The Clippers notified Elton Brand's agent Thursday that they intended to retain the power forward's services by matching the six-year, $82.2-million offer sheet he signed with the Miami Heat.
"We told them that before they got an offer sheet," Clipper Executive Vice President Andy Roeser said. "That won't be a surprise when it happens.
"We've said all along that we intend to match the offer on Elton and we shared that with them again today."
The Clippers have 15 days from Wednesday, the day Brand signed the Heat's offer, to meet the terms. Brand, who averaged 19.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the first four years of his career, is a restricted free agent this summer.
"If they match, I'm going to be excited ... either way," Brand said by telephone from Chicago, where he is working out in the off-season. "I'll be ready to go in a new direction with the Clippers, start winning some games and get into the playoffs.
"If they're going to match, that's saying they're in the direction of trying to get players."
It will require an unprecedented financial expenditure from Clipper owner Donald Sterling just to keep some semblance of the 2002-03 roster intact. The Utah Jazz made a six-year, $42-million offer to guard Corey Maggette, and the Denver Nuggets made a six-year, $51-million offer to point guard Andre Miller.
The Clippers have indicated that they will match Utah's offer to Maggette but let Miller go.
The Clippers already lost center Michael Olowokandi, an unrestricted free agent who agreed to a three-year, $16.2-million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Olowokandi's agent, Bill Duffy, tried to broker sign-and-trade deals with Minnesota and Memphis that would get more money for Olowokandi and not leave the Clippers empty-handed, but nothing worked out for all parties.
New Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy called Brand on Thursday and repeated the team's interest in retaining him.
"I told him it's all my fault," Dunleavy joked. "I said, 'I signed on to coach you, that's the way it's going to be.'
"I think it's the start of a good thing. Elton's a good guy, he's going to work hard, it's going to be a good fit."
Even if the Clippers retain Brand, Maggette and Lamar Odom -- a restricted free agent who has not made much noise in the marketplace so far this summer -- they will need to replace their starting center and point guard from last season.
