Lakers Appear Close to a Deal for Suns’ Lucas

The Lakers, who decided not to sign free agent Bill Walton to an offer sheet, appear to be close to making a deal with the Phoenix Suns for another veteran front-court player, 6-foot 9-inch Maurice Lucas.

In exchange for Lucas, 33, the Lakers would give Phoenix a second-round draft choice in 1986. If that seems as if the Suns aren’t getting very much, it’s because they aren’t. But they would be able to remove Lucas’ $650,000 contract from their payroll.

The Lakers will not pay Lucas that much, but they seem to have reached an agreement with Lucas and his Washington agent, Bill Pollak, to give Lucas less money but extend his contract from one year, as it is now, to two years, at a reported $500,000 per season.

Even though they can afford to pay Lucas more because they have let Bob McAdoo go, the Lakers would prefer to keep Lucas’ salary more in line with that of James Worthy, who will make $500,000 next season.

Jerry West, Laker general manager, would not comment on the negotiations except to say that if a deal were struck with Phoenix, the Lakers would not give up “anything major” for Lucas. According to West, something major is a player or a first-round draft choice.

Both West and Pollak indicated that a trade might be announced within a week.

In Phoenix, the Suns are eager to get on with the program, without Lucas. General Manager Jerry Colangelo, who wants the Suns to rebuild with rookie No. 1 draft pick Ed Pinckney at Lucas’ old forward spot, has said that he would accept a second-round draft pick in exchange for Lucas.

“Maurice knows we’re trying to rebuild, and he told me he really didn’t want to be a part of it,” Colangelo said. “And if he had his druthers, he would prefer to finish his career with a champion or a contender.”

This marks the second time in just over a year that the Lakers have tried to acquire Lucas. Last summer, the Lakers failed to sign Lucas, then a free agent, to an offer sheet because they were over the league-imposed salary cap. But this time, that is not a problem.

“The teams that are going to compete for the NBA title are the teams that want to improve themselves by acquiring a Maurice Lucas,” Pollak said.

The Lakers put themselves in a position to sign Lucas when they chose not to bring back McAdoo, who is five months older than Lucas. By doing so, the Lakers saved McAdoo’s $933,000 salary, which, according to the rules of the salary cap, could be used to pay another player, even though the Lakers are still about $5 million above the cap.

That player appears to be Lucas. If so, the Lakers have almost certainly ended their association with McAdoo, who still might have re-signed, for considerably less money, as a veteran free agent.

West said Lucas could be used at power forward as well as backup center, which is the role McAdoo once had.

Lucas is an 11-year veteran, including two seasons in the American Basketball Assn. He is considered one of the better rebounders in the league and enjoys a reputation as an intimidating defensive player.

In nine seasons in the NBA, Lucas has played with Portland, New Jersey, New York and Phoenix. Last season, his third with the Suns, Lucas averaged 13.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in 26.5 minutes. His per-minute rebound average of 2.9 was one of the best in the league.

Lucas was an unsigned free agent at the beginning of the season, and he missed the Suns’ first five games, plus 13 others because of injury and illness.