ducks
05-26-2006, 11:33 AM
Knowing the Clippers have been notorious for prolonging contract talks, Sam Cassell issued strong advice to the team he helped reach the playoffs for the first time in nine years. "I'm not going to be waiting until the end of July or to August to sign a contract," Cassell said Wednesday after his exit meeting with Coach Mike Dunleavy. "There will be other teams that will make me an offer. But this is where I want to be. I need to know where I'm going to be at. July 1 is the day you can start talking, right? I want to be done by then."
Sam Cassell is 36, would prefer a guaranteed two-year contract and a raise from his $6.1-million salary. Owner Donald T. Sterling must decide how much Cassell is worth to the Clippers, though it seemed at least some fans figured Cassell would be a bargain at any price. "Look at all these fans coming to the table, saying that they're Clippers fans now, they can't wait for next season and they want me back," Cassell said. "You know, I won championships when I was younger, I've made money and had a lot of good times. But for me, helping to take an organization that was at the bottom of the barrel in the NBA, and lifting it up, means more to me than anything I've ever done. "After my whole career in this game, it makes me feel like I've really accomplished something with this basketball team. And we can accomplish a lot more, but management has to do its job now. They've got a lot to do, because this whole thing could fall apart with one bad move. That's all it could take. Just one." Cassell and sharp-shooting forward Vladimir Radmanovic can become free agents after the NBA Finals, and Dunleavy's agent is expected to soon seek a lucrative contract extension for the coach. It could be a busy, and expensive, summer for the Clippers.
Sam Cassell is 36, would prefer a guaranteed two-year contract and a raise from his $6.1-million salary. Owner Donald T. Sterling must decide how much Cassell is worth to the Clippers, though it seemed at least some fans figured Cassell would be a bargain at any price. "Look at all these fans coming to the table, saying that they're Clippers fans now, they can't wait for next season and they want me back," Cassell said. "You know, I won championships when I was younger, I've made money and had a lot of good times. But for me, helping to take an organization that was at the bottom of the barrel in the NBA, and lifting it up, means more to me than anything I've ever done. "After my whole career in this game, it makes me feel like I've really accomplished something with this basketball team. And we can accomplish a lot more, but management has to do its job now. They've got a lot to do, because this whole thing could fall apart with one bad move. That's all it could take. Just one." Cassell and sharp-shooting forward Vladimir Radmanovic can become free agents after the NBA Finals, and Dunleavy's agent is expected to soon seek a lucrative contract extension for the coach. It could be a busy, and expensive, summer for the Clippers.