CLIPPERS LOSE, FORGET WILLIAMS : SEATTLE 94, CLIPPERS 78.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

The Clippers are deleting Fred Slaughter's number from their automatic dial.

Satisfied with the club's start despite a 94-78 loss Thursday night to Seattle in front of 6,238 at the Sports Arena, Clippers executive vice president Andy Roeser announced there would be no offer made to last year's starting center and current free agent Brian Williams nor contact made with Slaughter, his agent.

Roeser has called Slaughter several times over the past three weeks but has not received a return call.

Slaughter said he would only accept offers by fax.

However, after the Clippers' offer for a four-year, $16.8 million contract was rejected last week, Roeser decided it was time to move on.

``We don't have any plans of contacting Fred,'' Roeser said. ``We haven't heard from him in awhile. We would like to have Brian on our team, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.''

Slaughter raised his demand to five years and $36.4 million when approached with the last Clippers' offer. The $16.8 million is the highest Williams has been offered since he rejected a seven-year, $35 million deal from the Sonics in July.

Slaughter asserts that the Clippers' final offer was lower than the five-year, $20 million proposal made in July, especially with 30 percent of that $16.8 million deferred.

``Their offer didn't increase at all since July, it actually regressed,'' Slaughter said. ``If they choose to no longer negotiate then that's their choice. Will Brian Williams ever play in a Clippers uniform? I don't know. But our door is always open.''

For one of the rare times this season, the Clippers (4-3) played as if they really needed the 6-foot-11 center. The starters struggled offensively and Seattle's Gary Payton had 20 points midway through the third quarter. He finished with 25 in helping Seattle to its 13th consecutive win over the Clippers.

Loy Vaught, who had been mired in an offensive slump, hit his first field goals in three games. While he remains the team's top rebounder, Vaught forced his first two shots, both misses, but finally broke through with a jumper six minutes into the game. Vaught scored 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting.

``It's coming slowly but surely,'' Vaught said. ``Playing those key minutes late in the game, it felt great.''

Bo Outlaw's enthusiasm didn't help much because the Clippers problem was much deeper than the usual poor shooting. Payton sliced through the Clippers defense for easy shots. And who did you expect to guard Sam Perkins near the 3-point line? Certainly not Stanley Roberts. Roberts spent the second half on the bench with a strained right hamstring.

He will be examined today by team doctor Tony Daly and his status for tonight's game with the Lakers is questionable. Roberts spent extra time in message treatment before the game because the hamstring was hurting.

``I don't know if it's serious,'' Roberts said. ``I'll see how it feels in the morning.''

The game turned into one huge matchup problem. Every reserve Clippers coach Bill Fitch inserted was simply overmatched by his Seattle counterpart. Payton was busy using any Clipper point guard assigned to him. Pooh Richardson left the game in frustration in the third quarter with four fouls.

Perkins' agility begged for a quicker center to guard him. Williams could have helped. Now it appears he gone, leaving the middle to Roberts and Kevin Duckworth, who played his third consecutive scoreless game.

It's the players who have to deal with the realization Williams might not come back.

``The players and the organization never get along as far as contracts and money,'' said Roberts, who scored four points in 10 minutes.

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