I had heard something about a ‘guarantee’ but I didn’t know how it would work, and these gimmicks are usually pretty dicey. But as a tool for re-assuring fans looking at potential free agents like Brand and Maggette and Livingston, it’s a nice idea. It aligns everyone’s incentives very nicely – the more season tickets they sell under this ‘guarantee’ the more motivated the Clippers are to make every effort to improve this summer.

Of course, they’re not guaranteeing satisfaction with next season – just with this summer. But it’s something.

a few years back when EB, Maggette, Odom and Andre Miller all were restricted FA’s, so it’s not unprecedented. It is a nice idea though, and sort of gives the STH’s a little sense of “insurance” if things go bad this summer.