LOS ANGELES -- The fate of Los Angeles Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro won't be known until next week at the earliest, according to sources close to the situation.

But Del Negro's status must be resolved by next Friday at the latest thanks to the June 1 deadline in his contract for the Clippers to either pick up or decline their third-year team option.

Sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com that the decision rests largely with Clippers owner Donald Sterling, which could help Del Negro. The embattled coach has enjoyed a largely positive relationship with Sterling over the past two seasons, with Sterling issuing a public vote of confidence in Del Negro in March after an ESPN.com report that his job was in jeopardy.

Chris Paul has publicly praised the job Vinny Del Negro did of coaching the Clippers this season. Matthew Emmons/US Presswire

The Clippers then followed up Sterling's backing by winning 14 of their final 19 regular-season games and toppled the No. 4-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs in a grueling seven-game series before getting swept in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs with the star duo of Chris Paul (hip) and Blake Griffin (knee) trying to play through injuries.

It is not immediately clear whether a strong crop of out-of-work coaches -- such as Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan and the recently fired Stan Van Gundy -- might influence the Clippers' call on Del Negro. But NBA coaching sources said Thursday the Clippers, should they decide to move in another direction, would probably target two coaches who aren't free agents to see if there's any shot at prying one of them loose: Oklahoma City's Scott Brooks and New Orleans' Monty Williams.

Sources say Brooks' negotiations with the Thunder on a contract extension are unlikely to resume until after the playoffs, with Oklahoma City about to enter a Western Conference finals showdown with the Spurs. Yet the widely held assumption in coaching circles is that Brooks never reaches free agency and will reach terms quickly with the Thunder once the season is over, similar to the Dallas Mavericks' speedy negotiations with Rick Carlisle earlier this month after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban put off all contract talks until Dallas was eliminated from the postseason. The Thunder are 8-1 in the playoffs, having eliminated the two teams -- Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers -- that have won the past three NBA championships.

Any team interested in Williams, meanwhile, would have to formally ask for permission to interview him, with the Hornets having ample cause to reject any such interest after Williams -- who was just 38 when New Orleans took the gamble of hiring him -- earned strong reviews for his work in his first two seasons. But Paul's deep respect for Williams is well known around the league, which would seemingly encourage the Clippers to go after Williams if they have an opening.

Paul, though, publicly lauded Del Negro's work under fire this season after the Clippers were eliminated by San Antonio.