I'm on a 15 minute break from a class... so don't expect spell checking...
Seems like in comments that some people wanted a pick coming back in this deal. That would have been unrealistic. Clippers wanted to be rid of these contracts - I'm happy they didn't have to include outgoing picks frankly. Shedding the salary is the end - the team didn't want or need anything else.
Having said that, I'm not surprised GMMDsr pulled it off. These are not terrible players, nor are they grossly overpaid. They have some value to other teams. But the real value to the Clippers is the cap space, and the other teams involved certainly knew that.
When I first read that Brian Skinner was involved, my thought was that two of the wackiest hair configurations in the league were traded for each other. If as is being reported Skinner is not involved, then they are now teammates. Unfortunately, Gooden cleaned up his bizarre hair do recently. Maybe he'll grow it back for us.
The immediate irony, which apparently Chad Ford tweeted as well, is that Cleveland just participated in the trade that the Clippers believe puts them in the running to sign LeBron James. Of course, you can turn that over as well - the Clippers just participated in the trade that makes Cleveland a more attractive long term home for LBJ, since Jamison makes the team better. It's hard to unwind all of the possibilities there - does a ring this year for LBJ make it more or less likely that he moves on? Of course, it remains a long shot that he plays anywhere other than Ohio next season.
The Clippers now have a roster spot (or two if they waive Gooden, or three if Skinner is in the deal) to play with. They also have trade exceptions to work with. This puts them in position to help other teams get under the luxury tax, as they did last year with Alex Acker, Cheikh Samb and Hassan Adams. In other words, I expect them to bring in some young players for free looks down the stretch. It could be D-Leaguers as well.