Lakers Find the Money for Green’s Signature

Three days before the beginning of training camp, the Lakers said Wednesday that they have signed A.C. Green, their first-round draft choice, to a four-year contract.

Green, a 6-9, 218-pound forward from Oregon State, agreed to terms that reportedly will pay him between $150,000 and $200,000 a season.

The Lakers also signed Ronnie Lester, a free-agent guard who joined them last season from the Chicago Bulls, to a one-year contract.

The signing of Green ended more than three months of negotiations that went nowhere until the Lakers waived Jamaal Wilkes.

Because of the salary-cap rules, the Lakers could offer Green only $75,000, but when Wilkes was waived, the Lakers were able to count just half of Wilkes’ $860,000 salary against the cap. They used a portion of the difference to sign Green, who was the 23rd selection in the first round.

Green played with the Lakers’ summer league team in July even though he had not signed a contract, but he went home to Portland after four games on the advice of his agent, Leon Jordan, who later threatened to put Green on a professional team in Europe if the Lakers didn’t come up with a better deal.

“I knew a move had to be made to open up something,” Green said of Wilkes’ departure. “That was instrumental.”

The Lakers plan to use Green at forward, mainly at the small-forward position, and Green said he is with the right team.

“The Lakers are on a different level,” Green said. “I’m willing to learn. That’s what I’m here for.”

Soon after he was drafted, Green was quoted as saying he didn’t think it would be that hard to make the Laker team. Green said that the story implied that he was saying that he would have no trouble becoming a starter, and he claimed he did not say that.

“I was misquoted,” Green said. “I’m here to work hard and to hustle. Those are the big points.”

Green was the Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Year as a junior at Oregon State. Last season, Green averaged 19.1 points and 9.2 points and was chosen as a third-team All-American. He finished his career as the Beavers’ all-time No. 3 scorer and No. 2 rebounder.

The signings of Green and Lester left only one Laker from last season’s team without a contract--free-agent forward Larry Spriggs. However, he is reportedly closer to agreeing to a new contract than he was last week.