Coming to terms

Taylor inks deal with Clippers

On June 25 at the NBA Draft, Maurice Taylor was California dreamin'.

As of last Sunday, Taylor is California playin'.

The Los Angeles Clippers came to terms with the former Michigan power forward last Sunday, signing Taylor to the requisite three-year deal for first-round draft picks.

"We wanted him in here quickly so we can begin him playing in our summer league," Clippers director of player personnel Jeff Weltman said. "We want him to get in with our coaching staff so he can get his feet wet. The negotiations went smoothly."

In accordance with team policy, the terms of the contract were not released. However, based on the NBA's rookie wage scale, Taylor could receive up to $803,500 in the first year, $920,000 in the second and $1,044,000 in the third.

For rookies selected 14th, as Taylor was, the amount of the contract must be within 20 percent of the scale. The wage scale was part of the collective bargaining agreement the NBA settled on in1995.

The former Wolverine was the 10th first-round pick to sign. Signing rookies is not always an easy task, as shown by the remaining 18 first-rounders who have not yet come to terms - so the Clippers are happy to have Taylor on board.

"Every team is on its own timetable," Weltman said. "We have our summer pro league going on right now so it was important to get the negotiations done quickly."

After signing the contract on Sunday, Taylor jumped right into competition. The Clippers held their summer league contest - the Fila Summer Pro League at Long Beach State - and Taylor showed his talents.

"He played very well," Weltman said. "He showed flashes of a lot of different offensive skills, he played hard defensively and he did well underneath. He's in summer shape so it's not like we're looking at the finished product.

"But he definitely showed the talent and the work ethic we had hoped."

MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
Maurice Taylor will soon be playing against stiffer competition than Bradley. The former Michigan forward signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers last Sunday.

Opening the vault	Only 10 of the 28 first-round picks have signed with an NBA team.
Name	Team	Pick	Terms
Tim Thomas	Philadelphia	7	3 years, $4.64 million
Olivier St. Jean	Sacramento	11	undisclosed
Austin Croshere	Indiana	12	undisclosed
Derek Anderson	Cleveland	13	undisclosed
Maurice Taylor	L.A. Clippers	14	undisclosed
Brevin Knight	Cleveland	16	undisclosed
Anthony Parker	Philadelphia	21	3 years., $2.6 million
Ed Gray	Atlanta	22	undisclosed
Rodrick Rhodes	Houston	24	undisclosed
John Thomas	New York	25	undisclosed

07-16-97