Clippers Making Moves to Fill the Roster : Wilkes Near Signing; Williams Gets Offer; New Bid for Benjamin

With the start of training camp only two days away, the Clippers moved fast Thursday to increase the quantity and quality of their roster:

--The Clippers spent most of the day drawing up a contract for free-agent forward Jamaal Wilkes, who is expected to sign today at noon.

--They also tendered an offer sheet to free-agent guard Ray Williams, who played with Boston last spring.

--General Manager Carl Scheer said he will present Larry Fleisher, agent for first-round draft choice Benoit Benjamin with a new offer today.

“I don’t see any problem now with Wilkes,” Scheer said late Thursday afternoon. “He should be a member of our team real soon.”

The Clippers will sign Wilkes to a $70,000 contract, the National Basketball Assn. minimum. The Lakers, who waived Wilkes in late August, are obligated to pay him the remainder of his $860,000-a-year contract.

Meanwhile, Scheer said that the Clippers will probably have to wait the mandatory 15 days before Williams will be able to join the team. The Celtics, who signed Williams last February, have the right of first refusal. “I don’t think (Williams) fits into the Celtics’ plans, because they’ve given (Indiana Pacer guard Jerry) Sichting an offer sheet,” Scheer said. “But knowing Red Auerbach, he’ll probably make us sweat it out.

“One of the reasons we signed Williams is because we don’t know about (free agent) Norm Nixon’s situation. We’ve got to fortify our backcourt. And I don’t know if I’m ready to put the ball in Lancaster Gordon’s hands. But Williams doesn’t have a guaranteed contract, so he’ll have to prove himself.”

Benjamin, the Clippers’ 7-foot first-round draft pick from Creighton, will miss the opening day of training camp, but by presenting Fleisher with another offer, the Clippers at least are showing the first sign of movement in some time.

“I’m not overly optimistic about it,” Scheer said. “It depends on how strong Fleisher’s resolve is about negotiating.”

Scheer said that the offer is more than the club’s original offer of a one-year guaranteed contract for $750,000.