Benjamin’s Tour of Italy Ends Quickly; He Is Negotiating Again With Clippers

Apparently unhappy after only days in Italy, Benoit Benjamin will return to Los Angeles today in hopes of rejoining the Clippers, it was announced Thursday.

Barry Mallen, part of Benjamin’s three-man representation, said an agreement has been reached that would return the holdout center to the lineup. The Clippers, however, cautioned that there is no agreement, but the parties are closer to reaching one than when Benjamin bolted to Italy Monday. They said the situation could be resolved within days.

Speaking from his hotel room in Milan, Benjamin said he hopes to be on the bench when the Clippers play the Sacramento Kings in an exhibition game Sunday night in Redding, Calif., but that he does not expect to play. The teams also meet tonight at Chico.

“I’d rather not talk about the Italian team right now,” Benjamin said hours before leaving on a flight that is expected to have him back in Los Angeles tonight. “I just want to concentrate on the positives with the Clippers.”

One source within the organization said Benjamin’s representatives phoned almost immediately after arriving Tuesday to play for Philips Milan to talk about the possibility of the league’s sixth-best shot blocker returning to the National Basketball Assn. The Clippers, left without a starting center some two weeks before the start of the regular season, listened.

“He said he was unhappy in Italy,” the source said. “He said he wants to return to the Clippers, he wants to return to L.A. and he wants to meet the team halfway and play the rest of his career here.”

Sources said any deal will be close to one Benjamin already turned down: A one-year contract of $1.25 million, with several hundred thousand in incentives. Under that proposal, the Clippers also held the option for a second season, which could bring the package to more than $3 million.

“Our talks are in the serious stage,” General Manager Elgin Baylor said Thursday night before the Clippers’ 117-114 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in front of 5,841 at the Sports Arena. “I feel confident that we’ll be able to do it soon.”

Team owner Donald T. Sterling declined comment.

Benjamin is a restricted free agent, so the Clippers had the opportunity to match any offer sheet signed. None was, and the Clippers retained his rights during his short stay in Italy.

Exactly why--or how--Benjamin got out of his contract with Philips Milan is unclear. He said a majority of the conditions were reneged or challenged by team officials within 24 hours of his arrival.

For one, Benjamin said, Philips Milan wanted to add a clause that he could not leave the team before the end of the season next spring to return to the NBA. The Clippers’ most experienced returning starter from last season wanted no part of that condition.

Otherwise, Benjamin, Mallen and personal manager James Casey declined to discuss specifics of the contract. Agent Henry Holmes, also in Italy, had refused comment on any terms of the deal Tuesday.

“What went wrong?” Benjamin asked. “We signed an agreement in the States with several stipulations contained. They weren’t met when we got here, and then they tried to change it.”

So Benjamin, who was supposed to play his first game for Philips Milan today against Jugoplastika Split of Yugoslavia in the four-team McDonald’s Open at Rome, will be flying instead.

Apparently, Benjamin and his advisers couldn’t get home fast enough.

“You know how it is in another country,” Casey said. “We’ll leave this country for Danny Ferry.”

No sign of the No. 1 draft choice returning so suddenly. All the Clippers, the NBA leaders in the import-export business, may get back for now is a center.

Clipper Notes

Charles Smith scored 25 points for the Clippers, who blew a 97-86 lead with 9:58 to play. Ken Bannister had 19 points in 12 minutes. Charles Barkley led Philadelphia with 36, making 18 of 20 free throws. . . . Coach Don Casey, on Benoit Benjamin’s expected return: “I’ll think about Ben when he gets here. I’m really more into evaluating our performance tonight.”