Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports: The Orlando Magic are no closer to signing free agent forward/center Keon Clark after a meeting between General Manager John Gabriel and Jim Mourer, Clark's agent.

Though Gabriel said the meeting went well, the same issues that make signing Clark such a long shot still exist.

It was originally thought that Clark would accompany Mourer to Orlando, but the 6-foot-11 former Magic draft pick did not visit. If talks progress and Clark grows more intrigued with the Magic, he will visit. The Magic hope that, at some point, they can bring him in for some wooing.

Mutual interest has caused the Magic to explore adding Clark to the roster. Clark, who averaged 11.3 points and 7.4 rebounds for Toronto last season, has said in the past that living where there is no state income tax is attractive to him. He is also said to be an avid golfer in the off-season. And the Magic play a faster style that could showcase his athleticism.

Still, he is expected to command the entire $4.545 million mid-level exception. Though the Magic have most of it to spend, they are dangerously close to the luxury tax, which is expected to kick in between $50 and $52 million this coming season. If a franchise's team salary is above that number, they will have to pay, dollar for dollar, the money over that amount they are. That's why signing Clark is so difficult.

"I think it's unlikely, but you've still got to explore," Gabriel said. "When players show interest, you have to kick open a door that's slightly cracked."

Clark has at least six serious suitors, including the Sacramento Kings, who are championship contenders.

To acquire Clark, the Magic would have to make a trade that might have to include Mike Miller to clear some room under the expected $50-52 million luxury tax freshold.

Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports that the Magic are looking at all the possibilities. They want Keon Clark but they don?t want to pay the luxury tax.

Magic General Manager John Gabriel will try to work a trade to add Clark to the roster without taking the team salary over the $50-$52 million range. Anything above that puts the Magic in danger of paying the luxury tax for the upcoming season.

The Magic will try to convince Clark to come to Orlando. He would be an important piece to a team that may only be one big man away from contending for the Eastern Conference title. Gabriel and the Magic have plenty of competition for Clark?s services.

At least half a dozen teams are interested in Clark. His agent, Jim Mourer, reportedly had a hush-hush meeting in Las Vegas last week with the Sacramento Kings. Mourer said last week that his client would consider a short-term deal, possibly three years, if the situation were right. Even in this tight NBA economy, Clark is expected to command the full $4.545 million mid-level exception.

Brewer adds that it's hard to imagine a situation in which the Magic could sign Clark and keep forward Mike Miller. Miller, the 2001 rookie of the year, has endured hearing his name in trade talks for the past two off-seasons. Miller would likely have to be included to work any sign-and-trade for Clark.

Martin McNeal of the Sacramento Bee reports that the Kings are keeping all channels open. The luxury tax may penalize teams for over spending, but it also allows teams to find bargains in the free agent market. Hence the team's recent conversations with a number of free agents, such as athletic versatile forwards Keon Clark, who last season played with Toronto, and Donyell Marshall, who played with Utah.

Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, said the team is always looking at which players are available. "We're always going to be monitoring these situations," Petrie says of a crop of talented free agents who have been unable to command the types of dollars they once expected.

"The standing operating procedure is to at least call people and see what they are doing," Petrie said Saturday. "You can always assume we're going to do that."

Earlier this week, Petrie said no deals were imminent for the Kings. "There is nothing marching toward the watchtower," he said Thursday. Saturday, Petrie kidded, "The fog still hasn't lifted from that watchtower."

Tim Buckley of the Desert News gives us the Jazz rebuttal to comments made by agent Dwight Manley. Manley, who is the agent for Utah forward Karl Malone and free agents Donyell Marshall and Bryon Russell, blasted the Jazz for their handling of Russell and Marshall?s free agent negotiations.

"Dwight has his own opinion," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's vice-president of basketball operations. "Whatever opinion he has is his own. "If he had something to say to me," O'Connor added, "he should have called me himself."

With their backs against the luxury tax limit, the Jazz informed Manley that Russell would not be offered a contract this summer. It also appears that the Jazz recently refused a sign and trade offer for Russell. Multiple sources said Saturday that the Jazz turned down an offer from Michael Jordan's Washington Wizards to swap veteran swingman Hubert Davis guard Tyronn Lue for Russell.

If the Jazz want to remain under the tax limit, they would probably not be able to offer a deal to Marshall and accept more salary in a sign and trade for Russell. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have emerged as a suitor for Marshall. A Sacramento Kings front-office official would neither confirm nor deny his team's interest in Marshall on Saturday, but their president, Geoff Petrie, suggested that inquiring about another team?s free agent is not unusual.  

"Standard operating procedure is to at least call people and see what they are doing," and it's safe to assume Sacramento did just that with several of the league's top free agents, Petrie told the Sacramento Bee. "But a lot of guys," said Petrie, who was speaking generally and did not identify Manley by name, "run around after you talk to them and use that to try to get what they want from other teams."

Still upset over the Jazz's handling of Bryon Russell, agent Dwight Manley said Friday that the Sacramento Kings have entered the sweepstakes for Jazz free agent forward Donyell Marshall.

Manley also said the Russell matter ? the veteran swingman is not being offered a contract to return to the Jazz, the only team he has played for in his nine NBA seasons ? is troublesome not only to Marshall but also to another one of his clients, Jazz star Karl Malone.
     
"When they give you the send-off Bryon got, it doesn't really appeal to Donyell ? or Karl," Manley said.

Tim Buckley of the Desert News reports on the latest in the Donyell Marshall/Utah Jazz soap opera and the star of the show, agent Dwight Manley.

Manley, who is the agent for Jazz free agents Donyell Marshall and Bryon Russell as well as Jazz power forward Karl Malone says that the Sacramento Kings have become serious suitors for Marshall. He also says that the way the Jazz organization brushed off Russell does not sit well with Malone or Marshall. "When they give you the send-off Bryon got, it doesn't really appeal to Donyell ? or Karl," Manley said.

Manley suggested that the Jazz handling of the Russell situation may effect next year?s negotiations with Malone. "There's nothing Karl can do but honor his contract. He's a man of his word, and he will do that," Manley said of Malone, who has waffled on whether or not he plans to retire with the Jazz or finish his career elsewhere. But he's very smart," Manley added. "Karl realizes what is going on. If that's the send-off Bryon gets, what's it going to be like in Karl's situation?"

As for the Marshall negotiations, Donyell has made it clear that he wants to stay with the Jazz for the long term. But he also wants a raise over last year?s $6.5 million salary. The Jazz initially offered a three-year contract worth $21 million. Manley countered, and Utah pulled its first offer off the table. They later replaced it with a four-year, $23 million offer that starts at $5 million per season. Talks have been stalled there so Manley has been shopping his client elsewhere. "Since things basically shut down with the Jazz, things elsewhere have heated up," Manley said.

Manley said he is in "serious negotiations" with the Kings regarding a short-term deal for the mid-level salary-cap exception slot, worth $4.545 million. Going to a contending team like Sacramento, Manley added, would be quite appealing to Marshall. One other source confirmed those talks.

Manley continues to state that he and Marshall are serious about playing elsewhere and are not using the threat as a negotiating ploy. Marshall, he said, would prefer to go to a situation "you perform well for a team, and then that team takes care of you." Manley said he does not feel that happened in the case of Russell. In fact, he was very surprised with the Jazz callous attitude toward Russell.

 "Not so much as a phone call, a letter ? nothing," Manley said. "And certainly not the offer which he was promised all year. This is really pretty sad that the Jazz treated Bryon like that. "If you work at 7-Eleven nine years, you get more than Bryon Russell got. At least you'd get a sandwich or something."

Now, it seems possible both Marshall and Russell may sign elsewhere without the Jazz getting anything in return. "Bryon's not crying or complaining," Manley said. "It is what it is. But it doesn't mean it's right."

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Seattle may not be resolved to give up their restricted free agent, Jerome James just yet. After initial speculation that the Sonics would probably let James go if offered a big contract, Seattle coach Nate McMillan said yesterday his club will match an offer sheet to Sonics' 7-1 center who visited the Knicks last weekend.

According to a league source, New York isn?t prepared to offer James the entire mid-class exception. The Knicks have decided they will use only a portion of their $4.7 million exception on the free-agent centers they are considering, including James. And if the Knicks do extend an offer to James, it will not be for the maximum 6-years. It will more likely be a 4-year deal.

"Yes we are going to match," said McMillan. "Our plans are to match the contract. Last year our plan was to build around our young guys and help them develop - Rashard Lewis, Earl Watson and Jerome. We plan to keep him if possible."

James? agent, Mark Fletcher says that as many as six teams are interested. He expects to see at least two offers for the mid-class exception. Other than the Knicks, Sacremento and Memphis have also expressed interest.

Martin McNeal of the Sacramento Bee reports: Today signals the first day the Kings can officially begin negotiations with restricted free-agent point guard Mike Bibby and his agent, David Falk.

According to NBA rules, a new contract cannot be signed until July 16.

The Kings would love to sign Bibby, and he wants to re-sign with them. That sounds simple enough, but these negotiations will be about millions of dollars, so inevitably there will some manure in the game.

Now the Kings are in the precarious position of trying to hold down a looming luxury-tax payment after the 2002-03 season. That amount, which won't be determined until July 2003, figures to be $13 million to $19 million.

Falk knows Bibby can ask for 25 percent of the yet-to-be-determined 2002-03 salary-cap level to maximize a starting point for his earnings. Last season's cap was $42.5 million, so Falk's minimum starting point on the new deal (potentially as long as seven years) will be in the $10.6 million neighborhood.

Stretched over seven years with a 12.5 percent annual increase, the total value is approximately $102 million.

However, only the Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls have money available beyond the $4.6 million exception. So it's not like Bibby can go elsewhere and get the biggest bucks. And the Kings likely will offer him more money than any other team.

However, when all the manure is shoveled and dug, Bibby likely will get the maximum.

And the Kings hope they'll be able to pay that 2003 luxury tax after winning their first NBA title.