Vincent Signs With the Lakers : Pro basketball: This is probably the last chance for 30-year-old veteran who will be playing for his sixth team in five years.

Earvin Johnson had only one nickname--Junior--when he first met Jay Vincent back in the third grade in Lansing, Mich. So Johnson, perhaps as much as anyone, knows the potential talent of the enigmatic Vincent, signed Sunday by the Lakers to bolster bench scoring.

“Jay can play,” Johnson said. “I know that. He can do a lot of things. Even when he was having problems with those other teams, when he played, he played well.”

The Lakers are hoping that Vincent, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward who played with Johnson at Michigan State, has left his problems behind and will play well in Los Angeles, Vincent’s sixth NBA stop in the last five seasons.

Waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 13, Vincent was contemplating offers from two undisclosed teams when Johnson and Laker General Manager Jerry West called and persuaded him to pass up better, multiyear deals to sign with the Lakers.

Vincent agreed to terms Saturday, and signed and practiced with the Lakers Sunday. Because Vincent cleared waivers, the Lakers will pay Vincent the NBA minimum of $110,000, prorated for the rest of the season. The Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs are liable for the bulk of Vincent’s guaranteed contract, which will pay him $1.6 million over the next four seasons.

“I guess you could call it a last chance for me,” Vincent said. “If it doesn’t work out here for Jay Vincent, then it won’t work out. Then, I will look in the mirror and say, ‘Jay, something’s wrong with you.’ I haven’t done that yet. So, this is the last stop.”

Because he has been traded four times since entering the league in 1981-82 and because he was waived by Philadelphia after being criticized for poor work habits and excess weight gain by 76er owner Harold Katz, Vincent has a reputation as a “problem” player.

But Vincent, 30, also has periodically shown he can be a premier scorer. As a rookie with the Dallas Mavericks in 1981-82, Vincent averaged 21.4 points and was named to the all-rookie team. His career slowly declined from there, though, and Vincent was traded first to Washington, then Denver, then San Antonio and, before this season, to the 76ers as part of the Maurice Cheeks-for-Johnny Dawkins deal.

After reporting to Philadelphia seven pounds overweight and not immediately playing well, Katz was quoted as saying of Vincent, “If he didn’t have a guaranteed contract, he would’ve been out of here by the third day.”

As it was, Vincent started only five games at small forward and had his minutes drastically cut when Rick Mahorn was acquired by the 76ers. In his five starts, Vincent’s inconsistency showed in his point production--19 points, four, 14, three and 13.

Explaining why the 76ers cut Vincent, Coach Jim Lynam said: “It just gets to a point where you have to know what to expect from a guy, and we never really knew with Jay.”

The Lakers expect Vincent, whose career scoring average is 15.9, to eventually provide outside scoring off the bench. Coach Pat Riley said that, once Vincent learns the offense, he could play either forward spot. That, however, would take playing time away from Michael Cooper and Orlando Woolridge.

“The only thing I told Jay is that he’s going to have to earn his minutes, (Riley) won’t just give it to him,” West said. “He was open to it. I don’t look at this as a gamble. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

Added Riley: “He’s got three things we need. He can score; he’s got experience and he can play both forward spots. With the injury to Mychal (Thompson) and other guys banged up, we need the bodies.”

Vincent said he is willing to play less if it means playing for a winning team.

“In this day and age, I don’t have to be a major piece in the puzzle, just a piece,” Vincent said. “I’m 30, and I’d like to end my career here.”

The way Johnson sees it, this will be Vincent’s last stop if he doesn’t adapt to the Lakers’ style of play and approach.

“This is a last-chance situation for him,” Johnson said. “He has to give his all and play hard. I already informed him that we don’t put up with any stuff. The way we do things is different from other teams.”