Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The big, second-tier names who will be considered by the Celtics for the sixth pick in the June 26 draft may still need some wooing before they arrive in Waltham for workouts.

[…] Agents naturally play a large role at this time of year, with all kinds of stipulations attached to individual workouts. Everything from head-to-head workouts to media access are open to negotiation.

Consider, for example, the power forward trio of Randle, Vonleh and Gordon. In an ideal world, the Celtics would love to bring all three in as a group for some head-to-head competition. But Randle and Vonleh, in particular, could be drafted in direct succession. The last scenario any agent wants is a head-to-head workout that results in the other guy being drafted first.

The Celtics, as a result, are still in a holding pattern with the players who most interest them.

Herald:  Ainge, Celtics woo prospects for workouts

Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Joel Embiid won’t be visiting Waltham to run through drills, and be weighed, measured, and medically examined by the Celtics in what’s considered to be a final step in the evaluation process before the draft.

“They have no use for a team drafting sixth,” said Danny Ainge, the Celtics president of basketball operations.

[…] Australian guard Dante Exum, a strong candidate to be selected fourth overall, appears to have a similar strategy, as he, too, won’t be working out for the Celtics.

Globe: For Celtics, prospects’ workout policies can be frustrating

Nothing is ever easy.

A simple little process like going to a team and working out before the draft is an agent-driven mess that takes negotiating.  So each little detail of each workout is going to be carefully scripted.

I get it from the agent’s perspective, though.  His job isn’t to make life easy for the Celtics or any other team.  His job is to make sure his client get picked as high as possible.  If a head-to-head workout results in Julius Randle, for example, getting picked 7th instead of 6th, Randle stands to lose almost a million dollars over the life a three-year rookie deal.  And not only that, the agent loses his cut of that money.

Never forget that aspect of guys going for the money.  Yes, an agent is supposed to look out for a player’s best interests, and do what the player wants, but he’s also making his own money off these guys.  Agents are in players’ ears and pushing them to go for the money so they themselves can get their cuts of that extra cash.

So no agent is going to do anything that could push their player any lower than he has to go.  With the top 4 picks seeming a foregone conclusion, the fight to be 5th is going to be a tough one.  The Celtics are going to be forced to wait for these guys to come in and the workouts they see won’t entirely be under their own control.

Nothing is ever easy.

Page 2:  The Clippers are about to sell for TWO BILLION DOLLARS!!!

Shelly Sterling announced late Thursday night that she has signed an agreement to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer for $2 billion.

A source close to the situation told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Sterling and Ballmer signed the final papers of the sale shortly before midnight Thursday at the offices of her Los Angeles-based attorneys. Sterling announced she was acting under her authority as the sole trustee of the Sterling family trust, which owns the Clippers.

ESPN

To recap:  Donald Sterling built a billion dollar empire, all the while being accused of racism and bigotry in his hiring and business practices.  His racism and bigotry ultimately led to his “downfall” as an NBA owner, which resulted in the team being sold for two billion dollars.

Don’t go tell me nothin about karma.

I’ll tell you what though…. all these other owners are f’ing thrilled.  A rising tide raises all boats…. even if that tide is f’ing racist as hell.  The value of everyone’s franchises just skyrocketed.

The players?  They’re thrilled too.  No, not just because Sterling is out… because the NBA can’t go crying poor during the next negotiations with their teams selling for all this money.  You can’t pull that “owners are losing money” crap when a guy just dropped TWO BILLION on a team.

Get ready for another lockout in a few years.

And Finally…

Just Pop being Pop….

Gotta hand to this reporter… he hangs with Pop on this exchange.

The Spurs won last night, and are one win away from going back to the Finals.  We could have a rematch of last year’s Finals, folks.

The rest of the links:

CSNNE:  Bradley wants to give back with skills academy  |  WEEI:  Draft’s potential prospects:  Creighton F Doug McDermott