Edwards Buys Out of Clipper Contract : Pro basketball: It costs him $250,000, but he hopes to get a two-year deal with team. Ainge going to Suns.

James Edwards, turning his back on a guaranteed $1.1 million next season in hopes of getting a two-year deal, Wednesday informed the Clippers he would exercise a buyout clause and become an unrestricted free agent.

Edwards spent $250,000, which he has until July 30 to pay, but his first choice is to remain a Clipper. And they would like to keep him, but the veteran center, the team’s only proven player at that position, wants about $2.7 million for two seasons. He would be 38 when such a deal expires.

“You get tired of playing games with the Clippers,” said his agent, Reggie Turner. “And I would think in their position, faced with a future of Elmore Spencer and William Bedford, they wouldn’t screw around with us. Considering the numbers we are asking are not going to be staggering, and since Charles Smith has already stated he is not going to play center, you would think going ahead and signing the guy would be best for you.

“I’m comfortable rolling the dice, because the dice are now in our hands and they are loaded.”

Though hinted at last week, this decision marks a change of heart for Edwards, who had said late in the season he probably would not exercise the buyout. After 15 seasons in the NBA, he said he wanted to determine his future instead of coming back and then being traded. The security of an extra year on the contract was also a big factor in his decision and, because of a technicality, he and the Clippers would not have been able to talk about an extension until October if he did not use the buyout.

This puts the Clippers in a potential bidding war to retain their probable No. 1 center for the start of training camp, barring another trade, but it also gives them some flexibility. For one thing, they get $250,000, though waiving that will almost certainly be part of any new deal with Edwards. More important, they get under the salary cap, which allows them to make trades without the difficult procedure of dealing players with similar contracts, and they have more money to use toward signing three rookies. The Clippers could then go over the cap to re-sign Edwards as their own free agent.

“We plan to sit down and talk and there’s hope we can work something out,” General Manager Elgin Baylor said.

Also Wednesday, the day for players to become free agents or have options picked up:

--Danny Ainge, who had said all along he wanted to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, prepared to fly to Phoenix and sign a three-year contract with the Suns for a reported $5.2 million.

--The San Antonio Spurs, concerned about getting into protracted negotiations with Rod Strickland that could lead to a lengthy holdout for the second consecutive year, renounced the rights to their starting point guard. That makes him an unrestricted free agent.

--Terry Teagle of the Lakers was able to begin negotiations as an unrestricted free agent, as was Rory Sparrow. Chucky Brown and Keith Owens became restricted free agents, giving the Lakers the option to match any offer.

--The Clippers renounced the rights to LeRon Ellis, their first-round pick last year, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Charles Smith became a restricted free agent, but any team that signs him will simply be doing the paperwork for the Clippers, who will need only enough time to reach for a pen to match the offer. Also, Danny Young became an unrestricted free agent.

New York, which had been expected to bid for Smith, has backed off and instead made an offer to Washington’s Harvey Grant, a restricted free agent. That offer sheet is reportedly worth about $10 million over five years.

--The Knicks also hope to re-sign unrestricted free agent Xavier McDaniel.

Another unrestricted free agent who figures to get plenty of attention is Denver’s Greg (Cadillac) Anderson, who finished seventh in the league in rebounding.