Inside the NBA

Every Man For Himself  

Eyeing free agency, some Clippers put their stats ahead of their team

By Ian Thomsen

When Clippers G.M. Elgin Baylor and coach Alvin Gentry held a team meeting on Jan. 6 to address a six-game losing streak, the discussion was far from encouraging. According to two people who were there, several players admitted that they had been more concerned with padding their stats than helping the team win. "You know there are selfish players," says one of the witnesses. "But you don't hear guys actually tell teammates that they're going to be selfish."

Brand would have taken less than the max to stay in L.A., but the team wouldn't budge.  John W. Mcdonough

Thanks to Baylor, the Clippers have amassed one of the most beguiling blends of talent and youth in the league. But thanks largely to owner Donald Sterling, at week's end Los Angeles had tumbled to last place in the Pacific Division with a 14-23 record, 5 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot.

Last summer Sterling failed to re-sign center Michael Olowokandi, a restricted free agent, and All-Star forward Elton Brand, who was eligible for a contract extension. Olowokandi was offered $50 million over seven years, far below what he is likely to fetch as an unrestricted free agent after the season. A Clippers official says that the team proposed a six-year, $60 million deal for Brand, a surprisingly generous offer from the tightfisted Sterling. Brand reportedly wanted a contract closer to the maximum (an estimated $70 million), but Sterling wasn't willing to negotiate further. The 23-year-old Brand has averaged 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds over his four-year career.

Over the next two summers 11 Clippers will become free agents. None are confident that Sterling will pay enough to keep a once-promising team intact. Brand, point guard Andre Miller and forwards Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette will all face tough decisions this summer as restricted free agents if they are determined to leave: Any deal they negotiate with another team can be matched by Sterling, who might not let them walk. At this point L.A.'s payroll for 2003-04 is only $12.5 million; to reach the league minimum of approximately $32 million, Sterling will probably have to pony up for one or more of those players. Their alternative will be to follow the example of Olowokandi, who signed a one-year, $6.1 million deal in September in order to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Gentry is also in the final year of a contract that pays him $1.3 million (about $2 million less than the league average) and has spent the last month hearing rumors that he might be fired any day. Asked last week if the Clippers planned to make a coaching change or a trade, Baylor hardly offered a vote of confidence by saying, "At this time, no."

Even if Sterling were willing to pay for a top coach, it's no sure thing that one would want to work for a man who has overseen one winning season in his 21 years. Yet Sterling will consider himself a winner regardless of his team's on-court performance. With an average attendance of 16,597 and the assurance of a luxury-tax refund as a reward for his frugality, he is expected to reap a franchise-record profit of some $30 million this season.

Issue date: January 20, 2003

For more Inside the NBA see this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, January 15. Click here to subscribe to SI.

 

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