Philadelphia Freedom: Clippers Stunned As Brand Leaves For 76ers

Brand Agrees To Five-Year, $82M Deal With 76ers

Clippers Owner Donald Sterling gave his “basketball people a blank check” to re-sign F Elton Brand, who yesterday agreed to a five-year, $82M contract with the 76ers, but the team said that Brand's agent, David Falk, “stopped returning their calls,” according to Mark Heisler of the L.A. TIMES. The Clippers had planned to "dump enough players to get to $81[M]" and make an offer to Brand, but that "was never relayed to Brand.” The team "had every intention of keeping him and were stunned to find out he was gone" (L.A. TIMES, 7/9). Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said that he “was encouraged by the financial commitment [Sterling] had shown in the offers the team had made” to both Brand and G Baron Davis, who last week signed a five-year, $65M deal with the team (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 7/9). ESPN.com’s J.A. Adande writes fans cannot blame Brand leaving on Sterling’s “miserly ways.” But this also is “about the lengthy history of failure that surrounds this team and how the past can dictate the future.” Just when the Clippers “appeared ready to change their fortune, after they uncharacteristically struck with the first bold move of free agency in landing Davis, Brand bolted on them and took the heart of the team with him” (ESPN.com, 7/9).

LAKERS: In L.A., Mike Bresnahan reports the Lakers have increased ticket prices "across the board for a third consecutive season, a relatively unsurprising action after the team paid almost $5[M] in luxury taxes on last season's payroll and faced a larger tax hit next season." Courtside seats were raised $200 to $2,500 per game, while seats in six lower-level sections between the baskets climbed $15 to $245. Other lower-bowl tickets will cost $210, $147, $110 and $85, marking increases of 4.8-6.3%. Upper-bowl tickets were "raised slightly" to $40 or $28, "not including 500 seats that are a league-mandated $10." Bresnahan notes the NBA average for ticket-price increases is usually 3-4% (L.A. TIMES, 7/9).