Could Elton Brand Be on His Way Out of Los Angeles?

Elton Brand was the catalyst for the LA Clippers last two "successful" NBA seasons. It was his MVP'ish performance in 2005-2006 that propelled the Clippers to their first playoff berth in over a decade, as well as a trip to the second round of the playoffs where they lost in a closely contested battle with the Phoenix Suns.

However, in this latest NBA season, Brand has missed every game due to a serious injury to his Achilles tendon, and thus the LA Clippers are back to their typical losing ways.

But Elton Brand is no loser. Thus, his future with this Clippers team is about as uncertain as his health. He has the option of opting out of his current contract with the franchise at the end of this season. He'll be 29 when the season ends, and now that he has battled this serious injury, he's likely to start thinking about his stamp on the game of basketball and the final outcome of his career. And most certainly he will come to the conclusion that he wants to go out a winner. But the question is, at what cost?

Brand will make $16.5 million with the Clippers should he decide not to opt out at the end of the season. It is very hard to believe that there is a team that will pay him that kind of money given the severity and length of his Achilles injury. Sure, if a team could be assured that Brand would return to his typical All-star status, than he would be worth every penny of $16 or $17 million. But there is a very good chance he will regress a little bit with the injury, and let's face it, he's no spring chicken.

So how much less than $16.5M do you think Brand is willing to take in order to join a winning team? Could he go as low as $13M? But even that would be a stretch given the nature of the NBA salary cap and Brand's health, yet it is still a possibility. The question is, is there a team that is already a contender that would have that kind of cap space? The only team out there that comes to mind is the Miami Heat. They are horrible this season, but if Brand believes that he can ignite Dwyane Wade's fire, than perhaps he'd be willing to go play with him in South Beach. Of course, that would mean that the Heat would have to get rid of someone on that roster to afford, and the only players of notable salaries are Ricky Davis and Shawn Marion. And Marion is the more likely of the two to leave since he has an opt-out clause this summer as well.

In all reality though, Miami is not a clear-cut option when it comes to assuring himself of being a part of a winning squad. Yet Brand will still have to take a pay cut of at least a few million or more to join that squad in all likelihood.

However, there are plenty of contenders that would take Brand on for the mid-level exception. But that is only $5 million, and it would be an unlikely contract for Brand to take given his age. Yet he could play for an assortment of teams at the price. Houston could use him, or the Hornets, Pistons, Cavaliers, or Nuggets.

But that's an $11.5 million pay cut. And as sure as Brand is a good player, there's no way on Earth he's taking that kind of a drop in salary without being forced to.