The Clippers are definitely hoping to make a big splash in both the free agent arena and the head coach arena, as they’ve proven themselves much more interested in notoriety publicity than actual franchise advancement.

With that in mind, here are some very early thoughts on possible candidates and their fit with the team.

Any Current NBA Assistant – No chance. For starters, it’s not a good job for an assistant looking to make the move to the end of the bench. They’ll forever have the stink of the Clippers on them and it could very well be their only head coaching job ever (see: Hughes, Kim). Add in the fact that Baron Davis doesn’t like taking direction from experienced head coaches not named Don Nelson and the fact that it wouldn’t be the headline-grabbing news the Clippers seek, and there is next to no chance this will happen, but I’ve learned to seldom say never. This is too bad because Dwayne Casey, currently an assistant for the Mavericks, is probably going to be the next guy to make the leap from assistant to head coach and would be a good fit for the Clippers.

Byron Scott - Again, no chance. He does have the requisite previous head coaching experience and the former Laker would be a big name in LA, but he and Baron Davis had a public feud that led to Davis being traded to the Warriors in 2005. While Baron has said he’s open to having Scott as his coach once again, I imagine that was just a good sound byte for the cameras and that he would privately voice his displeasure with such a move. Plus, Scott figures to be a key candidate for the Chicago Bulls job that is likely to be vacant very, very soon. The Bulls would be a much more attractive choice for Scott, as he could build around the supremely talented Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Jeff Van Gundy – While I do expect Van Gundy to get some consideration for head coaching jobs this summer, I think it would be a bad match for both parties were he to come to the Clippers. JVG prefers a slow-paced offense with half-court sets and aggressive defense. Half-court sets are to Baron Davis what non-Korean tenants are to Donald Sterling. Even though Baron inevitably prefers to dribble all the air out of the ball and then launch a pull-up three, he bristles at any sort of coaching in a half-court set. This would be a disaster and, frankly, JVG deserves better. If Doc Rivers leaves Boston, as has been rumored, JVG might not be such a bad fit there.

Larry Brown – While I don’t expect this to happen, I can’t decide if I’d like it to happen. I imagine Brown will either stay in Charlotte as head coach for another season or go to Philadelphia to take a front office role with the Sixers. The drawback to Brown would be that his transient nature would mean he’s likely a short-term option and that wouldn’t benefit the Clippers. The obcious plus to a Brown tenure in Clipperland would be the fact that he has the gravitas to command Baron to play good basketball (and not “Baronball”) and that he would attract key free agents (but not the big 3 discussed here yesterday). But Brown turns 70 before next season and unless he’s planning to coach for a year and then slide into a full-time front office role, he’s not the best fit for the Clippers.

Doug Collins – This could work out, but I have to wonder how much Collins would really want to return to the grind of coaching, managing egos and having the dysfunction that’s a Clipperland staple. Still, Collins is a big name who is still respected around the league (and rightly so), but I’d have to imagine his ideal gig is the one he has, announcer for TNT.

Mark Jackson - Full disclosure here: this is what I’m rooting for. Jackson, in my opinion, could be the absolute perfect fit for the Clippers, but he’d have to surround himself with a strong supporting cast. With no head coaching experience, a veteran-laden staff would be key, as would someone (anyone) in the front office who has experience negotiating with player agents, working the media and who can garner the respect of his peers around the league – i.e., NOT Neil Olshey. Jackson was a no-nonsense player (his catchphrase, “You’re better than that!” is currently used as the title of a good segment he does on ABC/ESPN and would get a lot of use as the Clippers’ coach) who would command respect from the players instantly. There would be no room for the lazy guard play that “Baronball” has become known for, nor would there be any allowance for a lack of hustle that seems to routinely take over the Clippers at least one quarter per game. Jackson lives in Los Angeles full-time and has been public about his desire to get a head coaching job. Here’s hoping the Clippers grant that wish.

With that in mind, here are a couple of trade ideas that could make the Clippers more competitive this year and more financially flexible in the future.

Clippers trade Chris Kaman and trade exception of Zach Randolph to Dallas Mavericks for Josh Howard and Tim Thomas.

Why it makes sense for the Clippers: The Clippers unload Chris Kaman and the three years remaining on his contract at the height of his productivity. Kaman has been among the main guys mentioned as an All-Star snub and he’s averaging 20 and 9 right now. They’re never going to get better value for him. The addition of Howard gives them a guy who can play multiple positions and who can run the floor in the Kim Hughes-inspired up-tempo offense I’m hoping for. Thomas gives them a big who can come off the bench and matches up well with most other bigs. The fact that they both have deals that are set to expire this summer is an added bonus, as they’ll be playing for big-money contracts this year. Or at least Howard will be, Thomas will just be playing for a contract.

Why it makes sense for the Mavericks: The Mavs have decided, for better or worse, that they’re going to be a team that prefers to play in half-court sets and they currently lack the big man with offensive game enough to let that style suit them. They’re not averse to spending money and have to feel like Jason Kidd’s window to be a championship-caliber point guard is getting smaller each year. They can make a serious run if they could add a big who’s able to score from outside the paint and one who can move the ball effectively.

Why it won’t happen: It may be too little to get in return for Kaman, who’s going to be a valuable chip until the deadline and then again this summer if he continues the season at his current pace. If they were to do this deal and saw the main benefit as being cap space for this summer, they’d have to be extremely confident in their ability to lure a big-name free agent to L.A. this summer. Not sure even Dunleavy is that delusional. By the way, I think the Mavs make this deal in a heartbeat.