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Michael Olowokandi and his agent have decided against pushing for a contract extension before next week’s deadline, preferring to wait until after this season to secure a new deal.

Their plan is for Olowokandi to have a standout 2001-02, his best as a pro, then put himself in a position to command a bigger payday at season’s end. If he does excel this season, then the Clippers will be happy to give Olowokandi a fatter paycheck.

He has career averages of 9.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in three seasons with the Clippers. Elgin Baylor, Clipper general manager, said earlier this month he is not disappointed in Olowokandi. But his statistics aren’t considered as impressive as they could be for a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Fouls have been a problem; he averaged only 25.9 minutes a game last season, primarily because of foul trouble.

“My role is, primarily, playing defense and blocking shots,” Olowokandi said Friday. “There are a lot of ways to take over a game without scoring points.”

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The Clippers will conduct a free scrimmage at 1 p.m. today at College of the Desert. All 1,600 tickets were passed out earlier this week.