Elton Brand is officially an unrestricted free agent.

"We're opting out," Brand said. "It definitely doesn't mean I'm leaving the Clippers. We're trying to work it out. My intention is to stay."

According to a report on ESPN.com, Brand, who gave up the $16.4 million on the last year of his contract, hopes to remain with the Clippers.

He joins teammate Corey Maggette, who filed his paperwork earlier in the day, in free agency.

Brand's agent, David Falk, said the forward wants to see the Clippers sign a quality free agent and try to assemble a winning team in Los Angeles.

"It preserves options to make the team better," Falk said. "Clearly, if Elton decided he wanted to simply max out the dollars, he would have stayed in the deal, had a monster year and a lot more teams will have cap room next year."

The Los Angeles Clippers today extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Nick Fazekas and Marcus Williams, announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor.

In accordance with the league?s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.

In 26 games played for the Clippers and Mavericks last season, Fazekas averaged 4.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 10.3 minutes per game.  Fazekas, the 34th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Mavericks, was originally signed to two consecutive 10-day contracts by Los Angeles beginning on February 27th.  He was signed by the Clippers for the remainder of the season on March 18th.

Williams, a 6?7? forward out of Arizona, averaged 0.9 points in 11 games and played for Los Angeles and San Antonio during the 2007-08 campaign.  Williams was signed by the Clippers for the remainder of the season on March 28th.

The Sixers are still hoping to lure Elton Brand away from the Clippers once free agency officially begins in the early morning hours on Tuesday, according to The Philadelphia Daily News.

"I'm getting older - I don't know about 12:01 in the morning," Sixers President/General Manager Eddie Stefanski said.

Stefanski is waiting to see whether or not Brand exercises his $16.44 million option with the Clippers. Josh Smith and Andris Biedrins, also restricted free agents, would fit the Sixers needs, as well.

The Magic could make a move for Corey Maggette within the next few weeks in an effort to bring him back to where he begin his career, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

He has until Monday night to opt out of his contract with the Clippers and has reportedly been telling friends that he wants Orlando to make a competitive offer for his services.

"I think he'd come back in a heartbeat," said a friend of Maggette. "It's something he'd love to see happen."

The Magic only have the mid-level exception ($5.8 million) to offer, but they could assemble a deal worth roughly $40 million over five years.

Clippers' forward Corey Maggette is expected to opt out of his contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent, the L.A. Times are reporting.

All-Star forward Elton Brand can also become a free agent, but coming off a serious knee injury and with few teams having cap space, he is not expected to forfeit the $16.4 million he is due in the final season of his contract.  Brand and agent David Falk said they'd release Brand's decision today.

If both players opt out, the Clippers are hoping to be able to retain both.  If not, they'll become players in the free agent market, where they could make a run at the Wizards' Antawn Jamison.

With Shaun Livingston not being tendered a qualifying offer, the Clippers are hoping they can still re-sign the talented but oft-injured guard to a cheap contract.  If they cannot, a trade with Chicago featuring Kirk Hinrich may be a possibility.

Clippers' guard Shaun Livingston is set to become an unrestricted free agent with the Clippers declining to tender him a qualifying offer, the New York Daily News is reporting.

Livingston is still rehabilitating from a devastating knee injury and may be too much of a medical risk for a team that is hoping to add a starting-caliber point guard.

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the draft rights to guard Mike Taylor from the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for a second round selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Taylor, who averaged 14.5 points in 39 games for the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League in 2007-08, was selected by the Trailblazers with the 55th selection of the 2008 NBA Draft.

Taylor, 22, enjoyed a successful 2006-07 season at Iowa State where he led the Cyclones in scoring (16.0 ppg), assists (4.5 rpg), and steals (1.1 spg) en route to earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press and league coaches.

The Chicago, Ill. native joined the Stampede last season in December and added offense and energy off the bench as the sixth man. He scored 20 or more points 11 times and registered a career-high 32 points against Tulsa.  Taylor becomes the first player in draft history to be selected directly from the NBA Development League.

Provided the Wolves take O.J. Mayo at No. 3, the Sonics and Clippers will swap picks, and Los Angeles will also send a protected pick in 2009.

If Mayo isn't drafted at 3, the deal is off according to two sources close to the information.

The Sonics would take Brook Lopez or Jerryd Bayless at No. 7.

Follow-up: ESPN is now reporting that Seattle is asking too much for the pick and that those talks are currently shelved.

Miami is reportedly considering sending the No. 2 pick and Shawn Marion to the Los Angeles Clippers for No. 7 and Elton Brand.

The Heat already has received overtures from the Raptors, Pacers, Clippers, and several other teams regarding Shawn Marion, according to a source.

Marion is seeking the type of lucrative extension Heat President Pat Riley appears reluctant to consider.

Marion became eligible to be traded only after he allowed Tuesday's 6 p.m. opt-out deadline to pass.