Lakers Obtain Warriors’ Teagle for Draft Pick to Replace Cooper

Jerry West, known for pulling plums out of the bottom of the draft, took next summer’s shot early, swapping the Lakers’ No. 1 choice in 1991 for Golden State guard Terry Teagle on Tuesday.

Teagle, ticketed for Michael Cooper’s old No. 3 spot, is coming off his finest season, when he had an average of 16.1 points as a reserve while shooting 48% from the field and 83% from the free-throw line.

“We felt maybe we didn’t have enough scoring off the bench,” West said. “This gives us somebody who’s very explosive. When he gets it going, there’s not much you can do about it. We think we have a terrific roster now. This team is going to be very, very competitive.”

For the Lakers, the off-season moves represented the best options they could find, but not their dreams.

They were keenly interested in 6-foot-11 forward John (Hot Rod) Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers but couldn’t make a deal. Instead, they signed Sam Perkins, at a reported $18 million for six seasons.

Turning to a replacement for Cooper, they entertained hopes of trading for Indiana guard and former UCLA star Reggie Miller. The Pacers weren’t interested, so West took his pick of the available sharpshooters.

There were reports that the Lakers wanted the Charlotte Hornets’ Rex Chapman, but West reportedly settled on Teagle a month ago.

Teagle, 30, is a 6-5 outside shooter. A No. 1 pick of the Houston Rockets out of Baylor in 1982, he had worked his way down to the Continental Basketball Assn. by ’85. He signed with the Warriors as a free agent and took off. In five seasons, coming off the bench most of the time, he averaged 14 points.

There were suggestions that he wasn’t Coach Don Nelson’s favorite player, after Nelson benched him for 13 games in the Warriors’ glory season of 1988-89. Teagle said that’s not true--he just got caught in the Warriors’ glut of swingmen.

“Nelly just had to get used to my style,” Teagle said from Oakland. “I would take shots he maybe wasn’t used to. But the shots went in.

“I was here before a lot of the 6-5 guys (Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond) got here. I feel like I’ve been able to hold my own.

“I think we kind of caught the league by surprise the season before last, when we made the playoffs with a small lineup. Last year, it was a little tougher. I just didn’t think we were going to go anywhere with the same players we had. I thought some players would be moved, and I’ve been on the trading block since I’ve been here.”

Teagle said he is happy about the deal, and whatever the Lakers ask, “I’m ready for the task.”

To clear the needed dollars under the salary cap, the Lakers traded rarely used reserve center Mark McNamara to the San Antonio Spurs for future considerations. McNamara joined Cooper, Jay Vincent and Mel McCants on the departed list since last season’s end, as the Lakers try to retool for the 1990s.