ESPN NBA

Donald Sterling can fool some of the people, some of the time, but I'm assuming most NBA fans out there have their own calculators and can figure this out, too.

So far, the Los Angeles Clippers owner has forked over some relatively big contracts to a few players who are now supposed to elevate the team to respectability despite the fact that Elton Brand and Corey Maggette and, possibly to be added later, Lamar Odom have yet to play in a single playoff game much less win one.

With nine players under contract for the upcoming season, the Clipper payroll stands at about $32 million. The league minimum is $32.9 million. The salary cap has been set at $43.8 million. The luxury-tax threshold is expected to be around $52.9 million.

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