What a way to start the NBA free agency period.  Baron Davis unexpectedly opted out of his contract and quickly signed with the Clippers.  Elton Brand also surprised some by opting out, and now is mulling over whether to rejoin the Clips with Davis or travel up north to Golden State.  The offer from the Warriors is actually bigger than the Clippers one for Brand, but his original intention was to give L.A. more flexibility under the cap to go after another star player.  GM Elgin Baylor has done thatby bringing Davis on board, so it remains to be seen whether that along with living the L.A. lifestyle (Brand is deeply involved in the film industry) is enough to keep the big man at home.  A hypothetical lineup of Davis, rookie Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Brand, and Chris Kaman has to be considered a legitimate playoff threat even in the ridiculously deep West.  One or two veteran signings to augment the bench is still needed, but the “other” team in Staples could now grab some of the limelight.

The beard and accompanying bullet fedora are coming home to Los Angeles.

Brand and Davis are probably the biggest names on the market, but a flurry of other moves is expected soon which will have wide-ranging ramifications for next season.  If you don’t believe me, just ask James Posey and the Boston Celtics.

• Antawn Jamison elected not to test free agency, and resigned with the Wizards for four years and $50 million.  His running mate Gilbert Arenas opted out of his deal, and is now mulling over maximum offers from Washington and his former team, Golden State.  Arenas has Davis to thank for his likely hefty salary.  Before the bearded one opted out from the Warriors, the Wizards were essentially bidding against themselves.  Now with the west coast team in pursuit, Washington was forced to up the ante.  I would expect Arenas to resign with the Wizards in the end because his deal there will be one year longer and one year richer.

• So Arenas will get his, but the deal could cripple the Wizards.  The team is just good enough in the East, but not quite championship caliber.  With Jamison and Arenas locked in to large contracts for the foreseeable future, fans in the nation’s capital can expect a lot of playoff berths and early-exits.  Unless the team finds some quality big men, they aren’t going anywhere.

• Corey Maggette also exercised his early termination option, and won’t be joining the (possible) Brand-Davis party in Clipperland.  He reportedly wanted to return to Orlando, but is now rumored to be going to San Antonio.  Maggette would fill a huge void there by providing some much needed scoring and athleticism on the wing.  His weak defensive skills would also be masked by Gregg Poppovich’s terrific schemes.  This seems like a very good fit.

• Both of Atlanta’s restricted free agents, forwards Josh Smith and Josh Childress, are being wooed by Philadelphia.  If the Hawks want to continue their rebuilding project they must resign both players.  The flip side is that even if they keep their entire young core together, they are still not quite championship caliber which leaves the team with a dilemma.  Do they let either player walk or keep looking to build towards the future?  Smith is more important so if it comes down to it I would match any contract offer but he also carries a bigger bust risk

•The biggest long-term impact is Chris Paul re-upping with the Hornets.  He may have single-handedly saved that franchise, and will continue to be the face of the team for years to come.