Baron Davis will not, in all likelihood, be taking his hometown team to the playoffs anytime soon.  It was assumed he was signing with the Clippers with the tacit assumption that Elton Brand would be there too.  Together they were supposed to form a new L.A. inside-outside power duo.  Instead, whether it was the lure of the East, a rising team, the money, or his agent David Falk, Brand has signed with Philadelphia for a 5-year $82 million contract.

For this the presumed Brand-Davis plan to even work, the Clippers had to renounce the rights to Corey Maggette.  Now hetoo will be leaving heading to the Beard's old team up north after signing with the Warriors.  It was assumed all along that Maggette would be leaving, but Brand too? The Clippers got Boozered by Brand and his agent Falk.  Carlos Boozer of course was famously let out of his contract by the Cavaliers under the assumption that the two would agree immediately on a reasonable team-friendly deal.  Instead he jumped ship for a bigger deal with Utah.  Boozered.  The same thing happened to the Clippers this time around.

It's tough to pity a man getting paid $65 million and calls Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba close personal friends, but Davis is the big loser here along with the Clippers of course.  His new team is now just another after-thought in the West, and I would bet on them staying home for the playoffs for the forseeable future.  It seems fitting in a way that even though owner Donald Sterling has started to spend money, that the franchise still can't win.