(My Sportsbook) - The Los Angeles Clippers have assembled a very exciting core of young players. Now the only question that remains is how long the current group will remain in tact.

Clippers owner Donald Sterling and company did not get Elton Brand's name on a new long-term deal over the summer. Brand is in the walk year of his four- year, $15.78 million contract. Lamar Odom is also in the final year of his deal. Quentin Richardson and Corey Maggette are signed only through 2003-04. Yet Clippers' brass is showing no signs of locking up the services of these players for the long haul.

"I'm worried," guard Eric Piatkowski told the Contra Costa Times. "I wish they had gotten at least a couple of deals done over the summer. I think Elton [Brand] is going to play the right way. But there are a couple of other guys I'm worried about."

Conventional wisdom would dictate that the Clippers should sign Brand sooner than later. He's a 6-8 forward that plays like a legit seven-footer, and he's a solid citizen off the court.

In addition to the above-mentioned players, newly acquired point guard Andre Miller is free to walk after this season.

Miller, who the Clippers acquired in a deal with Cleveland that sent Darius Miles to Ohio, is one of the top point guards in the NBA. After Jason Kidd and Gary Payton, Miller is likely next in the pecking order. He's pretty much a triple-double waiting to happen.

"I don't know what they're doing," Miles said. "Elton Brand made the All-Star team and he didn't even get a contract [extension]. I know they've (Clippers players) got to hold their tongue, but I can say something. I'm not on their team any more. But that's a shame that you can get a good team, you get a team that can be a contender and a team in the future that can be one of the No. 1 teams in the world and you haven't signed anybody."

Miles' comments can be viewed as sour grapes: after all, he was dealt to a losing ball club in a location with freezing weather. Despite Miles' possible ulterior motives, it is strange that the organization hasn't done more to secure its future.

WANG SIGHTING

There was finally a confirmed sighting of former Mavs center Wang Zhizhi on his new team. Wang tallied five points over 10 minutes of work in LA's 74-72 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

"Wang came in and gave us a huge lift," Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said. "You can see that he can change the game. I thought he made a couple of real nice plays."