Blake Griffin will agree to extension with Clippers, Chris Paul waits

As expected, the Clippers offered extensions to All-Stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul on Saturday night when the free-agency period opened.

And as expected, Griffin planned to sign his five-year extension worth up to $95 million and Paul didn’t accept his three-year extension for $60million, according to people who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

With Griffin agreeing, the Clippers will have the forward, who’ll earn $7.2 million next season, locked up for the next six years.

For Paul, who will earn $17.7 million next season in the last year of his contract, waiting to sign an extension after next season was a better financial decision, said a person close to the point guard.

Paul, who came to the Clippers in a trade before last season, can sign a five-year, $108-million extension with the team in July 2013.

The Clippers also made contact with the representatives of guard Chauncey Billups Saturday night. Billups missed most of last season recovering from a torn left Achilles’ tendon, but the Clippers want him back.

The Clippers were expected to reach out to free-agent guard Jamal Crawford, who opted out of his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. The 6-foot-5 Crawford probably will command the mid-level exception.

A source close to both Billups and Crawford said there was “interest� and that they would “engage in discussions� with the Clippers.

The Clippers also plan on talking with the representatives of Randy Foye and Nick Young.

Free agents could agree to deals starting at 9 p.m. PDT Saturday, but they can’t sign with a team until the 10-day moratorium period expires on July 11.

The Clippers have two exceptions to lure free agents:

The mid-level exception for teams like the Clippers that are non-luxury-tax paying teams is a maximum deal of four years starting at $5 million in the first two years and with annual 3% raises thereafter.

The biannual exception is for non-tax-paying teams and is for a maximum deal of two years starting at $1.9 million in the first year with a 3% increase in the second year.