Michael Olowokandi?s agent has set Wednesday as the deadline for the Clippers and ?Kandi to agree to a long-term extension of their existing contract.

Art Thompson says in the Orange County Register that agent Bill Duffy met with Clippers executive vice president Andy Roeser this week, the first conversation between the sides in weeks.  

If there?s no agreement, Kandi will accept the Clippers? qualifying offer.  This would be a contract for the 2002/03 season, at the end of which he would be an unrestricted free agent.

Says Olowokandi: "I can definitely say, without a shadow of doubt, that if nothing is done by (Wednesday), I'm not buying any more stories. I'll play that last year, and that's it.?

What?s even worse is this (and you probably haven?t seen it in any mainstream papers): If Kandi accepts the Clippers qualifying offer, the Clippers would not be able to trade him.  

The reason is that the qualifying offer is a new, one-year contract.  And players who will be Bird free agents at the end of a one-year contract cannot be traded during that contract.

So that Wednesday deadline could also be the deadline for when the Clippers can trade Kandi before the risk losing him with no compensation next summer.

The Clippers have not signed a player to a maximum contract extension since the existing collective-bargaining agreement began in 1999.  Although it?s an open question whether Kandi is worth a maximum contract, there?s no question he would command a large, long-term contract on the open market.

And where would he like to play?  Bill Duffy says, ?Michael loves L.A.  He wants to stay with the Clippers.?  And Kandi says, ?I have always expressed the desire to be a Clipper.?

There is no indication of whether they?re close to a deal.  Should be an interesting few days.