Et tu, J-Smoove?

The Clippers started rocking the boat on Tuesday by trading for Marcus Camby but what began as ripples on the west coast grew into tidal waves on the east. The Clippers may have changed the futures of a handful of players and franchises by snatching up Camby for a second round pick, an IOU for a massage, and a dirty sock.

Personally, considering the leverage the Clippers had as the only team possessing and willing to use considerable cap room, I think L.A. should’ve done more to try to screw over opposing teams. Maybe I’m living in a dream world or maybe I’m underestimating how important it is to maintain positive relationships with other general managers, but if I’m Elgin Baylor I try to drive up the price of every restricted free agent out there. Just a thought.

The Clips may have actually ended up doing the opposite: in taking on Camby’s contract and getting rid of most of their cap room, the Nuggets have put a lot of pressure on the remaining big-name restricted free agents. As far as contracts go (and my minimal understanding of them), deciding whether to extend as a restricted free agent or take the qualifying offer for a chance at more green may be one of the hardest decisions a player ever has to make. Do you go with the security of an extension even though it may be for less than you think your worth? Or do you go all-in, in effect, and play the unrestricted FA game? Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Emeka Okafor, and Andre Iguodala all turned down a good chunk of change last summer in the hopes that they would improve their stock, and it may have just backfired a bit.

Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors – The Clippers were never considered major players in the getting either free agent, but you’d have to think it could alter the negotiations a bit simply because of the lack of options. Although I have to say, it would have just been cruel for the Clips to try to sign one of them at this point.

Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls – This is where the impact starts to pick up. Few mentioned Deng and Gordon in relation to the Clippers, but having a team with all that available cap room would be a serious bargaining chip for both players. Would the Clippers sign either team for big money? I wouldn’t think so, but stranger things have certainly happened. Regardless, the threat is most certainly there and if Gordon isn’t traded before the season starts, you can write him in as a prime candidate to take the qualifying offer and bolt. Deng’s future with the Bulls seems slightly more secure; he’s clearly valued by the organization more than Gordon is. But Deng turned down an offer that was nearly identical to Gordon’s last offseason and the question of whether Chicago is willing to pay even bigger to keep him remains.

Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks – Josh Smith was considered by most to be the cream of the free agent crop this off-season. First he was going to the Clippers, then the Sixers, then maybe even the Warriors, then back to the Clippers…but now the most likely scenario is that he will stay in Atlanta. SI reported that Smith doesn’t want to stay in Atlanta if Mike Woodson is still the head coach but is he willing to risk his financial future on it? Then again, it’s not really his choice, seeing that the Hawks will almost certainly match any offer thrown their way. The only teams capable of stealing Smith out of Atlanta were the Clippers and the Grizzlies, and the list of teams willing or able to accomplish that feat now features two less teams. The Grizzlies are biding their time and will wait until a truly appetizing free agent option comes along. The Clippers now find themselves out of running for salary reasons. Smith is among those missing out the most in the wake of the Camby trade, because not only will he have to stomach a coach he reportedly despises for another season, but he also has to wait another year before he gets the long-term financial security all players want.

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats – For a second there, it really looked like Okafor was going to be a Clipper. If the Clippers threw enough money his way, they could there was a decent chance that the ‘Cats and Okafor would have parted ways, and the Clippers would have established their frontcourt. It seemed only a matter of time before Emeka was in blue and red.

Then came the trade and there went the chances of Okafor living it up in L.A. next season. The Bobcats front office should be breathing a sigh of relief; Okafor may forever live in Dwight Howard’s shadow but he’s a good big man, and should be for a long time. While Okafor still has yet to re-up with Charlotte, there aren’t many viable alternatives, and he seems reasonable enough to not settle for a bargain bin QO and the crapshoot of free agency.

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers – There were a lot of calls for the Clippers to rip out the heart of the Sixers as a vendetta for Brand’s treason. That’d teach that bastard for taking top dollar to leave the West and play for a contender! Iguodala, who happens to think he is the best player on the planet, rejected the Sixers offer of an extension in hopes that he could get more this off-season. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen, but with no competition and the addition of Brand, the Sixers remain the favorite to re-sign Iggy…possibly at the same price. Sure, they want to keep him happy, but wouldn’t the 76ers be fools to over-commit to Mr. 1B himself when they don’t have to? One of the worst things a GM can do is bid against themselves, and provided Ed Stefanski can accomplish that much, this offseason would be a resounding success for Philly.