• Our friends at ClipsNation.com are having a big sponsored game night Saturday, April 10th against the Warriors. After reading Steve’s teaser, it’s hard not to get excited. All the information about the event can be found here. I’ll definitely be there – should be a very fun evening.

• Lisa Dillman at the Times introduces you to new new General Manager, Neil Olshey.

• Since Mike Dunleavy stepped down as coach and Marcus Camby was shipped to Portland, the Clippers have had only two games where they’ve posted a defensive efficiency number under 100. Even worse, both were against bottom dweller Sacramento. Remove the head, and the body will still flail around a bit. Remove the head and the body, and what are you left with?

• Adrian Wojnarowski of Y! Sports talks about Donald Sterling: “Donald Sterling has always talked a big game, but he’s never gone after a star GM in his prime. Dunleavy leaves the franchise set up in some good ways, but Sterling doesn’t understand that winning in the NBA doesn’t come from empty words in absurdly worded press-release firings, doesn’t come with throwing red meat to a fan base that wanted the old GM embarrassed and fired on the spot.”

• Bill Plaschke, doing some true California dreamin’: “Now introducing, Clippers forward LeBron James and two of his high school chums as general manager and coach. Crazy, too, but that’s the thing about what happened Tuesday. The Clippers didn’t lose a general manager, they gained a world of possibilities.”

Marcus Camby on his new situation: “Anytime you get traded it’s always an awkward situation, especially when you’ve been in a place for a couple of years, you’re used to your surroundings, you know, you enjoy the situation that you’re in. But then to find out you’re traded and you have to move on to new surroundings, it’s always difficult. But once you sit back and digest the situation and take a moment to yourself to analyze how things are – where you’re at and where you’re going – it’s a no-brainer. The Clippers are going in opposite direction than what I would have liked in my career. Coming to Portland and being surrounded by the great players that we have – Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge – it was a no-brainer. I definitely welcome the situation to be in playoff contention again, and I definitely can’t wait to get started.”

Mike Dunleavy speaks about the possible return of Marcus Camby: “We love Marcus as a player. Everything about his game and what he does for this team. Like I said, we’ll see how things go forward. Marcus is a free agent. We have a lot of cap space this summer — and you never know how things work out.

Chris Kaman riffs on roster turnover: “That’s why I trust, I have to trust, that the decisions they make are the right ones for the team long term. Obviously we didn’t perform the way we were capable of this season. I’m not saying that it’s over but it’s going to be tough to come back and win games when everybody is on different pages and new players are shuffling in and out of the locker room and in the lineups…and Kim is having to deal with all that. It’s just tough.

Kim Hughes gives some insights on Chris Kaman emotions in his first pre-game interview: ” I’ve talked to Chris, and let me preface this by saying Chris is retarded. …He’s really not. He’s emotionally handicapped, actually. Chris is a wonderful, caring person.”

Byron Scott on the Clippers job: “Man I will tell you what… You have seen me there every day. I am at the gym and having a great time. It is the first time since I have been playing or coaching that I have had this type of time where I can enjoy my family, my wife she goes to the gym everyday as well, and kind of just relax. To be honest with you for the past two months I really haven’t been thinking about coaching or anything like that until the last couple of weeks. You get that itch, especially when it gets close to playoff time. I am just going to kind of sit back until April or May and survey what is going on out there because there is obviously three jobs available right now. One I already had obviously in New Orleans and you have got Jersey and you have got the Clippers… There is going to be three or four more when the season is over that is going to be available as well. So I am just going to kind of sit back and take a look at the teams, do a couple of interviews and just kind of pick the team that is the best fit for me. I do think the Clipper job is a pretty good job for me. They have got some young talent. Obviously they are going to have a lot of cap room and another lottery pick coming in. So I think it is a pretty good job. I am just going to sit around and just kind of evaluate everything that is going on and try to make a decision I think that will be best for my family.”

Arnovitz and Abbott discuss the deal on TrueHoop: Arnovitz: “In that spirit, I’d tell disappointed Clippers fans something else: They’re going to see a lot more of DeAndre Jordan, and I think that’s a good thing. Jordan will take his lumps and occasionally embarrass himself, but his development is vital for the team’s future. The void left by Camby will potentially give Jordan an intensive two-month boot camp as a rotation NBA center. They’ll also see a bit more of the irrepressible Craig Smith, who can score 1-on-1 from the block in bunches.”

Dave from BlazersEdge explains what Camby brings to the table: “Camby will help cement the Blazers into a lower playoff seed, a crucial achievement for this young team.  Outlaw and Blake would not have done that.  It’s a no-brainer in that sense.”

ESPN’s John Hollinger likes the trade for the Clippers (Insider): “…(The Clippers) don’t come away from this without assets. Steve Blake is a free agent and presumably won’t be back, but having Travis Outlaw’s Bird rights is a worthwhile asset. There is going to be demand for him on the free-agent market and the Clips, at the very least, can include him in a sign-and-trade deal and get something back in return. He might stick around too. Outlaw wants to go somewhere he can get minutes and shots — i.e., not Portland — and L.A. seems as good a place as any right now.

Advanced statistical expert Wayne Winston gives TrueHoop his impressions: “Winston has his own measure of how a player’s performance affects wins — it rewards, for instance, crunch time performance. He calls it Impact. ‘In Impact rating Blake has been great: ninth in League. Camby is 80th. Past two years Blake averaged +3 adjusted plus/minus and Camby +2. Outlaw averaged -1 adjusted plus/minus last two years. I like this trade for both teams because Blake knows how to win games (good impact) and the Clippers need that.’ ”

Kelly Dwyer over at Ball Don’t Lie: “It’s a lazy trade. The trade deadline isn’t until Thursday, and the going rate for a 7-footer who can dominate on one end and hold his own on the other (to say nothing of his rather helpful expiring contract) should be through the roof. Camby should be amongst the most sought-after assets in this market, despite the paucity of buyers, and yet the Clippers are about to send him to Portland for something they’d already get even if Camby stuck around past the trade deadline – contracts that expire in June. And some cash.”

From Clippers.com:

The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired guard Steve Blake, forward Travis Outlaw and cash considerations from the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for Marcus Camby.

Blake, 29, is in his seventh NBA season and is averaging 7.6 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 51 games in 2009-10. In his career, the former University of Maryland star has appeared in 470 NBA games, making 289 starts with career averages of 7.6 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds. Originally drafted in the second round (38th overall pick) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, Blake is a career 39 percent three-point shooter and has played for a total of five teams, spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets as well as the Wizards and Trailblazers.

Outlaw, 25, was drafted by Portland with the 23rd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and has been limited to 11 games this season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot on Nov. 18, 2009. Currently fourth on the Blazers in scoring in 2009-10 averaging 9.9 points per game, the six-foot-nine forward has appeared in 377 career NBA games, starting 26 with career averages of 9.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists.

Camby leaves the Clippers in the midst of his second season with the club after coming to Los Angeles in a trade with Denver on July 15, 2008. A 13-year NBA veteran and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Camby has appeared and started in 51 games for L.A. this season, averaging 7.7 points and 12.1 rebounds – the second highest total in the league.

In a related roster move, the Clippers also waived combo guard Ricky Davis.

Davis, 30, in his 12th NBA season is averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 36 games in 2009-10.

The acquisition of Outlaw and Blake required the Clippers to waive one of their 16 players to get below the roster size limit of 15. Veteran swingman Ricky Davis was the odd man out, and will now look to catch on with a playoff contender down the stretch run.

The cash considerations in the trade are reported to be around 3 million dollars, but that has yet to be confirmed. We’ll have updates on that as soon as possible.

It’s not official yet, but let’s take a look at the trade as it stands now and break down the pros and cons of the deal.

Pros:

• Money. First and foremost, that’s what this trade is all about. We’re not sure how much the Clippers will receive in the deal, but that’s likely the prime motivator behind it.
• Player Development. DeAndre Jordan needs floor time and consistent minutes to grow, and he’ll get that with Marcus Camby’s 31 minutes per game going by the wayside. At the very least, DeAndre can further showcase his potential and increase his trade value around the league.
• Politics. When Sebastian Telfair eventually returns from injury, it would look peculiar if Bobby Brown were getting minutes over him. Steve Blake, while not a world-beater, is a serviceable point guard who has shown he’s deserving of NBA minutes. Essentially, Steve Blake allows Kim Hughes to sufficiently bury Sebastian Telfair. Remember, Telfair’s contract has a player option next year, meaning it’s up to him whether he stays or goes. Think he’ll be more inclined to leave if he doesn’t see any burn for the rest of the season?
• More Politics. Marcus Camby is apparently upset with the news, but that will likely change once he’s logging playoff minutes for the wonderful fans in Portland. Ultimately, it makes the Clippers look good as an organization because they’re letting a veteran chase a ring. I’m not saying Kevin Pritchard “owes” Dunleavy one after this, but it’s not a bad idea to get on the good side of one of the more active GM’s in the league.
• A Free Look. No one thinks Travis Outlaw is the long term answer at Small Forward, but if he impresses and the Clippers strike out in free agency, who knows what can happen? There was essentially no way that Marcus Camby was being retained this Summer, with that likely being a mutual decision between player and team. Could Outlaw or Blake come back next year? It’s not likely, but it’s not improbable either.
• Bird Rights. The Clippers can now go over the cap to retain Outlaw or Blake next season without being charged luxury tax. What are the chances a Donald Sterling owned team goes over the cap ever, especially in this economy? Pretty slim. If it does happen though, you could do worse than filling out your bench with Outlaw and/or Blake.  Although the Clippers had Bird Rights with Camby, the team likely would have renounced him (and the rights) so they could have the space cleared to make offers to other free agents.

Cons

• The Haul. Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake, and cash savings are probably not what Clippers’ fans had in mind for Marcus Camby. As one of the more attractive players and contracts on the trade market, you’d expect the return could have been more substantial. If there were no available trades for big pieces, it seems the Clippers could have at least picked up some draft picks in a deal, even though a first round pick does equal another guaranteed contract. Basically, this trade implies that cash has a higher value than draft picks, which may be tough for some to swallow.
• Chemistry. By all accounts, Marcus Camby was the “big brother” for a lot of these guys, and there have already been some reported grumblings in the locker room about Camby being moved. This season is shot, but finishing with some positive momentum may have helped aid the reloading process next year.
• On Court. It’s tough to tell the effect Outlaw and Blake will have, but one thing we do know for certain is that the Clippers were a much, much worse team with Marcus Camby off the floor. From strictly a basketball standpoint, the Clippers appeared to have downgraded quite a bit. In some ways, that could be listed as a pro…if you catch my drift.
• Timing. This deal, or one similar to it, would have likely been available for the Clippers come Wednesday. Why move before any of the other pieces had fallen? Was this rushed, or does Dunleavy have more moves in mind other than just this one?
• Lateral Movement. By not including Sebastian Telfair or Al Thornton in this deal the Clippers remain incapable of offering a max-contract this offseason. Their best shot at pawning off one of those undesirable contracts to get further under the cap? Marcus Camby.
• Market Value. We’ll see how the trade market plays out, but it certainly feels as if the demand for Camby should have been a bit higher. The Clippers acquired no future assets outside of cash in this deal, which isn’t exactly the ideal return for one of the league’s best rebounders and defenders.

There are still a lot of unknowns, but your initial opinion of this proposed trade likely hinges on something we’ll never know: Could the Clippers have received more for Marcus Camby?

From Ric Bucher’s Twitter:

“Source says Clippers have dealt Marcus Camby for Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake. Details and deeper confirmation to follow on the mothership.”

Here’s how the trade looks, assuming (most likely incorrectly) that there are no other moving parts involved. According to The Oregonion and Rotoworld.com, Outlaw is optimistically pegged to return to action (foot surgery) later this month. Outlaw averaged 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 21 minutes a game before falling to injury 11 games into the season. Journeyman Steve Blake has been one of the few Blazers to stay healthy for the full year and has averaged 7.6 points and 4 assists in 27 minutes a game. Both players are on contracts that expire this season.

UPDATE: This trade has not yet been made official. The inclusion of cash going to the Clippers has now been mentioned by various sources. The Clippers will retain the Bird Rights to both Outlaw and Blake once their contracts expire.

A few things to keep in mind:

• If the trade stands as currently constructed, the Clippers roster will be over the limit at 16 players, all of which are on guaranteed contracts. This could mean there is another trade in the works, or more realistically that someone will be bought out of their contract or waived.
• The Clippers did not hold the bird rights to Marcus Camby (Ed Note: Please see below). If this trade goes through, they will hold the Bird Rights for both Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake for next Summer.
• The details are still fuzzy, but the Clippers stand to make money off the trade even if cash is not directly included in the deal.

Check back for more details as they become available.

Ed Note: The Clippers actually do have the Bird Rights for Marcus Camby, but they would be unlikely to exercise them. Unless the Clippers renounced the the rights to Camby, they likely wouldn’t have the room to make a max offer. You can read more on Bird Rights here.