Cassell signs his extension

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BY ARNIE STAPLETON
Associated Press
Feb. 7, 2002 10:31 p.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks agree that point guard Sam Cassell is underpaid. They say his new contract extension shows he's not unappreciated.
The Bucks signed Cassell to a three-year, $17 million extension Thursday, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.

"I'm still underpaid, print that," Cassell said after leading the Bucks to a 107-103 victory over Memphis Thursday night.

Then why sign?

"Because my family wanted me to sign it," Cassell said. "No more questions about my contract, please."

Both sides know it's a bargain in today's NBA, where stratospheric salaries are the norm.

Cassell, who is averaging a career-best 20.2 points, has long insisted he deserved to be paid what other elite point guards in the league make, about $10 million a year.

But his earning power was limited because of the six-year, $21 million deal he signed with the New Jersey Nets four years ago. The Bucks could only offer him slightly more than $6 million a year.

"There's got to be, I think, disappointment," coach George Karl said. "But I think he knows we respect him ... we agree with him, he is underpaid. But there's nothing because of the collective bargaining agreement that we could do.

"And hopefully this will make him satisfied, secure, happy and we can go on and continue to build hopefully a championship situation."

Karl said Cassell's "probably going to be an underpaid guard at least for a couple years of this contract. But maybe at the end of the contract he'll be an overpaid guard, so maybe it balances out."

Cassell's agent, Charles Tucker, said the sides had to hash out differences along with the league office and the players' association over incentives from his current contract that were redefined by the new collective bargaining agreement.

"Sam's original deal had some kind of bonus in it and should have because it was a bad contract," Tucker said. "Terrible contract. I don't know why he signed it. It was terrible."

Bucks general manager Ernie Grunfeld said the Bucks offered Cassell everything possible under the rules and the deal was quickly completed after the league ruled on the bonus issue.

"The deal he signed was not with us. It was with another team," Grunfeld said. "Sam understands the situation - and it's not a situation we put him in. As far as Sam and this organization is concerned, it's a very strong relationship."

Cassell, a ninth-year pro, joined the Bucks on March 11, 1999, from New Jersey in a three-team deal that sent Terrell Brandon to Minnesota.

He set the Bucks' single-season franchise record with 729 assists two years ago and led Milwaukee to the cusp of the Eastern Conference championship last season.

Grunfeld called Cassell "the player that makes this team go. He's a clutch player. He's had tremendous playoff experience. He's been a part of two championship teams (in Houston) and Sam is what I call a gamer. He likes to compete and he likes the big moment and I like players like that."

Cassell could have refused the extension and become a free agent after next season, but he wouldn't have been able to make more money elsewhere.

"It's something we're happy is behind us," Grunfeld said. "Sam was under contract for next year, so there was no urgency to get it done today or last week or next week. We both felt eventually we would get it done."