After a Week of Near-Misses, Lakers Waive Quintin Dailey

Quintin Dailey, the free-agent guard who apparently was reliable only in his unreliability, missed the Lakers’ charter flight from Los Angeles to Knoxville, Tenn., Friday afternoon.

This time, though, he wasn’t supposed to be on the plane.

Dailey was waived Friday morning after a first week of training camp in which he missed a flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii, a team meeting, a practice and played poorly when he did show up.

Signed by the Lakers three months after the Clippers didn’t pick the option on his contract in July, Dailey was told he was waived shortly after the Lakers arrived in Los Angeles after an overnight flight from Honolulu.

The Lakers will have to absorb Dailey’s guaranteed contract, reportedly worth $400,000, if he clears waivers. Under the National Basketball Assn. salary-cap rules, the Lakers will only be able to use the league minimum $110,000 to replace Dailey.

A two-time offender under the NBA’s drug policy, Dailey, 28, would be banned from the league for life should he test positive for a controlled substance a third time.

The club gave Dailey a drug test after he missed a Laker practice in Honolulu Thursday. The test was sent to a lab in Santa Monica, according to Laker trainer Gary Vitti. The results are not expected until early next week.

If Dailey tests positive for drug use, the Lakers could use all of his salary to sign another player.

Laker Coach Pat Riley said he doubted that drug use was Dailey’s problem.

“I’d be surprised if he tested (positive),” Riley said. “We tested him because that’s the (league’s) policy. We had already made our decision to let him go.”

Riley said signing another shooting guard is not a priority, since the Lakers have Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. Riley said he also has been impressed with rookie free-agent Steve Bucknall, and the team is still looking for another power forward.

The Lakers had hoped to use Dailey, who averages 15.3 points a game, as a backup off-guard so that Cooper could play more at small forward.

Dailey left the Lakers’ first workout complaining of dizziness and a stomachache and later said he had not eaten in two days.

Riley said Dailey also “begged off” several other Laker practices and was in poor physical condition. Riley said Dailey reported to camp weighing less than 200 pounds but was tested at 16% body fat and could not keep up in routine drills. He also was bothered by sore knees.

Dailey, a former standout at the University of San Francisco, said he missed Thursday’s practice because he overslept. Riley and Jerry West, the Lakers’ general manager, said Dailey’s absence hastened his early departure.

“We just have to move forward now,” Riley said. “Maybe this will be the final lesson for him to get it together.”

Cooper, a Laker co-captain, said Dailey did not disrupt the team but added that he will not be missed.

“The Lakers gave him the opportunity of a lifetime,” Cooper said. “And he blew it.”

Added Orlando Woolridge, who worked with Dailey at a drug rehabilitation center in Van Nuys: “(Rehabilitation) goes a lot further than just not drinking or using (drugs). In our meetings, it’s about meeting responsibilities. Unfortunately, that was something he didn’t do.”

Dailey could not be reached for comment Friday.

Eric Fleisher, his New York-based agent, said Dailey had suffered a family crisis in the last 10 days. Last week, Dailey said his wife was having complications in her pregnancy.

With Dailey gone, the Lakers will have only 14 players as they start a week of exhibition games tonight against the New Jersey Nets at Knoxville.

Laker Notes

Vlade Divac’s second exhibition game as a Laker Thursday night in Honolulu was not nearly as impressive as his debut the night before. Divac, a 7-foot-1 center, was clearly outplayed by Sacramento’s Ralph Sampson in the first half of Los Angeles’ 110-99 victory over the Kings. The former Yugoslav Olympian was weak on low-post defense, allowing Sampson to catch the ball and make moves without pressure. Divac finished with a team-high eight turnovers, but led the Lakers with eight rebounds in 18 minutes.

Forward Orlando Woolridge, who has had fluid drained from his right knee twice during training camp, scored 10 points and had five rebounds in 15 minutes against the Kings. Afterward, Woolridge reported no swelling or stiffness in his knee, so it appears that exploratory arthroscopic surgery is no longer a consideration.

Aside from what he called the weeklong “distraction” of guard Quintin Dailey, who was waived Friday, Coach Pat Riley said the Lakers’ seven days in Hawaii were productive. “I think the players played hard this week, and we are getting a look at everybody,” Riley said.

Magic Johnson was bothered by a stiff neck during the second half of Thursday’s game, in which he scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and made eight assists in 25 minutes. “It’ll be OK,” he said. “I’ve had this problem before.”

The Lakers play the Seattle SuperSonics Sunday at St. Louis, then fly to Lincoln, Neb., to play the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night. Their exhibition tour concludes against the expansion Timberwolves at Minneapolis Wednesday night.