Maybe it's Brand and #7 for Marion and #2. I haven't heard this, but it makes more sense.
It does make more sense. I was hoping it wasn't that.
I'd be a reluctant if I'm the Clippers to do that. They need too much help in the backcourt, easier/better to keep the draft pick and use free agency to build a contender quickly than enter no man's land with a young very talented player.
If I'm Miami I'd be just about satisfied with that. If they could land Brook Lopez to have a center alongside Brand with Wade on the perimeter, that would be interesting. Or they could go with Joe Alexander at SF. Best point guard likely to be on the board at that point is DJ Augustin which is likely a stretch. Hmmm ... not sure that's better than Wade/Beasley/Marion, probably isn't. Fairly close though. #7 pick has more value to the Clips because Gordon is possibly/likely still on the board.
Not wild about it on either side then. Seems like a move made just to make a move. Better ways to retool by not making that trade.
If the Clippers think that Livingston's going to be healthy and productive then the trade give them him, Beasley, Kaman and Thornton. Not a bad start. All they'd need is a SG. They're not going far this year. If they don't plan on re-signing Brand then they're basically moving up from #7 to #2 for a player that's not in their future plans.
I don't watch a ton of college ball, but I don't know how much I like Gordon.
Yep I'm still unwilling to assume Livingston comes back, that's why I had a negative reaction to the trade. I also think Livingston has a huge amount of work to do to become a good starting point guard when he does come back which also adds to the uncertainty. If the Clippers did think Shaun was going to be healthy then the trade still make some sense to them. Livingston/Thornton/Beasley/Kaman would be a nice core to build around.
I can't imagine Brand leaving the Clippers. Sterling will pay him top dollar to keep him around. He's basically been saying - I knew Elton was our best player and important to the team but I had no idea one player meant so much to the team, this whole season has been this because Elton hasn't been able to go, we'll definitely resign Elton, I want to keep Elton around for the rest of his career. Clippers have a decent situation to surround Brand with talent so I find it hard to see why he'd look for greener pastures. The reason I brought it up is because the Clippers won't and shouldn't expect Brand to leave in a years time, if he were likely it's a must do trade, which hurts the need for the trade.
Eric Gordon is an interesting player. I go back and forth on him. Somedays I think he's the best SG in the draft, somedays I don't. For a team like the Clippers he makes a lot of sense because they're desperate for some perimeter scoring and shooting. It would also allow them to move Cuttino Mobley to the bench alongside Brevin Knight which is a nice backup backcourt. Gordon also has tremendous quickness defensively and should be able to defend point guards in the NBA, which is important because Livingston struggled with quick point guards before he was injured (Livingston very good defensively on wings). I can see Eric Gordon filling a few holes and making life easier for the Clips, doesn't need to be an All-Star type player just a solid scoring option which he's very likely to become in a bad case scenario. On the flipside I don't see him having much use to teams that need a point guard (like Miami).