If we know anything about the league’s owners, we know that Donald T. Sterling has a reputation for being…umm…. among the most frugal, by far.
Will Sam Cassell actually finish the season playing out the string in Los Angeles?
His recent expansion of his pocketbook over the last few years has raised the Clipper’s roster salary total to $64 mil, just under the luxury tax penalty, and in fairness, more generous than 10 other NBA owners. That has been somewhat of a sea change for ‘The (other) Donald’.
When many other franchises pretended to be trying to compete to win a title, Mr. Sterling ran an NBA sports team as a business to make money. In the unusual world of NBA owners, he would make sure they were operating in the black as much as possible.
Whether you agree with that outlook or not, that was/is the reality.
In a league where this kind of player buy out is becoming ‘de rigeur’ of the day, it appears to be an ‘alien’ concept to Mr. Sterling. Either that or he is playing hard ball right up to the last moment.
Whatever it is, Marc Spears and Peter May of the Boston Globe, are reporting this morning that a buy out of Sam Cassell’s contract is not on Sterling’s ‘to do’ list this week. Cassell’s agent, David Falk, has given the Clippers until Saturday to complete a buy out, so that Sam could play on another team for a play-off run. Indications from a ‘league source’ are that Sterling has no intention of paying Cassell off do he can play for another team.
From Peter May…..
The owner actually said Monday night that he figured if Cassell were to leave the team, then the Clippers’ financial obligation to him would go with the player. Doesn’t work that way, Donald.
I will add that the Grizzlies owner, Michael Heisley, was reported to have made much the same comment initially, before buying out Damon Stoudamire’s contract. Damon was bought out and went and signed with the Spurs.
But Danny’s is dancing around all this and there is still a chance that Brent Barry could sign with the Cs. He was supposed to commit yesterday (to the Suns, some said) , but hasn’t made a decision as of this article, and is rumored to still have Boston as a possible destination of choice.
The Celtics are also interested in SG Flip Murray, recently of the Pistons. So it looks like Ainge is keeping three plates spinning in the air, like that old act you used to see on Ed Sullivan from time to time. (I know. I dated myself with that one).
It will be interesting to see which plates crash and which one spins its way to Boston, if any.
In the meantime, the new look Cleveland Cavaliers will play in Boston tonight. The Cavs are already up 2-1 in their season series with Boston.
Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak return to their former home as agents of Lebron this time. I wish I was going, just to get a quote from ‘Delonte’s World’.
Catch you all later.
