and the Packers rebuffed him. The conversation ended with Favre's agent, Bus Cook, demanding that his client be released and the Packers refusing to do so.

The thought of Favre playing for another team makes me sick to my stomach. The last thing I want to see would be for this relationship to get contentious. If Favre is serious about coming back and serious about the commitment it would take, I say let him come back. Apologize to Aaron Rodgers and ask him kindly to wait another year for his shot.

I do like the theory that the Packers are testing Favre to see how serious he is about returning, but this situation has the potential to get very ugly very quickly.

It's all fair in love and war... or in this case, love and basketball.

A day after the news broke that Baron Davis agreed to sign with the Clippers, his old team turned around and offered a max contract to the Clippers' best player (and supposed Davis running-mate) Elton Brand.

Since the Clippers have agreed to terms with Davis, it was believed that the most they could offer Brand something in the neighborhood of a six-year deal worth $81 million. The LA Times is reporting that the Warriors offered a five-year deal worth $100 million.

So what will Brand do?

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ESPN is reporting that "sources close to the team and player" say that Brett Favre may be getting the "itch" to play again as a result of his family "tugging" him to return to the Packers.

Regular readers know that I've been a Packer fan since I learned how to walk and I'd love to see #4 under center again. But I have mixed feelings about this...

(Read the rest after the jump.)

Several teams are courting unrestricted free agent Corey Maggette. Orlando, Boston, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Utah have all expressed an interest in signing the athletic wing, but only Philly has enough cap space to offer more than the mid-level exception, which starts around $5.5 million. If Elton Brand decides to re-sign with the Clippers, the word is that the team has to renounce their rights to Maggette, which would seem to make a sign-and-trade complicated if not impossible...

(Read the rest after the jump.)

What a difference 48 hours makes. Just two days ago, it looked as if Davis would play out the final year of his contract with Golden State. Now, his decision to opt out plus his decision to sign with the Clippers may have a ripple effect throughout the league. What if Gilbert Arenas decides to take the Warriors' offer? Will Elton Brand agree to a slight pay cut to remain in L.A. or will his camp push for a trade with Miami despite the Davis signing? Where is Corey Maggette going to land?

I like the signing by the Clippers, but it all depends on Davis' health. He has missed significant time in the past, but $13 million a season is worth it for a healthy Baron Davis. His numbers are likely to take a dip as the Clippers play at a much slower pace than the Warriors do. With Maggette likely gone (unless he's willing to sign a deal for the mid-level, which is a possibility in this tough market) there is a hole at shooting guard. Cuttino Mobley is under contract, but his game seems to be on the decline. One possibility to would be to offer Denver's J.R. Smith a mid-level deal. That would produce a formidable lineup of Davis, Smith, Al Thornton, Brand and Chris Kaman. Offensively, that's a very solid group.

Maybe I should be an agent.

Ever since Ron Artest publicly stated that he did not intend to opt out, I questioned the decision. Why play out the final year of a contract that pays $7.4 million when you could (at worst) sign a five-year deal at the mid-level for almost $34 million? Now, after Elton Brand and Baron Davis decided to opt out, Artest regrets his decision to stay in Sacramento.

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The NBA free agency period starts on Tuesday, and we know who will be available this summer. Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette have opted out of the final years of their respective contracts and have become free agents. Shawn Marion, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal decided not to opt out.

Below is a list of the top 10 unrestricted and top 10 restricted free agents based on total value, which means I'll take into account each player's production, age, upside and estimated asking price. Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team that makes them an offer. Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets from other teams, but their current team has the right to match that offer, which is usually the case.

(See the lists after the jump.)

At least six first round picks are on the move, and now there's word that Minnesota and Memphis have agreed to a deal that will send Kevin Love and Mike Miller to Minnesota for O.J. Mayo and Marko Jaric. There are four other players involved, but no one of consequence.

This looks like a crafty move by the historically non-crafty Kevin McHale. He really liked Love, but felt that he had to draft Mayo at #3 so that he could acquire another piece or two along with Love. In the deal, he not only got the power forward he wanted all along, but he also garnered the sharpshooting and affordable Miller, who should help space the court for Al Jefferson. Suddenly, the young Timberwolves can start a lineup that consists of Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Miller, Love and Jefferson, and that's not a bad start. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies can now boast a young (and cheap) perimeter core of Mayo, Mike Conley and Rudy Gay.

Most pundits are tasked to write a "winners & losers" column after the draft is complete, but the truth is there's no reason to label any franchise one or the other when the truth about this draft won't be revealed for at least another two to three years.

Looking at the first round, I am still bummed that the Bucks weren't able to follow up their stellar (assuming his ankles hold up) acquisition of Richard Jefferson by coming out of the draft with Love, but Joe Alexander looks like a nice player, and there's talk of him being able to play some power forward...

(Read the rest after the jump.)