Simmons to Leave L.A. for Big Bucks

The Clippers, who seemed to have been on the right track toward ending a long playoff drought next season, were knocked off course Friday when the most prominent of their free agents decided he’d rather make his playoff push with Michael Redd, No. 1 draft pick Andrew Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bobby Simmons, who made $825,000 last season while tripling his career scoring average and earning an NBA award as the league’s most improved player, accepted a five-year, $47-million offer from the Bucks, his agent said.

No deals can be signed until July 22, but Simmons, 25, will average $9.4 million a year in salary over the next five years, agent Mark Bartelstein said.

The bidding apparently was too rich for the Clippers, who declined to comment in keeping with their policy of not speaking about the free-agency process.

They are expected to intensify their efforts to sign Cuttino Mobley, the most coveted of the unrestricted free-agent shooting guards still available after Larry Hughes reportedly agreed Friday to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In their grand plan, the Clippers would have retained Simmons and added a veteran shooting guard this summer, a best-case scenario that probably would have returned Simmons to the role he was expected to fill last season: sixth man.

No way were the Clippers going to pay $47 million for a sixth man. Elton Brand will make $13.1 million next season, and Corey Maggette will make $7 million.

And so Simmons, who averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in his breakout season after inheriting a place in the lineup that was not earmarked for him until injuries sidelined Kerry Kittles, bolted for the Bucks.

And the bucks.

“Obviously, it was a terrific offer financially,” Bartelstein said before listing other factors that weighed in the decision. “Being close to home; he’s from Chicago. Obviously, they have a chance to be a really good team with Bogut.

“But it was a tough decision. I mean, the Clippers have been unbelievable to Bobby. They gave him an opportunity in this league.”

Simmons, a 6-foot-6 small forward who was a second-round pick of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2001, has made a remarkable leap. He was traded by the SuperSonics, waived by the Detroit Pistons, traded and waived by the Washington Wizards and spent time in the National Basketball Development League before the Clippers signed him two years ago to a two-year, $1.575-million contract.

He had been recommended by former Wizard coach Doug Collins, and Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy immediately liked him. Simmons, who averaged 3.6 points in his first two NBA seasons, averaged 7.8 in his first with the Clippers before taking off last season, when he made a career-high 46.6% of his shots.

“Mike Dunleavy just did a great job bringing him along,” Bartelstein said. “There was certainly a great sense of gratitude to Mike and Elgin [Baylor] and what all the guys there have done. You know, it was a tough call. There were a lot of teams pursuing Bobby and he had to make a decision.”

“You can only pick one team.”

That the Bucks were that team was a surprise. Bartelstein said the Bucks first approached him about Simmons as a possible replacement for Redd, who met with the Cavaliers this week before agreeing to stay with the Bucks.