Sam Cassell is signaling he'd take $5 million a season and Vlade Radmanovic might accept the veteran's exception of $5.5 million, they then can give Chris Kaman an extension that doesn't kick in until 2007-08 and next season's payroll would go up only $4 million.

"The first thing that is very, very positive for us, we can improve by doing nothing," Dunleavy said. "We've got guys here that are young enough that they're just going to get better. They can take us to another level on that alone."

Corey Maggette could become the odd man out though and a trade is a possibility.  He accepted his role as sixth man this spring, but is likely to express reluctance in the future.

"I'm just letting my agent [Rob Pelinka] handle it, that's not for me to do," Maggette said. " ? The biggest thing now is to be professional about it."

Sam Cassell provided just the right mix of steady play and veteran leadership to a Clippers team that was in need of a leader.  Now he is a free agent and would like to continue what he started.

"I want to come back, and I know for sure Mike Dunleavy wants me back, so that's up to [owner] Donald Sterling," Cassell said. "He's the guy who signs the checks."

Suns coach Mike D?Antoni admitted floating the idea of Thomas playing for the first time since suffering a stress fracture in his right foot in a game of such magnitude was more gamesmanship than game-time decision, according to a report in the East Valley Tribune.

?That just wasn?t going to happen,? D?Antoni said. ?But it was a fun thing to talk about.?

The Cinderella season of the Los Angeles Clippers came to an end last night when they were defeated by MVP Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns.

Every player on the Phoenix Suns scored in double-digits en route to a 127-107 victory.

Nash scored 29 points and dished out 11 assists in the win.

Despite Elton Brand's game high 36 points (alongside 9 rebounds), Sam Cassell was cold and the rest of the Clippers team could not get it together on defense.

The Suns will face the Dallas Mavericks, Nash's former team, on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

The Clippers are ready for their Game 7 matchup at Phoenix and they are clearly not merely happy to be present.

"Hey, until we win, it's not a big moment for the franchise," coach Mike Dunleavy said Friday. "It's great we got this far because at the start of the season nobody thought we'd be here. I've been saying all along that I thought we could be here. I'm not somebody who makes things up and is not realistic."

As far as advancing to the conference finals, he said, "I'm going to be disappointed if we don't get there."

Kurt Thomas has not played since breaking his right foot against Boston on Feb. 22, but he might be available for spot duty off the bench against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

The Clippers have never made it past the second round, but if they had any doubts that they won't win Game 7 in Phoenix, they certainly weren?t showing any following their Game 6 victory at home.

"We have no road fear at all," said Mike Dunleavy. "We feel we can play with anybody."

There will be a three-day layoff before Game 7, which will give both teams some well-needed rest.

?Sam Cassell's legs are tired, and he's 58, so I think the days off will help him," coach Dunleavy said.

With their backs against the wall, the Los Angeles Clippers came out fighting.

Elton Brand scored 30 points and added 12 rebounds as the Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 118-106 in Game 6 on Thursday night, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday in Phoenix.

With the L.A. Clippers and Phoenix scheduled to meet tonight in Game 6 at the Staples Center, the Clippers, on the verge of elimination, are confident they will be able to force a seventh and decisive game.

"It will be a hard road, but we feel we can win this game at home, and we've played well there (in Phoenix)," Clippers forward Elton Brand said. "We're ready to get back on it and try to forget about that game.

"But I'm not guaran-Sheeding anything," Brand said, poking fun at a prediction by Detroit's Rasheed Wallace in the Pistons' series against Cleveland.

Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy was more emphatic.

"There's no question in my mind that we have the ability to win (tonight), and we have the ability to win Monday night. That's not even an issue," he said. "Now, getting it done is two different things."

Los Angeles Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor was today named NBA Executive of the Year by the Sporting News. In voting by 45 NBA executives, Baylor received 15 votes which nearly doubled the eight votes given to Toronto?s Bryan Colangelo, who finished second in the voting.

Under Baylor?s direction, the Clippers assembled a deep and talented roster that finished the regular season with a 47-35 record to post the most wins since the 1974-75 season. The Clippers also qualified for the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons and have advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals.