So who will it be – which big will the Clippers trade for a swingman? The consensus choice is to move Kaman. Kaman and Randolph don’t really complement each other (at least on paper), whereas Camby and Randolph seem like they can balance each other fairly well. So where will Kaman go?

Here’s a list of potential trade partners:

• Charlotte seems like a perfect match. Gerald Wallace is a top-notch SF, Kaman is a top-notch PF/C. Neither is a superstar, but both could be in the right situation. This move likely makes both teams a little better. Still, you have to wonder why this deal hasn’t happened already. Perhaps Charlotte isn’t quite ready to part with Gerald Wallace…or perhaps there are some pieces involved that can’t be traded until the 15th of December.

• Chicago is intriguing. The Bulls need a scoring big (Tyrus Thomas is still very raw and Noah isn’t capable of becoming a scoring threat), and they have exactly what the Clippers need in Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon. Gordon has made no secret of his desire to leave Chicago, and Nocioni is a luxury Chicago likely can’t afford (not with Deng’s humongous contract). Still, the chances of this deal being made during the season are slim. Gordon loses his Bird rights if he’s traded, and considering just how much he thinks he’s worth, that’s not going to happen (Gordon can veto an in-season trade). If this deal did go down next year, both teams would be much better.

• What about the Wizards? The Wizards look like a team blowing apart. Losses are stacking up, Gilbert Arenas is talking about the positives of ending up in the lottery, and the Eastern Conference isn’t getting any softer. The Wizards haven’t been very competitive playing three perimeter all-stars in the playoffs, so maybe they should shake things up and swap Caron Butler for Kaman. Losing “tough juice” would be hard for the fans in Washington, but playing an inside-out game with Agent Zero and Kaman (with Tawn’ around to knock down open jumpers and create mismatches) would be much more traditional. It would be a bold move for the Wizards (Butler might just be the glue that holds the team together), but what they’ve been doing isn’t working. LA ends up with the best prize in this deal – a tough defender and able scorer that knows how to work with an egomaniac.

Of course, the Clippers could move Camby. His deal wouldn’t bring them as much in the way of superstar talent, but he would definitely help fill-in some of the team’s gaps. Perhaps the critics (me included) will see that Kaman and Randolph can play together. Perhaps that’s what the Clippers are hoping for too.

No matter what happens, Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby are leaving Clipperland within the next year – likely before the trade deadline.

But what the HELL is he thinking? Here’s what I’m talking about – Cassell, eager to be bought out, has refused to walk away from the money remaining on his contact. “I’m not doing it…I know for a fact I’ve done tremendous things for this organization. I’ve helped this organization have respectability in the city of L.A.” (source LA Times)

Let me see if I understand what you’re saying Sam…

• You WANT to leave the Clippers so you can play on a team that has a chance to win it all, but you expect the Clippers to pay you money to do so?
• You believe that because you made the Clippers respectable, you deserve to be paid money you’re not actually going to earn?
• Incidentally, when you were making the Clippers respectable, what exactly were you being paid for at that time? Was the first year of your contract payment for something you’d done previously as well?
• You expect to walk away from the Clippers with a big check in your pocket, yet finish the season somewhere else?
• What’s in it for the Clippers?

What is in this for the Clippers – what do they get for giving Sam his walking papers? Some people say that the Clippers should let Sam leave because it’s the right thing to do…Sam is getting older, and he doesn’t have many more chances to win it all. I agree. Some say the Clippers should let Sam leave simply to prove that they’re a player-oriented organization…good P.R., might help them recruit a free agent, etc. I agree with that point too. Sam should be allowed to leave.

But why should Same take money he didn’t earn with him? He wants to leave, and the Clippers have agreed to let him out of the remainder of his contract. But why should the Clippers also pay him to do so?

Of course, the businessman in me recognizes that if Sam stays, he’s going to get the rest of his money…if the Clippers can pay him less than they were going to anyways, it’s a win. Unfortunately, it sounds like Clippers owner Donald Sterling doesn’t agree with me. I understand his frustration. Listening to Sam brag about all he’s done for your team and then expecting a big severance would be infuriating.

I think Sam should accept the facts – he’s leaving the Clippers in the lurch, with only Brevin Knight to run the point. He’s running out on the sinking ship. Granted, he’s got some good reasons to leave, but where does he get off expecting payment to do so?