LOS ANGELES -- For years the poster child for the NBA's thrifty, the Clippers shocked the basketball establishment this week by retaining one of their own big-name free agents.

	Arenas

Now they are after someone else's.

On Saturday, after matching Miami's six-year, $82 million offer and keeping restricted free-agent power forward Elton Brand, the Clippers have made a six-year, $60 million offer to Golden State point guard Gilbert Arenas, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

The Clippers' offer matches Washington's earlier offer for Arenas, a restricted free agent, but he has spoken openly of his desire to stay on the West Coast, giving the Clippers a significant edge.

According to the Times, the Clippers still expect to match Utah's $7-million-a-year offer to Corey Maggette and are hoping to extend Lamar Odom for a salary in that range. Los Angeles lost unrestricted free-agent center Michael Olowokandi to Minnesota earlier this week, and has indicated that it will not match Denver's offer to point guard Andre Miller, also a restricted free agent.

With or without Arenas, the Clippers are poised to get something they have never had: a stable nucleus, locked up with multi-year contracts. Finally, there may be some hope in the future for L.A.'s "other" team.