The Doctor Will Be In for Clippers : Pro basketball: Rivers to report--without his desired contract extension.

The Clippers’ last preseason problem, noninjury division, was resolved Thursday when guard Doc Rivers, the third and final holdout, said he will rejoin the team today.

The $8,900 in fines either will be waived by the Clippers or donated to a charity of his choice, but the walkout, an attempt to force a one-year contract extension at about $4 million, will be expensive for Rivers. It probably cost him the starting point guard spot for opening night next Friday at Sacramento. Coach Mike Schuler said before Thursday’s 146-112 exhibition victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv at the San Diego Sports Arena that it is almost a certainty that Gary Grant will start.

That is not the only move that would have ranked as a surprise two weeks ago. Schuler, again stressing that things could change before heading to Sacramento, indicated that Danny Manning will stay at small forward and Ken Norman will remain as sixth man, meaning Loy Vaught will replace injured Charles Smith at power forward.

The Clippers acquired Rivers to be their starting point guard, but his 19-day absence combined with Grant’s play affected a decision Schuler did not expect to have to make.

This is not, the coach stressed, a pay-back for Rivers’ derogatory comments, made as he walked out of camp after the first day.

Even Thursday, none of his demands having been met, Rivers wasn’t apologizing.

“At the time, it was the way I felt,” he said from his home in Atlanta, not long before boarding a flight to Los Angeles. “Some of those things, I probably should not have said. But I won’t go back on that. I’ve always spoke my mind.

“I know the players won’t (be upset), because they go through this all the time. I hope management isn’t. Both sides got their feelings hurt.”

Management said its feelings aren’t hurt. And, more important to Rivers, management still is willing to talk about an extension, though not until the end of this season and not for $4 million.

The Clippers will have three cuts to make next week--probably Marvin Andrews and Clinton Smith and either Lanard Copeland or Rory Sparrow--but they have shown some interest in adding to the roster. With veteran Darrell Griffith scheduled to clear waivers Thursday after being cut by Utah and the Clippers in need of outside shooting, General Manager Elgin Baylor has had preliminary talks with Griffith’s agent, Bob Woolf.

The Clippers return to the Los Angeles Sports Arena tonight to play the San Antonio Spurs at 7:30 p.m.