Nixon Adviser Pessimistic on Talks With the Clippers

The Clippers and representatives for free-agent guard Norm Nixon negotiated by phone for several hours Sunday night in what agent Tom Collins called a final effort to reach a contract agreement.

Collins, enlisted by Nixon to help attorney Fred Slaughter with negotiations, said late Sunday night that it is doubtful an agreement could be reached. He also said he and Nixon will fly to Houston this morning in hopes of receiving an offer sheet from the Rockets.

“I just don’t think Norm will ever be able to play for the Clippers again,” Collins said. “We’re going to keep negotiating tonight, but the Clippers keep stalling and talking in circles. In 10 years as an agent, I’ve never seen an organization like this. (Rocket owner) Charlie Thomas has invited us to come down and we’re hoping for an offer sheet.”

Clipper General Manager Carl Scheer said Sunday night that he still hopes to come to terms with Nixon. He also said he and President Alan Rothenberg asked Sterling to talk with Nixon.

“We begged Mr. Sterling to do it,” Scheer said. “We figured it would be good to cut through all the middle men, the Slaughters, Scheers, Rothenbergs. We asked Mr. Sterling that before we knew Collins was involved.”

Even if Houston tenders an offer sheet to Nixon, the Clippers will most likely match the offer. Collins speculated that the Clippers would then trade Nixon to Sacramento for guard Larry Drew.

“I really feel the Clippers don’t want Norm,” Collins said. “They are offering an all-star a two year deal with ridiculously low numbers and they want him to have a lot of it deferred. They made all sorts of threats if Norm signed an offer sheet.”

Collins had originally proposed a meeting today involving Scheer, Rothenberg, Nixon and himself. But, according to Collins, Sterling called Nixon Sunday night and tried to deal directly with him. Nixon refused. That is when the Clippers and Collins decided to negotiate by phone Sunday night. “Sterling didn’t want to deal with me. He told Norm that I was the reason Terry Cummings wanted out of San Diego,” said Collins, who represents Milwaukee’s Terry Cummings, as well as Houston’s Ralph Sampson and the Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Sterling, who has not talked to the press for two years, could not be reached.

“We laid our numbers and years on the table and said yes or no,” Collins said. “We’re still waiting on the Clippers’ decision. They always stall. But it’s time to play hardball. This thing has gone on too long.”

Sources close to the negotiating say the Clippers have offered Nixon a three-year contract. The first year would be worth $400,000, $500,000 the second and $600,000 thew third.