The clippers have officially signed Sam Cassell to what was a reported two year deal. Exact terms of the deal were not announced but were reportedly close to 7 mil per year.

The Clippers should be turning their attention to the Tim Thomas signing next. They picked the Suns pocket by offering Thomas their mid-level exemption. I can't believe the reports out of Phoenix saying that they can exist easily without Thomas. All through the playoffs it was Thomas coming off the bench when the going got tough, and he hit the tough shots that saved them time and time again.

Also probably on the agenda, is extending the contract of Kaman. Now that the salary cap has been officially announced by the NBA at 53 Mil, the Clippers probably have a clearer picture of how much they can offer Kaman. My calculator says they can offer around 6 mil a year with out going over the cap. It is unclear to me what Kaman is worth in todays market. He is still a young player, but one of the better centers in the Western Conference. I have not seen or read any report where it was speculated what it would take extend him.

If they do extend Kaman at those levels, they still have to round out their roster. They are currently committed to 12 players. If they use up most of their cap space on Kaman, that actually helps their second round draft picks make the roster because they can sign them for very little. From what I can tell they have their 1.7 Mil exemption that they can use on another player to come off the bench. If Rebraca's health is questionable, they might use their exemption to bring in a veteran backup center/power forward.

Current Roster

PG - Livingston, Cassell, Ewing

SG - Mobley, Ross, (Diaz)

SF - Maggette, Thomas, Korolev

PF- Brand, Singleton, (Davis)

C - Kaman, Rebraca, (Free Agent)

JamFan

All is well in Clipperland. Or is it? With the good news of Sam Cassell signing to probably finish his career with the Clippers, and the free agent signing of Tim Thomas to replace Vlad Rad, what could wrong? We had a great draft considering we only had two picks in the second round. We ended up with two players that many mock drafts had rated to be gone in the first round. So everything is perfect right?

Wrong! What many Clippers fans have missed is that the next objective of the Clippers is to sign Chris Kaman to an extension, thereby locking up one of the best Centers in the Western Conference and avioding the whole restricted free agent scenario the Clippers have been lousy at in the past.

Securing Sam's contract at close last years numbers, and getting Thomas with the mid level exemption should put the Clippers in the position financially to extend Kaman. Their draft picks, even if signed, will cost them chump change.

So, will it happen? Hoopsworld.com has reported a rumor that Kaman isn't to excited about staying with Clippers and staying in Los Angeles. What they didn't say were reports last season that Kaman really didn't like Sam's constant harping at him all that much. Sam harps at everybody, but in one game I even saw EB rolling his eyes with a please go away look on his face as Sam followed him down the court giving him a earful.

So where is Kaman this summer? Laying on the beaches of SoCal, soaking up the LA atmosphere? Hardly! He is back in Michigan where he went to college. Chris is more of an outdoorsman type than an LA city boy type.

Is there any truth to the rumor at Hoopsworld? Could Kaman get traded? If so for whom? Could he be packaged with the often injured Corey Maggette to bring a superstar like KG? The longer the Clippers go without signing Kaman to an extension, the bigger that rumor will get.

Sam Cassell recently said, "Kaman is like a far away island, farthur than Hawaii, way, way, out there."

JamFan

The first time Guillermo Diaz jumps over the head of Chris Kaman for a slam dunk, only then will Clippers Fans realize what Elgin Baylor just did. He drafted one of the best athletes in the draft, with a record 48" lateral vertical leap (at recent Phoenix workout), and who was his teams leading scorer at 17 points per game in the nations toughest conference. He shot 44% from the field, and 38% from the three. He can beat most anybody with his first step driving to the hoop. And even if he doesn't beat you he just might jump over you and score anyway. You are going to love this guy.

Introducing Guillermo Diaz. Drafted by the LA Clippers in the second round with their second pick at #52. Unbelievable! Most mock drafts had him gone before the end of the first round. Why? At Miami, even though he wasn't their point guard, he led the team in assists 13 times while he was the leading scorer. Last season he dropped 29 on Virginia on 10 for 14 shooting. He dropped 25 on Florida, 24 on North Carolina, another 23 on Duke, and 21 on Maryland and Michigan. He wasn't exactly playing against the Sisters of Mercy. He is only 21 years old.

NBA scouts felt if he fell in the draft it would only be because he is short (6'2") for a shooting guard even though he played some PG in every game. But with the largest vertical leap in the history of the NBA, who needs to be tall. You are going to like how he looks in a Clipper uniform.

Superman has arrived in LA. Faster than a speeding bullet. Can leap tall buildings with a single bound. We can give him a cape and watch him fly by.

JamFan

It is impossible to know the answer to the question of whom the Clippers will pick at 34. The Clippers brain trust doesn't even know. They do know who is on their wish list. And you can bet they are not sharing that information with anybody.

The most strange scenario playing out is that the Clippers worked out only 7 players. The Clippers have visited workouts conducted by others with multiple players involved. This is the smallest workout schedule I have even seen. The Clippers have been over to Europe and you might think they have a sleeper stashed away over there.

JamFan's wish list of who would be available at 34 is as follows. We are looking for a gem to fall into the laps of the Clippers.

THE FIRST TIER

GUILLERMO DIAZ- A 6'2" SG/PG of Miami mostly played the 2 but played a little PG in every game. He could be the most athletic player in the draft. He literally jumped out of a gym during a Phoenix Suns workout with a 48" lateral vertical leap. I have never heard of anybody ever doing that. And the pic is scary. He is very quick on his defense and with his drives to the bucket. He should go to the line a lot where he shoots very well. He is also prolific from the 3. His detractors say at his size he needs to play the point where his skills are not fully developed and he seems to be a score first guy. They say he is not tall enough for SG but with a 48" leap who knows. Mock Drafts mostly have him as a mid to late 1st rounder and one has him in the middle second round. So, there is a chance, and the Clippers would be very lucky to have him available at 34.

SHAWNE WILLIAMS- A 6'8" SF/SG/PG/PF freshman out of Memphis. Many scouts believe if he waited a year or two he would become a high lottery pick. Young and not as yet fully developed as a player, he has a NBA body that goes along with passing and ball handiling skills that make some feel he could play the point as well as every other position except center. Whoever drafts him will have to wait a year or two and the Clippers have already shown they are willing to wait with their pick last year of a 19 year old unproven Russian. Mock drafts have him anywhere from mid first round to mid second round. If he falls to 34 you have to gamble on this young phenom.

JAMES WHITE- 6'7" SG/SF out of Cinncinnati has been moving up in the Mock drafts has his workouts have unfolded. The Lakers, who pick at 26, worked him out privately, & made him the only player to be invited back for a 2nd workout. He seems to have impressed everybody. He is a great leaper, great ball handling skills, very quick, great defensely, and can shoot from the outside and driving to the bucket. Draft Express calls him a world class athlete and actually has the Clippers drafting him at 34. Some Mocks have him gone in the late first round so he is a gift at 34.

THE SECOND TIER

MARCUS VINICIUS 6'9" SF from Brazil & THABO SEFOLOSHA 6'6" SG out of Switzerland both have great resumes and skills that would make them great picks at 34. The mock drafts have them anywhere from mid 1st round to mid 2nd round. Draft Express has both of these players rated ahead of James White and they are both a steal at 34.

BIG GUYS

JOSH BOONE- UConn, KEVIN PITTSNOGLE- WVirginia, JAMES AUGUSTINE- Illinois, & PAUL DAVIS- Mich St., are the possilble good picks at PF/C. The Clippers could be looking for a solid backup PF who could maybe also play some backup center with Rebraca's future uncertain. All are rated in the late 1st round to mid 2nd round. SAER SENE 7' from Senegal, and HILTON ARMSTRONG 6'11" out of UConn are both Centers rated around the 21st pick, but one them could slide to 34 and would be a steal for the Clips .

Well, don't get your hopes up. The Clippers haven't workout any of these players. Could be if they wanted one of these guys they would not want to tip their hand. I have to think that this draft is still pretty strong through the early 2nd round and we are going to get an exciting player at 34. Set your TV schedules for next Wednesday, June 28 at 4PM on ESPN to find out who the Clippers drafted. After all this analysis they will probably trade Corey Maggette for a high draft pick and all of this analysis will have been a big waste of time.

JamFan

There is no excitement. The only news is that there is no news. No trade Rumors. No draft rumors. Few reports of Clippers work outs of draft prospects. No first round draft choices.

What is a Clippers Fan to do? Well, wait just a couple more days and at least something will happen. That would be the NBA Draft on ESPN at 4PM Wednesday June 28. Now that the finals are over, the NBA press core will now start the draft and trade rumor mill going. Much of that should bypass the Clippers only because they are giving every indication that they will work to resign their free agents and keep their roster in tact.

The only trade bait is Corey Maggette. But if they traded him they would then need a another small forward, and I don't see them being able to trade a SF for a SF. Corey's contract is a bargain, if he is healthy.

In the draft, every team that is looking to move up to the next level in the playoffs, like the Clippers, are looking for a Kobe/Wade stopper. The Clippers seem to have everything they need. But their glaring need is the same need every team needs to win a championship. That is one player who can stop Steve Nash, or somebody like him. So far Quinton Ross has been our stopper and his offensive skills even improved at a most unlikely time, during the playoffs. Teams dared him to shoot and he burned them

You want news! Well, within 48 hours I will post who I believe the Clippers will be drafting with the 34th and 52nd picks. There are some sleepers who could drop to 34, and I expect the Clips to get a really good player. Stay tuned!

JamFan

There is a lot of interesting speculation going on out there in the media. One thing that is not speculation is the TV ratings. The Lakers better get used to LA having to be big enough for the Lakers and the Clippers. The Clippers TV rating during the playoffs exceeded the Lakers ratings.........Hmmmmm! The stars came out for the Clippers in bigger numbers during the playoffs and even Jack Nicholson showed up in Phoenix.

One recent report says that Sam Cassell has signaled that he would be willing to take a cut in pay to 5 Mil a year for a 2 year deal. Vlad Radmanovic is reportedly signaling that he might sign for the 5.5 veterans exemption that he basically turned down in Seattle. This opens the door for the Clippers to sign Chris Kaman to an extension before they get into an option year situation with him. They have never done that before. But this isn't the old Clippers, this is the new Clippers

So, what does this all mean. Well, if the Clippers bite on all this, expect next years roster to look almost exactly like last years squad. The draft will probably be uneventful because the Clippers only have the 34th pick early in the second round. There is always a chance Corey Maggette might get traded, but only because he is injury prone. I feel this is unlikely, but you never know. They did indeed have a deal done on Ron Artest that did not happen only because Indiana ownership turned it down. Not the Clippers. Corey's contract is very reasonable considering his skills. He was the Clippers leading scorer in just the previous season at 21 PPG. With the roster set, who would you trade him for, another small forward? One unsettled postion is back up center. Rebraca's future is not certain due to his heart problem. But back up center has not been a problem for the Clippers in this era of small ball. When Kaman sits, they just go small and plug in Singleton or McCarty when needed, or go even smaller. Vin Baker is available for a backup role.

Imagine the Clippers going from the team who loses everybody to the team who keeps everybody. What a turn around. There have been comments already in the press that the Clippers feel that without any roster changes they will improve because their young guys will get much better. Livingston is at the ripe young age of 20, Ewing only 23, Kaman and Singleton are 24, and Radmanovic is 25. The only guy in the twilight on his career is Sam Cassell. But his legs and conditioning should be enough for a couple of more seasons, especially since Livingston is going to be the starting PG and taking on most of the minutes.

So, expect the New Clippers to look a lot like last years Clippers. Coach Dunleavy will like get his extension. Current roster players seem to be willing to compromise on contract demands to keep this team together. The only wild card is Baby Shaq coming in from Greece for summer league. If he gets signed, he will be the only new toy we will have to play with next season. Ah yes, Baby Shaq vs Grandpa Shaq! Can't wait!

JamFan

During the preseason had we predicted this team is going to have the greatest season ever and go deep into the playoffs, we would have said "bring it on!" And our Clippers did. OK, so they didn't go all the way. But only 4 teams move forward. And the 4 that did, their series could have gone either way, just like the Clippers second round bout with the Suns.

We might have been just one shot away. Remember Raja Bell's miracle shot and the end of regulation in game 5. If that shot clinks off the rim, the Clips go home to win game 6 and move forward to meet Dallas.

So now the Clipper Nation needs to look forward to next season. But we get to look forward in a different manner than in years past that was frought with so much uncertainty. We know we are going to have a good team next year. It will be fun to see how our roster next year unfolds.

Here are the things that we know. Elton, Cat, and Corey are still under long term contract. Chris Kaman and James Singleton are only 24, Q Ross 25, and Shaun Livingston is still a babe at 20. These guys will all be back and can only get better.

The question marks are our free agents. Sam Cassell says he will not be asking for a lot of money and wants to remain a Clipper and maybe even be a coach here some day. The value of his leadership was undeniable. So was his clutch shooting. His lack of athleticism was a weakness which also showed up in his defense. If the money is right, I feel he will be back for a couple of more years. Vlad Radmonvic, 25, gives us that outside shooting threat, but also showed he can drive to the hoop and rebound. Can he do it consistantly? Will he ask for to much money? He says he loves it in LA. Will Rebraca's heart allow him to carry on? If not we will be looking for a back up center. Will the Clippers merely pick up Coach Dunleavy's option for another year or sign him to a long term contract. My wisdom says that they better. It would be a mistake to do anything less.

The Clippers do not have any cap space. One way to upgrade the team is to possibly trade the oft-injured Corey Maggette. But his contract is not over priced and when healthy he is as good as or better than any player you would get in return. You could combine the money that you would spend on Sam and Vlad and sign one great player. But for what position? Our starting rotation is probably set. Or, you could bring back the team mostly as it is, see what you can get in the draft, bring Baby Shaq over from Europe to back up Kaman and Brand, and see if our young guys can develop. Is that a recipe to get us to a championship? We'll see.

The good news is that it is unlikely that we will retreat. Donald Sterling finally spent all the money he could. His team became the darlings of LA. They went deep into the playoffs. He went to the games a hero instead of having to hide like he used to. He had fun. His GM was executive of the year. And most importantly he made money. The value of his franchise also went up. This all means that you can bank on his continuing to fund this team.

What will the Clippers do with free agency? Who will they Draft? How will Baby Shaq look in summer league? Will they sign him for next season? Will Dunleavy get extended? Is Sam and Vlad coming back? And you thought the fun was all over. Stay tuned. Topbuzz will keep you updated on all the off season fun.

JamFan

With only a couple of seconds left in regulation in Game 5, the Clippers have a 3 point lead after coming back from 19 points down, they should win and come home to finish off the Suns in game 6, right? Time Out!

Coach Dunleavy has been the target of criticism over what transpired in the final 2 seconds of the game. Most notably from Sir Charles and the TNT analysts. But this only shows how bad Sir Charles, Kenny Smith and company are. This is the worst team of analysts in the history of sports. The are not only bad commentators, they are boring, especially Sir Charles. The only time this show gets a little bit interesting is when they have a guest like Magic Johnson or Kobe. Just because Charles said a few outrageous things 10 years ago, doesn't make up for the years of boring us to death. Moreover, he looks bored most of the time. And misinformed.

During the time out, Coach new exactly what was at stake, and new exactly what to do. The players were informed they had a foul to give. Cat was instructed to guard the inbounds pass and make sure the pass did not go to the sideline. Forcing the pass to the top would likely be thrown to a player running away from the basket, needing to receive the ball with their hands away from the basket, and needing to turn or rotate to shoot. Every player is intructed to be right there to give the foul. Being late means you can not foul if they are beyond the 3 point line and the shooter is anywhere close to being in his shooting motion. The offensive player might receive the ball to far away from the basket to turn and get off a good shot. Ewing was put in because he is just faster than Cassell. Lagging behind the play means a foul can not be given.

The plan was good, the execution was not. It only took Cat about 10 seconds to forget that the coach told him to stop any pass to the sideline. Ewing, coming off a screen, got there a fraction of a second late and Raja Bell received the ball on the sideline, facing the basket. The rest is history.

All of this is lost on Sir Charles and others who have a history over the decades of looking for some reason to criticize the Clippers. Sir Charles pontificated about Coach Dunleavy's decision making. Could you imagine Sir Charles coaching a team. For one thing, coaches need to be heard and Charles Barkley only mumbles most of the time. Give me a break

I'm Jamfan, and that's my opinion. What's Yours?

Ok, so he talks to much. Actually, he talks just about all the time. He talks to the players on his team, players on the opposing team, the refs, the coaches, the fans, anybody who will listen. But if Elton Brand is the rock, the foundation of this team, Sam Cassell is the flash, the flourish, the exclamation point, the guy who gives this team character.

He makes his players believe. When the going gets tough, he calmly waltzes down the floor, through traffic, and hits some unbelievable shot that turns back a frantic rally by the opposing team. He does it with a confidence that says to his team mates, "Chill out and you can do it to." And they do. This is the value of Sam. He gives this team Swagger. He is "Mr Swagger."

In last nights victory, the rock, Elton Brand, went for 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He is the foundation this team builds on. But the old man, Sam I Am, went for 28 points, 9 assists, and yes.........11 rebounds. But it's not the numbers, it's how and when he does it that matters most. Early in the 4th quarter with Sam on the bench, the Clippers went on a shooting slump missing 9 shots in a row going scoreless from the field over 5 minutes. They saw their double digit lead evaporate and looked like a team about to squander a great effort and lose a game they had been dominating. Here comes Sam to the rescue. He is in control. In control of his emotions and the game. Two 3 pointers, a couple of other difficult shots, a couple of great passes, and he takes control of the pace of the game. A furious rally by the Suns is turned back and the victory is achieved.

With Chris Kaman out with a shoulder injury, the Clippers started the game with a surprising starting lineup inserting Corey Maggette and Vlad Romanovich. Instead of the pound it in offense, they suddenly looked more like the Suns playing small ball. It became a high scoring affair. Maggette responded with 18 points and 15 rebounds. The Clips had 6 guys in double figures. Vlad had 13, Cat went for 10 and 8 rebs, while Livingston had 11 points, 5 rebs, 4 assists, and 2 blocked shots.

In the end it was all Sam Cassell. You know, in crunch time, in a game like last night, I would rather have the ball in Sam Cassell's hands than Kobe Bryant. Sure, Kobe in the greatest player in the world. But he doesn't always trust his team mates and forces up shots while tripple teamed. He operates in desperation mode. Yeah, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sam trusts his team mates. It's all about giving them confidence, swagger. Sure, after a bad call by the refs, and play is stopped, he can scowl with the best of them. But when play resumes, watch his face. He is not desperate, he is calm, confident. It transcends to the other players on the court. I don't know how much money Sam wants after this season to hang around for a couple more years, but he is certainly earning the money he is making now. You can't buy that kind of swagger on the court. After the season, pay him. Win or lose, Mr.Swagger has earned it.

JamFan