Woolridge Will Have Surgery

Laker forward Orlando Woolridge, bothered throughout training camp with pain and swelling in his right knee, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery today at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

Woolridge left the Lakers, who will play the Phoenix Suns in Lincoln, Neb., tonight, and returned to Los Angeles on Sunday. Woolridge was examined Monday by team physician Stephen Lombardo, who decided that surgery was necessary to determine the cause of Woolridge’s condition.

The Lakers’ backup small forward behind James Worthy, Woolridge has had fluid drained from the knee twice in the last 10 days and has played in only one of the Lakers’ four exhibition games.