Clippers Renege on Weiss’ Pay : NBA: Fired coach is owed $1.2 million, but team is refusing to pay.

Fired Clipper Coach Bob Weiss, scheduled to receive $1.2 million over the next two seasons as completion of his contract, is no longer being paid.

The Clippers wouldn’t comment directly on the matter, but Joe Safety, Clipper spokesman, indirectly confirmed the situation by calling it “an internal personnel matter.”

The Clippers refused to discuss reasons for their stance.

Weiss, who was fired May 16 with two years left on a three-year contract that paid him a reported $600,000 per season, refused comment. Lonnie Cooper, Weiss’ agent, also declined comment.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has been asked to resolve the dispute and the NBA Coaches Assn. is also monitoring the situation because of implications it could have for other coaches owed money after being fired.

After making the playoffs two seasons in a row under Coach Larry Brown, the Clippers missed postseason play last season and finished with the NBA’s seventh worst record (27-55) under Weiss. They lost 20 of their final 29 games, including a 49-point loss at Seattle.

The Clippers, who gave up 71 points to San Antonio center David Robinson in a season-ending loss to the Spurs, had the worst defense in the NBA, allowing an average of 108.7 points per game.

The Clippers were hurt by internal dissension before trading disgruntled All-Star forward Danny Manning to the Atlanta Hawks for Dominique Wilkins last February.

The Clippers, who have been without a coach for 71 days, have interviewed former Laker Coach Randy Pfund and former Minnesota Timberwolves Coach Bill Musselman, but say there is no leading candidate for the job.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have failed to make a lump sum option buyout payment of $600,000 to forward John Williams, who was waived last month. Under the terms of Williams’ contract, he was due to receive the money on July 15 if the Clippers didn’t renew his contract.

The Clippers maintain that Williams, who weighed a reported 302 pounds at the end of the season, breached his contract because he wasn’t fit to play.

“Since we haven’t gotten any formal letter or explanation, we don’t know why (the Clippers haven’t paid Williams),” said Fred Slaughter, Williams agent.

Safety said the Clippers notified Williams in writing, but declined further comment.

Charles Grantham, executive director of the National Basketball Players Assn., said the league has been notified that a grievance will be filed on behalf of Williams.

Williams, who was due to be paid $1.1 million last season, lost $563,414.62 after being suspended for the first 42 games of the season while he was at the Duke weight loss clinic. Williams, who reportedly weighed 325 pounds when he entered the clinic, weighed 270 pounds when he rejoined the team.

However, he couldn’t maintain the weight loss and, after being activated Feb. 4, averaged a career low 5.6 points in 34 games.