This is the fifth year of six-year contracts for Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Each has a player option and could opt out of his contract after this season.

By league rules, the Clippers have the right to offer both Maggette and Brand a contract more lucrative than any other NBA team.

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forwards Kimani Ffriend, Yaroslav Korolev and guard Guillermo Diaz. The Clippers' roster now stands at 15 players.

Signed by the Clippers on Oct. 1, Ffriend appeared in one preseason game, scoring four points in 11 minutes. Diaz averaged 5.7 points and 1.7 assists in seven preseason contests, while Korolev appeared in six preseason games, averaging 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist.

Los Angeles Clippers' forward Elton Brand had his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon re-examined on Tuesday by Dr. Craig Morgan at Christiana Care?s Wilmington Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. During the examination Brand was advised by Dr. Morgan that he no longer needed to remain in the walking boot he has worn since September 18th.

Brand has been cleared to take part in advanced cardiovascular work which includes elliptical and treadmill cardiovascular conditioning in addition to aqua-therapy.  Brand will also continue his upper body strength program and localized rehabilitation of the injury.  He will be re-evaluated by Dr. Morgan in six weeks to determine further progress and treatment protocols.

Brand originally sustained the injury during his daily workout on Friday, August 3rd at the Spectrum Club South Bay in El Segundo, California.  Dr. Morgan performed the surgery to repair the injury on Tuesday, August 7th.

Rookie Al Thornton scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and Corey Maggette had 22, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112-96 victory over the Lakers on Sunday night.

Jordan Farmar had 19 points, five assists and six rebounds for the Lakers, who got 16 points from Andrew Bynum. Kobe Bryant, Bynum's most vocal critic last season, played 17 minutes and had 10 points while hitting 1 of 4 shots.

Clippers' center Chris Kaman picked up his fifth foul with 5:23 left in the third quarter and his team ahead 77-68, but the Lakers couldn't capitalize. They got as close as seven points on Maurice Evans' dunk with 4:08 left in the third, but the Clippers broke it open in the fourth with the help of Thornton, Cuttino Mobley and backup point guard Dan Dickau.

Big questions await the Clippers heading into the season. Potentially bigger ones loom at its conclusion.

Elton Brand and Corey Maggette can opt out of their contracts, while several others, including Sam Cassell and Quinton Ross, are playing in the last year of their contracts.

The situation is similar to four summers ago when six Clippers were free agents, including Brand, Maggette, Lamar Odom and Andre Miller.

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Marcus Douthit.

Douthit did not play in the Clippers first two preseason games.  The Clippers roster currently stands at 18 players.

One of the most intriguing battles is at backup point guard, which may turn into an integral spot if starter Sam Cassell sustains lingering injuries as he did last season.

When the Clippers signed free agent Brevin Knight, it was assumed he would take on the primary back-up role as Shaun Livingston rehabilitates from a serious knee injury.

But toward the beginning of training camp, the Clippers added Dan Dickau, another veteran point guard who was waived by the New York Knicks.

Both have impressed head coach Mike Dunleavy.

"The bottom line is what I'm looking for is that they can both play and so far, they haven't hurt that thought at all," Dunleavy said.

Clippers' guard Sam Cassell wants to be paired again with Nuggets' coach George Karl.

Cassell, in the final year of his contract, said he wants to sign with the Nuggets in the offseason as a free agent and play one more season. He wants to learn the coaching ropes from Karl, his former coach in Milwaukee.

"We always talk about that," Cassell said. "(Karl) knows I'm serious about wanting to coach."

Karl, who courted Cassell in 2006 before he re-signed with the Clippers, is open to Cassell, 37, playing a final season in Denver while preparing to coach.

"Sam's what we've always talked about, so I think it is a possibility," Karl said. "Sam, I think, will make a good coach, but there will have to be a transition period."

Trade rumors have followed Corey Maggette the last few years and probably will continue as he can opt out of his contract at the end of the season. But he said his focus is only on the court.

"The rumors have been happening for the last two or three years," he said. "At the end of the day, I look at it like this: If it is going to happen, it's going to happen. At the end of the day, it's out of my control."

t has been more than seven months since Shaun Livingston severely damaged almost every part of his left knee in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Since, he has made steady progress and started wearing a knee brace while performing some light drills last week. But it is still too early to determine when Livingston will return to the court.

"Right now, everything is one day at a time," he said. "All that stuff is coming along. But it's not like I can wake up the next morning and start running."