Chaney’s Chances Hinge on Clippers Beating Warriors

The Clippers, preparing for tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors at the Sports Arena, weren’t saying anything more Tuesday about Coach Don Chaney’s prospects of remaining Coach Don Chaney, but there was news on other fronts:

--On the eve of guard Derek Smith’s return after a 16-game absence because of torn knee cartilage, the Clippers began negotiations on a contract extension for Smith, who is in the final year of his contract.

Ron Grinker, Smith’s agent, met with Clipper General Manager Carl Scheer and General Counsel Arn Tellem. Talks are still in the preliminary stages, but Grinker is believed to be asking for about $1 million a year.

“I’m really encouraged by that,” Smith said of the negotiations. “That’s a start. I’m confident my situation is going to be taken care of. I’m not worried. I don’t look at what the franchise has done in the past with Norm (Nixon’s free agency) or their history on contracts.”

Scheer would not comment.

Second-year forward Jay Murphy was waived to make room for Smith.

--U.S. District Court Judge Leland C. Nielson held a “status conference” Monday with the involved parties in the NBA’s $25-million suit against the Clippers for moving without permission. Sources said that Nielson had favorable comments about the Clippers’ position, citing the Raiders’ ruling on their move from Oakland to Los Angeles. The Clippers would not comment.

Gary Bettman, the NBA’s general counsel, said: “It’s not uncommon for a judge to probe at the parties on the matter. The judge, however, has set a trial date (early March) and it will be before a jury. We like our position.”

--There is a chance Clipper executives will not give Chaney a week before deciding his fate.

Said a source high in the Clipper organization: “Theoretically, if we get blown out or even lose to Golden State, we would fire him then.”

Neither Scheer nor Chaney would expand on their comments in The Times Tuesday about an impending coaching change.

“We’re shutting the media out until the situation is resolved one way or the other,” Scheer said. “We’re focusing on the team. Anything else I could say now would exacerbate the situation.”

Chaney said: “It’s obvious what the situation is. To dwell on it won’t do any good. I want the players to approach the game with as little pressure as they can. But no one wants to feel they have a gun to their heads. I’m approaching this game like any other one. Sure, we need it for a lot of reasons. But it’s not special.”

The return of Smith, however, could make it special. In the first nine games of the season, he averaged 27.1 points. In the 16 games he has missed, the Clippers went 3-13.

Smith has practiced the last two days and told Chaney he is ready to play. Chaney said he will bring Smith off the bench tonight and that playing time will be determined by how Smith’s knee feels.

Tuesday, Smith said his knee was sore.

“When you watch me out there playing, you’re going to say that there’s a lot of things he can’t do,” Smith said. “But the day the soreness goes away, I’ll be back where I was before the injury. I don’t have any psychological blocks. There’s nothing mental. It’s all just soreness that’s holding me back.”

Smith, asked if he feels pressure coming back when Chaney’s job is in jeopardy, said: “I don’t have any pressure on me. The articles in the papers today couldn’t get us any lower. We have been down for a while because we’ve had our brains handed to us by every team. We like our coach and we want to win for him.

“We better start tomorrow.”