Teammates say Maggette is valuable

Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling moved to end trade talks involving Corey Maggette when he conducted an impromptu meeting last week with Maggette, General Manager Elgin Baylor and Coach Mike Dunleavy.

Based on Sterling’s strong support of Maggette, the Clippers are not expected to trade the seven-year veteran this season unless they receive an offer considered too good to reject.

The Clippers need Maggette to make a playoff push after the All-Star break, players said.

“No doubt, Corey is going to be a key for us if we’re going to get to where we want to be,” Elton Brand said. “Even with all the [trade] speculation or whatever, he’s been nothing but professional the whole time.

“He’s done a great job coming off the bench and giving us scoring, rebounding and energy. He’s filled every role the team has needed him to, and he’s had a great attitude about it. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Maggette has been a difference-maker as a reserve, Sam Cassell said, and he’s only going to get better.

“Corey Maggette is not your average guy coming off the bench,” Cassell said. “Most other guys in this league can’t do the things Corey Maggette does to help this basketball team win.

“And he hasn’t even been doing it that long. He’s still getting comfortable at it, so that’s why Corey Maggette is so important to this basketball team.”

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The Clippers figured Yaroslav Korolev would not contribute immediately when they selected the Russian teenager with the 12th overall pick in the 2005 draft.

But Korolev was worth the risk, the Clippers said, because of his size -- 6 feet 9 -- shooting touch and potential on offense.

More than halfway through his second season, however, Korolev has appeared in only 28 regular-season games.

In October, the Clippers declined to exercise the third-year option of $2.7 million in Korolev’s contract, making him an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Although the Clippers said they hoped to re-sign the 19-year-old forward at a lower price, he might not return to the team.

Dunleavy has remained supportive of Korolev, saying he has continued to show promise in practice, but would that be enough to persuade Sterling and Andy Roeser, executive vice president, to make another financial commitment to the second-year player?

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jason.reid@latimes.com

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KEYS TO THE GAME

* Sam Cassell’s early boost. Cassell scored 13 points in the first quarter as the Clippers set the tone. Not bad for a 37-year-old point guard.

* The inside factor. Elton Brand (22 points) and Chris Kaman (15 rebounds) were too much for the SuperSonics to handle.

* Little resistance from Seattle. The SuperSonics shot only 32.9% despite taking many uncontested shots.

-- JASON REID