Manning Will Miss Opening of Clippers’ Camp, Agent Insists

Ron Grinker, Danny Manning’s agent, said Tuesday there is “zero” chance the Clippers’ No. 1 draft pick will be in attendance when training camp opens Friday.

Clipper sources said the team, with rookies Manning and Charles Smith, both of whom played on the U.S. Olympic team in Seoul, and free-agent guard Quintin Dailey still to be signed, has only $2.3 million to negotiate with before going over the salary cap. They say they offered the 1987-88 college player of the year about $6 million over 4 years. According to a source, Grinker’s request is in the neighborhood of $8 million for 4 years.

“It’s not a matter of a few thousand or a few hundred thousand dollars,” Grinker said. “We’re probably millions apart, and that is frightening because that means one of us is dramatically incorrect.”

In an unusual move, team owner Donald T. Sterling has handled the negotiations for the Clippers. He cited two reasons for stepping into the new role--the uniqueness of having the No. 1 player in the draft and his friendship with Grinker.

“We will sign Manning,” Sterling said. “We will. I don’t know when, but we will sign him.”