A lot of contracts on line this season

HONOLULU -- If five Lakers are seeking extra motivation this season, all they have to do is riffle through the pages of their contracts.

Almost one-third of the roster could be in its final season with the team: Kwame Brown ($9.1 million this season), Chris Mihm ($2.5 million), Sasha Vujacic ($1.8 million), Maurice Evans ($1.7 million) and Ronny Turiaf ($770,610).

They each have unique circumstances written into the fine print of their careers, let alone their contracts.

* Brown has been largely a bust since his 2005 arrival in the trade that sent Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins to Washington. Only 25, Brown will have to play much better this season to warrant a deal similar to the three-year, $25-million contract he signed before being traded to the Lakers. He will be an unrestricted free agent next July.

* Mihm, after sitting out last season because of ankle surgery, took a steep pay cut and accepted a two-year, $5-million contract. He can opt out of it after this season and become an unrestricted free agent again.

* Vujacic, 23, is one of four players fighting for time at point guard. The Lakers have until Oct. 31 to sign him to an extension, or, more likely, he becomes a restricted free agent July 1.

* Evans, 28, averaged career-bests of 8.4 points and 22.8 minutes a game last season, although his 43.2% shooting was a career low. He will be an unrestricted free agent.

* Turiaf, 24, brings a ball of energy to almost every game, but he becomes a restricted free agent if the Lakers don’t sign him to an extension by Oct. 31.

The Lakers typically have three or four free-agent possibilities on their roster, but five is a bit high.

“Clearly there is an incentive when players are coming into a contract year,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “I don’t think that’s a secret, that they want to have a good year and stay healthy. I think the best scenario for everybody is if a player has a good year and we win. If players play very well, they’ll be rewarded.”

Coach Phil Jackson is known to be whimsical and unpredictable, but it didn’t seem as if he was kidding when talking about Turiaf at Friday’s practice.

“I plan on starting him,” Jackson said. “I really have seriously considered starting him. He’s a guy that can bring energy to the game and kind of start what we need to have as far as a physical front, a guy who can block some shots and do things.”

Such a lineup would give the Lakers a bulky front line with Turiaf, Lamar Odom (if healthy) and either Andrew Bynum, Brown or Mihm at center.

To make way for the brawn, Luke Walton could be moved back to reserve status after starting 60 games last season.

“I know that we have to have starters coming off the bench to be a good team,” Jackson said.

Walton joined other players on the sideline because of various injuries after straining his right hamstring. He is day to day.

“We do know who the toilet-tissue paper players are,” Jackson said with a smile about players sitting out because of minor injuries. “We make a note of that. Right now we’ve got a few of them.

“Luke’s attrition in training camp -- he always seems to be a guy that’ll miss [some] regular season because of a training-camp injury. We hope we averted it this time.”

--

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com