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Clippers Owner has everybody on his TIP!
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playa2
Posts: 34922
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Joined: 5/15/2003
Member: #407

7/1/2003  5:45 PM
Sterling holds key to many teams' plans
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Donald Sterling is driving the bus.

The NBA Draft may have been about LeBron James. The NBA Finals may have been
about Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd.

But at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sterling became the biggest player in the NBA
free agent market.

Tim Duncan might technically be a free agent. Jason Kidd might visit San
Antonio, Dallas, Denver and anyone else who will kiss his feet. Jermaine
O'Neal might be going crazy in Indiana, but not enough to switch conferences
and face the likes of Duncan, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett every night.

Alonzo Mourning has Mark Cuban and Kiki Vandeweghe on his doorstep. Gary
Payton, Karl Malone and Juwan Howard are the silver-haired, blue-light
specials of free agency.

That's all a given. But no one is going to have bigger impact on what
happens to the balance of power this summer than Sterling. He has eight free
agents. Five of them, are highly coveted throughout the league. Four of them
are restricted. Most of them want to get the hell out of there. None of them
have a clue whether they'll be playing in L.A. next year.

And the league's 28 other GMs are clueless on that point, too. If Denver is
going to make a huge leap this summer, if the Spurs are going to add real
depth to their roster, if the Jazz are going to replace John Stockton, if
the Heat are going to add a real center, then this summer Sterling is going
to have to do what he does best -- nothing.

For those of you following Insider's 18-month obsession with all things
Clippers, you know the questions here aren't anything new. Last year, the
debate raged all summer: Will the Clippers re-sign Michael Olowokandi? Will
they extend Elton Brand, Lamar Odom or Corey Maggette? Will they lock up
Andre Miller after trading Darius Miles for him last summer? No. No. And,
well, no.

Sterling didn't deviate from the script. GM Elgin Baylor mumbled something
at a few press conferences, Sterling talked about doing the right thing, and
then the Clippers sat.

The season was a disaster. The team is in disarray. And as of late Monday
night, Baylor still was sticking to the plan.

"Our plan is to try to make every effort to get our core group back for next
season," Baylor told the L.A. Times. "We'll wait and see and do something of
substance and start talking to agents [today]."

That has been the plan for the past three years. Talk. Maybe Baylor is still
waiting while archeologists search for Sterling's wallet, buried thousands
of years ago somewhere near the ancient city of Tanis.

Or maybe Baylor is shrewder than we all believe. Maybe he knew all along
that by not blinking (apparently a side-effect of the cryogenic freezing
process) his players would do his work for him. That they would disintegrate
under the pressure, torpedo their own draft stock and make it much, much
easier to swoop down and pick up the pieces.

Maybe.

But GMs are privately acknowledging that the biggest game of chicken isn't
between Sterling and his players. It's between Sterling and the other 28 NBA
teams.

Brand, Miller, Odom and Maggette are the big issues. The Spurs and Jazz
would love to get their hands on Brand. The Heat have been high on Odom for
years. And the Nuggets are in love with Maggette. But who is going to take
the risk?

Who is going to extend an offer sheet and wait the 15 days (and you know the
Clips will make you wait) sweating out whether Sterling and Baylor will
match the offer? Meanwhile, all of the other top free agents are signing up
with the first guy to offer them the cash.

"Sterling's in control," one GM told Insider. "He's got young, exciting
players whose value has tarnished a bit from playing in L.A. Teams want
them, but no one's sure how to go about getting them. It could really bog
down the whole process. My guess is nothing gets resolved until August at
the earliest."

That has the players nervous. One Clippers free agent told Insider last
weekend about his fears. "There is no communication at all," the player told
Insider. "We don't know what Mr. Sterling is going to do. I know other teams
are interested, but you don't want to get stuck signing with another team
thinking you're going to get out, only to find out you're stuck in L.A. for
the next six years. It's going to be a long summer."

So what happens with the Clippers this summer?

Olowokandi is easy. He's an unrestricted free agent. Sterling has told
Baylor he doesn't want him back. With a sign-and-trade likely out of the
question, that leaves Olowokandi with three real options -- Denver, San
Antonio and Miami.

Look for Brand to either take the team's one-year tender (making him an
unrestricted free agent next year) or sign a deal at big numbers to stay in
L.A. with an opt out after three seasons. Sterling is highest on Brand, and
Brand wouldn't mind getting paid if he saw evidence the Clips were going to
sign at least one other decent free agent. The Spurs and Jazz are making a
hard push for Brand, but both believe the Clips would match any offer.

Odom appears to be the next-highest player on their list. The problem for
him? Ascertaining value. Injuries and substance-abuse problems have hurt his
stock. He's a max-type talent with a mid-level head. Will he wait another
year, try to turn things around and become an unrestricted free agent? Or
will he try to get an offer sheet for something just over the mid-level and
pray the Clips don't match? The Spurs, Nuggets and Heat all have the cash
and interest in Odom to offer him more, but none of them appear sold on him
as the savior. Numerous teams are interested at the mid-level mark, but
everyone believes the Clips would match that type of offer sheet.

Miller has a much clearer road. With Marko Jaric and Keyon Dooling at the
point, L.A. doesn't need him. He struggled in L.A. last season, impressed no
one on the team and wants out badly. The Jazz and Nuggets appear to be
duking it out for his services, but it still appears the Jazz will be the
team that wins out. Why? The Nuggets like Miller but prefer Gilbert Arenas.
Arenas' agent, Dan Fegan, is asking for too much money right now. Miller
becomes the bargaining chip. If Fegan believes Denver really will sign
Miller instead, will he back off his demand for a $9 million starting salary
for Arenas? If he does, Gilbert will be in Denver next season.

Maggette is the most interesting of the Clips four restricted free agents.
He was the only Clipper to have a great year, and many feel he's on the
verge of becoming a superstar. At just 22 years of age, he's got a big, big
upside. The Nuggets have really keyed in on him, but they will have a tough
time figuring out how much to offer. Would the Clips match $6 million a
year? Probably. $7 million? Maybe. Eight? No, but would the Nuggets be
overpaying?

Only Sterling knows for sure. With only $11.7 million in committed salaries
next season, Sterling is going to have to pay someone to stay in L.A. The
league has minimum payroll requirements that will force Sterling to write
checks for a couple of unlucky souls. Who will they be? That's what everyone
else in the NBA would like to know.

JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.
AUTOADVERT
playa2
Posts: 34922
Alba Posts: 15
Joined: 5/15/2003
Member: #407

7/21/2003  7:35 AM
DONALD STERLING IS MAKING A LOT OF TEAMS EAT DIRT AS HE CONTINUES HIS UNCANNY KNACK OF "SIGNING" HIS FREE AGENTS WITH SUBSTANCE RATHER THAN LETTING THEM GO. I guess coach dunleavy got thru to him.
JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.
KARNIVORE
Posts: 20358
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 2/13/2003
Member: #382
Nigeria
7/21/2003  12:04 PM
GILBERT ARENAS will sign soon with the CLIPPS
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, BUT THEY ARE NOT TREATED EQUAL !!!
playa2
Posts: 34922
Alba Posts: 15
Joined: 5/15/2003
Member: #407

7/31/2003  6:34 AM
Seems to me Donald is the smartest business GM in the league. All the money he saved from not paying for talent in past yrs , he has actually saved to pay his prize possesions Brand, Maggette, ETC...
JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.
ICEMAN
Posts: 20163
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 7/22/2003
Member: #437
7/31/2003  1:48 PM
playa for him to be the smartest business man not only does he has to turn a profit he has to dominate his market and win championships.

so you are inaccurate in this matter he turns profits and thats it wwhich makes him a mediocre business man. if you want to say he excells at being mediocre than i will fully suport you.

unlike the knicks they are trying to be mediocre and they have the highest payroll.
you listen to Jimmy, But you cant hear Jimmy
Clippers Owner has everybody on his TIP!

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