Maggette knows his career with the Clippers is over unless Brand stuns the league and goes to Golden State. The high-scoring swingman has no shortage of suitors offering him a multi-year deal starting at the midlevel exception, which is expected to approach $6 million for next season, but Maggette hasn't abandoned hope that a team with salary-cap space (Philadelphia or Golden State) will come after him.
The obstacles?
No. 1: Maggette and Sixers restricted free agent Andre Iguodala share the same representative, which could make negotiating deals for two players who play essentially the same position with one team rather complicated for agent Rob Pelinka.
No. 2: There's a strong sense that the Warriors would prefer to chase restricted free agents Josh Smith (Atlanta) and Luol Deng (Chicago) with the money they threw at Brand, although Maggette's status as an unrestricted free agent -- who thus doesn't have to sign an offer sheet that could tie up a team's money for seven days -- makes him easier to pursue.
It's believed that Maggette, without an offer from a team with cap room, favors San Antonio if he has to sign a contract starting at the midlevel. But he has also drawn similar interest from a variety of enticing contenders -- Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, New Orleans and Utah are the known suitors -- and the Lakers would be a dangerous suitor if they wanted to get involved given Maggette's close relationship with Kobe Bryant. The Lakers, though, would have to abandon any interest in resigning Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf to sign Maggette, and the team still favors retaining those two key reserves.
Looks like Maggette's days in Los Angeles are looking numbered. San Antonio is still being written as the favorite, but most Spurs' fans know that with their free agent history, that probably isn't a good sign.
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