NBA : Harper Wants New Clipper Contract

The Clippers, who opened training camp Friday at UC Irvine, could lose guard Ron Harper as well as All-Star forward Danny Manning before next season.

Harper, who became the NBA’s highest-paid guard when the Clippers picked up his $4-million one-year contract option, said he will leave after the season unless the Clippers give him a new contract before training camp ends next Saturday.

“You can only talk for so long and something has to happen,” Harper said. “And I’m not going to talk for too much longer. Once a couple weeks go by that’s going to be it.”

The Clippers hope to re-sign Harper.

“The club has talked with Harper and his agent about an extension,” Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor said. “And Harper expressed a desire to stay with the organization. When you say what’s going to happen between now and the end of training camp, I have no reason not to believe that all this won’t be worked out.”

Manning, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 1993-94 season, reiterated that he won’t re-sign with the Clippers, who offered him a $25-million, five-year deal last summer.

“The Clippers made me a very fair offer,” Manning said. “It’s not about money. It’s about playing in a place where I feel we’re all moving in the right direction. And in years past I haven’t felt that.”

The Clippers say they still want to sign Manning.