Unhappy Rodman Might Not Sign Today

Dennis Rodman, who agreed to a one-year contract with the Chicago Bulls, now says he won’t sign the deal as planned today because he doesn’t like the incentive clauses in it.

Rodman told the Chicago Tribune in today’s editions that injuries to Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc could lower the number of games the Bulls win--and consequently hurt Rodman’s bottom line because the incentives are tied to Chicago victories.

“It’s very unfair, and before I sign anything, I’ll make sure those things are out of the contract,” Rodman said. “If I sign that contract [today], I’m going to have a very vindictive attitude toward [General Manager] Jerry Krause and the organization.”

Rodman had been waiting to sign the contract because of pneumonia that forced him to delay a team physical. He passed the physical while the Bulls were in Paris over the weekend.

Rodman told the paper he planned to talk with Krause today to settle the dispute. If it can’t be resolved, Rodman might sit out the start of the regular season.

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John Starks, the winner of the sixth man of the year award last season, sprained his ankle early in the second quarter of the New York Knicks’ exhibition loss to the Toronto Raptors at Hartford, Conn.

Starks was driving to his left against Walt Williams when he stepped on Williams’ foot and turned his left ankle. He lay on the court in obvious pain clutching his leg for more than a minute before being helped off the floor.

Starks was taken to a local hospital for X-rays, which came back negative. He will not be able to practice for several days.

“The swelling’s not too bad,” General Manager Ernie Grunfeld said. “With sprained ankles, you really don’t know a whole lot until the next day.”

Making matters worse for New York, third-string shooting guard Pete Myers pulled a hamstring late in the fourth quarter of the 98-91 loss. Myers will not be able to practice Monday either.

The absence of Starks and Myers leaves New York, 1-4 in the preseason, with only eight healthy players. Also injured are Chris Childs (fractured eye socket), Buck Williams, Herb Williams and Scott Brooks (strained hamstrings) and rookie John Thomas (strained groin).

“Our main focus right now is getting healthy,” Grunfeld said, adding that the Knicks will keep an eye on the waiver wire for backcourt help.

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There is an uneasiness surrounding the Seattle SuperSonics as they get ready to face life without Shawn Kemp.

“We’ve struggled a little,” Coach George Karl said in Seattle. “A lot of it’s because of new faces.”

On Thursday night, Seattle lost its fourth of five exhibition games when Vin Baker made his debut at KeyArena in Seattle.

Baker, acquired from Milwaukee in the three-team trade last month that sent Kemp to Cleveland, played well, blocking four shots, grabbing nine rebounds and scoring 11 points.

But he was no Kemp. The high-leaping, emotional Kemp thrilled crowds with his athletic, acrobatic moves. Kemp scored on dazzling alley-oop dunks and could carry the Sonics. The quiet, unspectacular Baker is not that type of player.

The SuperSonics still have Gary Payton, the NBA defensive player of the year two seasons ago, at point guard, and Baker, a three-time all-star, is a good player whom Payton will make better.

They’ll be in the starting lineup, along with Jim McIlvaine, Hersey Hawkins and Detlef Schrempf. For reserves, Karl probably will rely mainly on Jerome Kersey, Dale Ellis, Greg Anthony, Sam Perkins and David Wingate.

Can the SuperSonics be a better team without Kemp than they were with him? That’s not likely and the SuperSonics know it.

“I think that question is better answered in February,” Karl said.