Renz

Divac returning to the Lakers

11:46 PM PDT on Sunday, July 18, 2004

By BRODERICK TURNER / The Press-Enterprise

Again, it came down to the Lakers and Clippers for the services of a player, and once again the Clippers lost to the Lakers.

Vlade Divac has decided to return to the Lakers, the same team that drafted him in 1989 with the 26th pick in the first round, sources said late Sunday night.

Kobe Bryant was also deciding between the Lakers and Clippers and chose Thursday to remain a Laker.

The Clippers had more money to offer, but sources said Divac wanted to be a Laker.

Divac will get the mid-level exception of about $5 million, and Laker team sources said they might be willing to give the 36-year-old free-agent center a two-year deal.

The Clippers, after being shunned by Bryant, still have about $14 million to spend and were able to offer Divac millions more.

Divac, who spent the past six seasons in Sacramento, said the Kings offered him just $2.5 million.

"It's a bad feeling to make a decision that you don't want to make," Divac, who has kept his home in Los Angeles, told the Sacramento Bee on Sunday. "In the last couple of days, I've been coming to grips that I really might have to leave. But (the Kings) are looking at it from the business side, and I have to do that, too."

With Divac able to play center, Brian Grant can move from center to his natural position of power forward, and Lamar Odom can move to his best position of small forward.

The signing of Divac could help the Lakers' chances of getting Karl Malone to return. Malone, who had surgery on his right knee, said he will take most of the summer to make a decision on retiring or playing again.

The San Antonio Spurs have called Malone repeatedly, and the Miami Heat also is interested.

Divac probably will play 20 to 25 minutes per game, giving the Lakers a 7-foot-1 presence in the middle.

He spent his first seven seasons with the Lakers until he was traded in 1996 to Charlotte for the rights to Bryant.

It also opened room for the Lakers to sign a free-agent center by the name of Shaquille O'Neal, who was traded away Wednesday to Miami for Grant, Odom, Caron Butler and a first-round draft pick.

The Lakers are looking for a fifth guard, but because they are over the salary cap, they are having a hard time filling that void.

They like Mike James, a reserve with the NBA champion Pistons, but he wants more money than the Lakers can offer.

All the Lakers can give James is the minimum salary a four-year player gets, which starts at about $745,000.

James made $638,000 last season.

Keyon Dooling, a restricted free-agent guard with the Clippers, has expressed interest in the Lakers, but they aren't looking in his direction.

Sources said the Clippers plan this week to match the six-year, $45 million offer guard Quentin Richardson got from the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers also are still talking with Slava Medvedenko about returning.

http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/st..._19.57936.html

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Joe Mama

And the big losers according to this article are none other than the Phoenix Suns. They are going to get matched for Richardson, and because of that offer they are going to miss out on Divac.

It's time to go out and split the remaining money between Greg Ostertag and Hassell.

Joe Mama

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SirStefan32

Wow, I am actually not going to hate the Lakers this year- Odom, Butler, Divac- some of my favorite players.

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slinslin

Lakers are still by FAR the worst shot-blocking team in the entire league.

And Dampier will likely go to New York for Nazr Mohammed and Harrington.

Also Darius Miles and Jamal Crawford are still on the market. And we could use our capspace in a trade.

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Tier 2 Oladipo, Porter, Shabazz and Burke
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Joe Mama

the worst shotblocking team in the entire league? I wouldn't think they are any worse than the Phoenix Suns right now. Before this I questioned whether the Lakers would be a playoff team. Now I believe they are in there.

I'm not sure how I feel about Miles, but I know I don't want Crawford. I'm also convinced the Phoenix Suns have no interest in Crawford.

Joe Mama

__________________
"A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. 'Hear that?' you say. 'That's dynamite, baby.'" - Jack Handy

slinslin

Um yes they are. Their best shotblocker doesn't even get 1 block per game.

__________________
Tier 1 Noel and McLemore
Tier 2 Oladipo, Porter, Shabazz and Burke
Tier 3 McCollum, Caldwell-Powell, Gobert, Schroeder

coloradosun

Why wouldn't the Clippers go after Crawford. They could load the deal up front like Denver has been doing and make sure Chicago wouldn't match, not that the Bulls would anyhow. I think Crawford would be a better fit for them than bringing Q back, bring is some new blood instead of keeping the bad blood that Magette and Q seem to have.

DjaugheOld

By signing vlade and then possibly k. malone....lump then together with g. payton and kobe...I really believe they are the favorites to take the mantle for the most prolific whinners since d. angie was with the portland trailblazers.....

fordronken

Wait, what's the typo, the "h" or the second "n"?

elindholm

Wait, what's the typo, the "h" or the second "n"?

Neither. It's the lack of an "i" between the second "n" and the "e".

F-Dog

It's too bad if this happens, but I don't think they'll miss Divac because of that offer. Divac knows what the deal is with the Suns, and if he was interested in signing with them (and the Suns were willing to sign him with the rest of their cap room) he'd be willing to wait.

In any case, the Lakers with Divac will probably be better than the Suns next season.


Ostertag and Hassell seems like the best possible outcome to me too now.

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DjaugheOld

whiners
Ainge

Sorry for the confusion out there folks!

Joe Mama

that may be true. However it also may be that he doesn't want to wait another week if he's not 100% sure that the Clippers will match Richardson's offer.

Joe Mama

__________________
"A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. 'Hear that?' you say. 'That's dynamite, baby.'" - Jack Handy

fordronken

Hah! They're a very horse-proud organization.

F-Dog

That's possible--it could be that the Lakers offered the same contract to Divac and Malone, and whomever signs first gets it, for instance.

On the other hand, the recent rumor that Divac was considering Phoenix is the first interest from him I've heard, while he's consistently maintained that he'd like to play in LA...maybe he decided that $10.5m from the Lakers is worth more than $12.5m from the Suns.

__________________
"You are not permitted to bet if you're a referee. You're not permitted to bet legally...legal betting will cost you your job."--David Stern