Wright wants $10M. a year and a six year extension on his contract. He has asked the Clippers totrade hi immediately. Don't rule out a Celtics - Clippers deal....
Web-published 5:09 PT, Saturday, January 23, 1999
BASKETBALL
Wright Wants to Be Traded
Clippers: Third-year player said to be seeking six-year,
$60-million extension.
LONNIE WHITE, Times Staff Writer
Wright's
body
language
in the
first
two days
of
training
camp
with the
Clippers
showed
how
uncomfortable
the
third-year
power
forward-center
was.
Instead
of
focusing
on
preparing
for the
regular season under
first-year Coach Chris
Ford, Wright wants a
long-term commitment
similar to the recent
contract extensions signed
by other players from the
1996 draft.
But even though the
Clippers are counting on
big things this year from
Wright, who averaged nine
points and 8.8 rebounds
last season, their
response to him was to
wait.
That answer
apparently was not good
enough for Wright and his
agent, Robert Fayne, who
made a surprise visit to
College of the Desert for
the team's opening
practice.
"We are not here to
create problems. We are
here to simply say that
[it is] in the best
interest of the Clippers'
organization and in
Lorenzen Wright's best
interest that a trade is
consummated as quickly as
possible," Fayne said
Friday. "At this stage, we
cannot envision a scenario
whereby Lorenzen will sign
with the Clippers at the
end of this season."
Although Fayne did
not disclose the amount
he's seeking for Wright,
team sources say it's a
six-year, $60-million
extension. Wright,
selected seventh overall
in the 1996 draft from
Memphis, is in the final
year of his three-year
rookie contract and would
have earned $1,923,600
this season before the
lockout.
Because of the
lockout, the Clippers
could not officially begin
talks with Wright about a
contract extension until
this week. As expected,
the Clippers were not
pleased with the timing of
Wright's request.
"The season hasn't
even started and to get
into all of this stuff is
premature," said Elgin
Baylor, vice president of
basketball operations.
"There's plenty of time.
We haven't even played a
game yet. It's the second
day of training camp."
Over the last three
days, Fayne has met with
Baylor and Executive Vice
President Andy Roeser to
discuss Wright's future.
But he blames owner Donald
Sterling for the
standstill since the end
of last season, when both
sides talked briefly about
working out a deal.
"I am sure that
[Baylor and Roeser] take
their direction from the
owner, because he's the
one who signs the checks,"
Fayne said.
With center Michael
Olowokandi, last year's
No. 1 draft pick, still in
Italy honoring his
contract with Kinder
Bologna until early next
month, Wright is
considered a key to the
Clippers' season because
of his ability to play
power forward and center.
In his first two
seasons, Wright had his
ups and downs with
then-coach Bill Fitch. But
when given more minutes,
Wright played well. Over
one 12-game stretch last
season, he averaged 14.6
points and 13.6 rebounds
before being sidelined for
seven of the next eight
games because of knee and
ankle injuries.
"I've been here two
years battling with Coach
Fitch the whole time and
now I finally get a coach
that I can work with,"
Wright said when asked if
he wanted to remain a
Clipper if a deal could be
worked out before the
March 13 league-wide
deadline for contract
extensions.
"I think [Baylor]
wants me here and I think
Coach [Ford], based on
what he's said, wants me
to be here. It's just a
matter of them locking me
up. They're scared to make
a commitment."
With only four more
days before the end of
two-a-day practices and
less than a week before
the Clippers face the
Lakers in an exhibition
game, Wright says he will
not make his contract
situation a distraction.
"This doesn't
bother me. I'm going to
work hard for Coach Ford,"
Wright said. "I want him
to know that this is not a
stress on me playing
basketball. I'm going to
give 110% like I always
do.
"It's going to be
up to the Clippers when
they trade me. I think
they will trade me because
the Clippers have always
made good decisions on
getting rid of players. I
know they don't want to
just hold on to me and get
nothing for me next year."
For the first two days of
training camp, Coach Chris
Ford has gone with a first
team of guards Darrick
Martin and Eric
Piatkowski, forwards
Lamond Murray and Rodney
Rogers and Lorenzen
Wright. The second unit
has been made up of guards
Pooh Richardson, Charles
Smith and James Robinson,
forwards Maurice Taylor
and Brian Skinner and
center Stojko Vrankovic,
who turned 35 on Friday.
The team celebrated
Vrankovic's birthday with
a cake after the morning
practice.
Conditioning
continues to be an issue
with the Clippers because
Ford wants to run an
up-tempo system. Johnny
Doyle, strength and
conditioning coach, said
he was pleased with the
overall shape of the
players but concedes that
some still need work. "I
was a little surprised
because I thought it was
going to be worse than
what it is," Doyle said.
"We just have a few guys
who are a little out of
shape and we're going to
get to them. We can't get
in everything in one day,
but we're going to slowly
but surely get them into
shape." <snip>
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