Fantastico News

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon in the coursework of Los Angeles' 107-102 victory over the Magic in Orlando on Monday night.The team says an MRI on Tuesday confirmed Billups' injury.Billups will return to Los Angeles on Thursday for further evaluation. The Clippers say a date for surgical procedure has not been determined.The five-time All-Star, whom the Clippers claimed off waivers in December, was averaging 14.9 points and four.0 assists in 30.4 minutes per game this season.

Billups, who was selected third overall in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics, is playing for his seventh NBA club. of them was the Denver Nuggets, who dealt him to New York with Carmelo Anthony as part of a three-team, 13-player trade with Minnesota last February.

Billups was having a immense night Monday, scoring 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter when they turned to run up the court and buckled to the ground with five:48 left in the game. They was surrounded by trainers and teammates, but needed assistance on both sides to make it off the court.

The Clippers will likely use the larger of their traded-player exceptions, worth $3.8 million, to try and acquire a player to replace Billups. They can make a trade with a team in which Los Angeles sends that team a Draft pick in exchange for a player making up to $3.8 million in wage. However, since the Clippers are not a luxury tax-paying team this season, they can make deals in which the total amount of money in the deal is either 150 percent of the salaries of players being traded, or the salaries of players being traded and $5 million, whichever is lower.

The Clippers, according to a source, have no interest in signing free agent guard Gilbert Arenas. Arenas, who was waived by the Magic by the amnesty provision before the beginning of the season, is in California and having an open workout this week for teams that may have an interest in signing him.

source : nba.com