The Clippers payroll this year is going to be less than $30mil. It was announced that teams under the salary cap will be getting back $17.5M from the league. http://www.tribnet.com/sports/basketball/sonics/story/1987045p-2089198c.html Son in reality his payroll is $12M. As awfull the Clips has been they still drew more than the Rockets last year. The guy is making out big time... Meanwhile the Rocks too will be getting $17.5M, so don't feel too sorry for Les...
Sterling is getting alot of bang for his buck. Weren't they better than the Rockets last year? They're an exciting young team to watch. This will all come back to bite the Sterling in the butt. It'll be the same old Clips in a couple of years.
Couple of years? Try just one year. After this year their entire starting five are free agents. Olowakandi, Brand, Odom, Miller, and Maggate (restricted free agent).
That figure looks like it includes $21.5m for Shawn Kemp. Didn't he give a big portion of the $21.5m back as part of a buyout?
the problem with sterling is that he is a business man first and not a basketball level. He wants to keep costs down while making a profit. He made his money in the real estate market and bought the clippers for cheap. To him anything extra the clippers bring in now is pure profit for him, so why the hell would he want to hand out fat contracts and make less money for himself? He is a selfish b*stard that should sell the team to an owner(s) that are passionate for the game. I bet sterling doesn't even know where the clippers locker room is at the staples, if even he remembers that they play there now and not the sports arena. the worst owner in the nba today in my opinion. I really hope the clippers re-locate to a different town and get a new owner too that way they will get an owner they deserve and a city that will appreciate them more
It is a crime that Donald Serling has all that talent under one roof and will not spend the extra money to keep it together and develop... Elton Brand is one of my favorite players. Sterling could probably get 300 to 350 mil for that franchise - maybe more as it is in the largest market. His payday will come later...Why not build up fan loyalty by keeping and developing a good team on the floor.?? At least these talented players will be available to somebody pretty soon. A few years ago there was a rumor that Jerry West thought about joining the Clippers to stay in LA-he would sign Shaq at the time of the opt out in the contract. Can you imagine????
Actually, I don't see why he doesn't cash in. This is the perfect situation for a guy like him to sell the team. He gets a bunch of money, and the team stays intact.
He doesn't sell because he loves the ego boost of owning an NBA team, no matter how ridiculed he is in basketball circles. He's also refused to move the team to Anaheim for the same reason -- that's too far for him (and whoever the hell he impresses by inviting them to games) to commute.
