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Clippers hold key on signing day Posted: Tuesday July 15, 2003 7:21 PMUpdated: Tuesday July 15, 2003 10:15 PM Everyone has known for almost a week that Karl Malone and Gary Payton will join the Lakers, and Jason Kidd and Alonzo Mourning will be with the Nets when free agents are cleared to begin signing contracts Wednesday. Much of the intrigue over the next 15 days could center around what the Los Angeles Clippers plan to do with restricted free agents Elton Brand, Andre Miller and Corey Maggette -- and how soon they plan to decide. A moratorium on free agent signings was to expire Tuesday night. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. EDT, free agents were free to put pen to paper and close their deals. In the case of restricted free agents, however, the only thing they can sign is an offer sheet. Their old teams then have 15 days to decide whether to match the offer, and the Clippers have already said they plan to take their time in the cases of Miller and Maggette -- and perhaps Brand. "It will create a quandary, there's no doubt about that," said agent Mark Bartelstein, who represents one of the key remaining uncommitted free agents -- Indiana center Brad Miller. Another key player made an oral agreement Tuesday when Minnesota center Rasho Nesterovic accepted a six-year, $42-million contract offer from the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. Nesterovic wasn't the Spurs' first choice, but they felt he was their best option after Kidd decided last week to remain in New Jersey for seven years and $102 million. "This was a difficult decision because of Rasho's fondness for [Timberwolves owner] Glen Taylor and [general manager] Kevin McHale, but he chose to go with a new challenge," agent Bill Duffy said. Duffy was in Los Angeles on Tuesday to meet with Clippers officials about center Michael Olowokandi, an unrestricted free agent. Following the meeting, Duffy said the Clippers would not agree to any sign-and-trade deals involving the five-year veteran. The Clippers stand to lose at least half their roster if they choose not to re-sign any of their free agents. Included among them are Miller, Maggette, Lamar Odom, Brand, Olowokandi, Sean Rooks and Eric Piatkowski. Maggette has already reached agreement with the Utah Jazz on a six-year contract, and Miller has done the same with the Nuggets. They will now be in contractual limbo until Aug. 1, when the Clippers' 15-day window expires. "We're going to use all the allotted time," Clippers spokesman Joe Safety said. Brand has been offered more than $60 million to stay with the Clippers but has not decided whether to accept. His agent, David Falk, did not return a phone message Tuesday. A few other players reached verbal agreements Tuesday. The Milwaukee Bucks will sign Philadelphia forward Brian Skinner and Indiana guard Erick Strickland, coach George Karl said. "You took my big guy?" Philadelphia general manager Billy King yelled playfully to Karl as the two stood in the parking lot at UMass-Boston during a summer league game. Inside the gym, Washington Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld and coach Eddie Jordan were in attendance after returning from a trip to Los Angeles to speak to free agent guard Gilbert Arenas of the Golden State Warriors. "Some free agents may have to take what's on the table, otherwise it might be there for them later," Grunfeld said. "Some guys have made their agreements and will sign in the next couple of days, while other teams and other players might wait a little bit longer. I don't know if there's a set pattern, but most teams and most players want to get things done." Aside from Kidd, Mourning, Payton and Malone, other prominent free agents to reach agreement on contracts with their old teams included Jermaine O'Neal of the Pacers and P.J. Brown of the Hornets. Also, Juwan Howard has agreed to terms with Orlando and Kevin Ollie made a deal with Cleveland. Scottie Pippen was reportedly mulling a return to the Chicago Bulls five years after he helped them to their sixth title. Spurs guard Speedy Claxton was being courted by the Detroit Pistons and their new coach, Larry Brown, and Wizards guard Tyronn Lue was speaking with the Denver Nuggets. Some of the other better known unrestricted free agents include Robert Horry and Samaki Walker of the Lakers, Elden Campbell of Seattle, Jim Jackson of Sacramento, Kenny Anderson of New Orleans, Orlando's Darrell Armstrong and Derrick Coleman of Philadelphia. The list of restricted free agents includes Atlanta's Jason Terry and Seattle's Predrag Drobnjak. Arenas is a restricted free agent, but a complicated salary cap rule prevents Golden State from offering him more than $4.9 million in the first year of a deal. The Wizards can surpass that figure by more than $2 million. Knicks general manager Scott Layden said he did not expect to sign any free agents to offer sheets or contracts Wednesday. "You have to be flexible to make decisions as time goes on," he said. The Knicks were one of the teams courting Nesterovic, a five-year veteran who will likely replace retired David Robinson in the Spurs' starting lineup. The deal with Nesterovic still leaves the Spurs with more than $8 million in salary cap space to pursue other players. Nesterovic averaged 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, the best numbers of his career. The loss of the 7-footer from Slovenia leaves the Timberwolves with only Ervin Johnson and Loren Woods as their centers.
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