Camby to the Clippers

[lockymac]

From ESPN:

The Los Angeles Clippers, exactly one week after finding out they had lost their face of the franchise, have rebounded with a significant trade acquisition.


Marcus Camby

Center
Denver Nuggets

Profile

2008 Season Stats GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
79 9.1 13.1 3.3 .450 .708

The Clippers on Tuesday agreed to terms on a deal with the Denver Nuggets to acquire center Marcus Camby as their replacement for Elton Brand, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Clippers will only have to surrender a future second-round pick to acquire Camby, who is being jettisoned into the Clippers' salary-cap space vacated by Brand to generate payroll relief for the Nuggets.

A trade call with the league to approve the deal has been completed, sources said, clearing the way for the teams to announce the swap later Tuesday.

Camby, 34, is coming off a productive season in which he averaged 9.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.61 blocks for the Nuggets, who won 50 games to claim the final playoff spot in what is regarded as the most competitive conference race in league history.

But the Nuggets have yet to advance out of the first round with their Allen Iverson-Carmelo Anthony-Camby core and, according to sources, opted to shed the remaining two years on Camby's contract (worth nearly $15 million) to create the flexibility that could allow for more changes.

The Nuggets had the league's fourth-highest payroll last season and are required to pay $13,572,079 in luxury taxes for last season by July 23.

 

[blackwind]

Ha! Posted about the same time I did in the PLayer Movement thread!

This impacts a few RFAs around the league. Not really anyone left other than Memphis that can offer Josh Smith, Okafor and Iguodala big contracts to get them away from their teams. Either these guys will be involved in a sign and trade, resign with their teams, or take the qualifying offer and become FAs next season.

 

[nenjabin]

Does this seem completely stupid to anyone? 1 of the leagues worst defensive teams (yes they won 50 games, but they could rarely keep a team below 100 on any given night) trades away their best big man and defensive beast for nothing leaving it to a washed up KMart, Nene, Steven Hunter and small PFs in Bobby Jones and Linas Kleiza...

 

[blackwind]

Does this seem completely stupid to anyone? 1 of the leagues worst defensive teams (yes they won 50 games, but they could rarely keep a team below 100 on any given night) trades away their best big man and defensive beast for nothing leaving it to a washed up KMart, Nene, Steven Hunter and small PFs in Bobby Jones and Linas Kleiza...

I can only offer that they must be dumping salary to stay under the luxury tax. It could be the first move to blowing up the roster and starting again perhaps?? Will we see AI or even Melo being moved, maybe closer to the trade deadline for cap space and draft picks??

 

[nenjabin]

I can only offer that they must be dumping salary to stay under the luxury tax. It could be the first move to blowing up the roster and starting again perhaps?? Will we see AI or even Melo being moved, maybe closer to the trade deadline for cap space and draft picks??

I'd suggest very hard to move an aging 6'0 guard who needs his speed to be a force and is making what...$20Mil? Melo's time could very well be up.

 

[clipper]

Good recovery by the clippers, I'd rather have camby than Zach randolph.

The it gives us expiring contract in the 2010 free agent bonanza. Doesn't mean that we can get the blue chip free agents, but may be able to use the expiring contracts during that season to get other pieces.

 

[cp3]

I got a feeling the clippers arent done.....

Zbo could still end up there!

 

[mickimouse24]

I got a feeling the clippers arent done.....

Zbo could still end up there!

yeah i agree. I think they are still working on that roster....

i can see them trying to find a shooting guard next...

 

[exzibit3]

Awesome pick up by the Clippers! With Baron Davis and now Camby, they've got some proven veterans there, and even though they're both getting on, at least they've done something to be competitive in a tough Western Conference.

The Nuggets had better have something good up their sleeves. Defense was definitely a problem before, this is one catastrophic move if they don't get a defensive stopper. Can Artest be on the move to Denver? Even then, I don't quite like the chemistry of the team.

 

[A_Iverson_I]

Well can't say I was pleased about this when I first heard about it, but after reading the article you kind of understand why they did it...... still hurts to lose a player of his quality for basically nothing though.