NBA’s New Labor Agreement May Work Out Well for Martin

Throughout the recently settled lockout, Darrick Martin wore the unofficial title as leader of the daily workouts involving out-of-work NBA players at UCLA.

He did his best to make sure the players were notified when the pickup games were going to take place.

Now that the labor war has ended, Martin--starting Clipper point guard for 127 games the last two seasons--knows his role as UCLA workout organizer is ending. What he doesn’t know is whether he’ll be with the Clippers when they open training camp in about two weeks at College of the Desert.

Martin is one of 200 free agents affected by the agreement reached between the league and the players’ union.

“I’m glad that it’s over because everyone wants to play and we all were getting anxious,” said Martin, a former standout at UCLA and St. Anthony High in Long Beach. “I think the deal helps the middle-class player. The middle-class exemption is going to help guys like myself.”

Under that exception, teams will be allowed to sign two players--one for up to $1 million and another for up to $1.75 million--even if those figures put the team over the salary cap.

Said Brent Barry, also a free agent and Martin’s former Clipper teammate: “I don’t think there’s any doubt that Darrick will be playing for a team; it’s just a matter of which one is going to require his services. He’s shown the last two years that he’s an asset to any team because he’s willing to come in and work hard. Being a team player is his strongest attribute.”

Martin was not drafted by the NBA when he finished playing for UCLA in 1992. He played two years with Magic Johnson’s All-Stars, then one season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the Continental Basketball Assn.

He finally got to the NBA in the 1994-95 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and signed as a free agent with the Clippers in 1996.

Martin split time with Pooh Richardson the next two seasons and reportedly made $400,000 last season.

Elgin Baylor, the Clippers’ vice president of basketball operations, has made it clear the team is going to look at other free-agent point guards.

The only point guards now on the Clipper roster are Richardson and James “Hollywood” Robinson.

Damon Stoudamire and Rod Strickland are considered the class of the available players at the position, but the Clippers do not appear to have enough money under the cap to sign either one and still be able to reach a deal with No. 1 draft pick Michael Olowokandi, who will not return from playing in Italy until Feb. 15.

Travis Best is also a free-agent point guard but his stock has gone up considerably since the end of last season and he reportedly will seek a long-term deal with the Indiana Pacers. Other free-agent point guards who may be looked at by the Clippers include Greg Anthony, Darrell Armstrong, Cory Alexander, Sherman Douglas and Charlie Ward. Good players, but are they a better bargain than Martin?

“I believe that I can help a team,” said Martin, 27, who averaged 10.3 points and four assists last season. “I feel that I’m a proven player in this league who has a lot of confidence in his God-given talent.”

Martin is respected around the league for his quickness and ability to push the ball up the court.

If the Clippers try to re-sign Martin, negotiations with his new agent, Arn Tellem, should be interesting. Tellem represented Barry, who was traded to the Miami Heat last season when the Clippers decided not to work out a new deal.

“I really do not know what is going to happen, but I’ll know if the [average and median salary-cap exception] works out for me when I have a deal,” Martin said.

“I’m not surprised that the Clippers want to look elsewhere. I don’t have a problem with that. . . . I like playing here and the Clippers have done me well. But I also can handle it if I have to go somewhere else.”