Orange County Register: Clippers Need A Point Guard

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Well this doesn't concern the Celtics, at least not yet, but it
could, as the Clippers are looking deperately for a point guard,
and David Falk has put the Maurice Taylor contract talks on hold.
If the C's play their cards right, they can obtain both Taylor and
Steve Francis, but they'll have to draw a straight flush along
the way....



       

        Taylor's contract talks with Clippers on hold 
        NBA: The forward's agent suggests the move, so Baylor turns his 
        attention to acquiring a point guard. 
        August 20, 1999
        By ART THOMPSON III
        The Orange County Register 
        LOS ANGELES — The business Clippers vice president Elgin Baylor wanted 
        to complete today with power forward Maurice Taylor has been shelved. 
        David Faulk, Taylor's agent, canceled a meeting with the Clippers to 
        negotiate a contract extension for the Clippers' best player.
        "It has been changed to a later date, for sometime in September," Baylor 
        said Thursday. "It was something that (Faulk) suggested we do."
        Baylor said Faulk indicated he had other business to complete before he 
        talks with the Clippers. It is expected Faulk will seek the maximum for 
        Taylor, which would be an extension for six years at approximately $72 
        million. Taylor is in the last season of his original three-year 
        contract, which will pay him $1,367,400.
        Taylor averaged a team-high 16.8 points per game last season in 46 games 
        but there are indications the Clippers are reluctant to give Taylor the 
        maximum because they believe he needs to become a better rebounder. 
        Taylor averaged 5.2 rebounds per game last season and had five games in 
        which he had 10 or more rebounds. But after Clippers coach Chris Ford 
        challenged him before one game, Taylor pulled down 20 against Vancouver. 
        Ford has made no secret about his desire for Taylor to average double 
        figures in rebounds. 
        Meanwhile, the Clippers continue to search for a point guard to join 
        incumbents Troy Hudson and Pooh Richardson, neither of whom are 
        desirable starters. The list has dwindled, and the best guard who 
        appears to be available is Utah's Howard Eisley, whom the Jazz has been 
        trying to trade. The Clippers no doubt would be interested in veteran 
        Kevin Johnson, who sat out last season. But Johnson has indicated he 
        only would be interested in signing with a team that has a chance to 
        compete for the NBA championship. That would not be the Clippers, though 
        members of the team believe they are a player or two short of being a 
        legitimate playoff team. 
        "When you look at the free-agent list and see what's out there, trying 
        to get a point guard from another team in a trade is tough," Baylor 
        said. "All we can do is keep plugging away. It's not going to be as easy 
        as we'd like."
        Baylor said teams might be more open to make deals in mid-September, 
        with training camp looming. Although the Clippers theoretically can have 
        three first-round draft picks next year — two of which they obtained in 
        a trade with Atlanta — Baylor is not looking to wait until then to 
        address the point-guard situation.
        "We're trying to get the best player we can get, now," he said. "You 
        look at the draft next year, and there's no point guard that jumps out 
        at you at this time. We want to get someone with experience. There are 
        some young guys out there now that are available, but we'd like to get 
        someone who — if they haven't started — has at least played some 
        minutes."  HOME PAGE

          

      Copyright 1999 The Orange County Register