Magically, Laker Prospects Brighten for Near Future : Pro basketball: Johnson returns to practice but won’t be ready to play tonight. Divac, Smith still are sidelined.

Monday, the Lakers heard the five little words they had been aching for: Magic Johnson will rejoin practice.

He won’t play in tonight’s home opener against the Clippers, nor probably Friday at Phoenix. The Lakers hope he can go a few minutes Sunday at the Forum against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The team announced that Johnson “has been cleared to practice in lightly supervised workouts.” He was seeing a physician and didn’t attend Monday’s practice, but is expected to participate in today’s shoot-around and Wednesday’s practice.

“I just found out about it myself,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “All I know is, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Dunleavy had a complement of 10 at practice Monday. Vlade Divac, who suffered back spasms last weekend, watched along with Tony Smith, who has three more games to sit out on the injured list.

Thus, the Lakers again will be without three of their top eight players as they were at Houston, where they lost, and Dallas, where they won. Given their plight, they were delighted.

“We could have won two and we could have lost two,” Dunleavy said. “Bottom line, being short-handed like we were, we had a lot of guys play really well. A lot of times these type injuries can turn out to be a positive thing.

“It was certainly positive for Sedale (Threatt). He’s gotten to play huge minutes at point guard and show what he’s capable of doing. That’s got to give him a lot of confidence.”

Threatt had 26 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and eight assists at Dallas. His backup is Demetrius Calip, a rookie free agent whom the Lakers had cut. Calip, who was heading for the airport to fly to Columbus, Ohio, and a Continental Basketball Assn. team when the Lakers called him back, held his own, too.

In Houston, Calip had assists on his first two possessions, starting the Lakers on a 14-2 run. At Dallas, he made a three-pointer during the fourth quarter.

“He’s given us what we needed,” Dunleavy said. “The first night, I thought he did an excellent job. I was able to play him for 14 minutes. Thank goodness, too, because it was a double-overtime game.

“I’m really pleased. He’s playing within himself, which is what we asked him to do. Set other people up and when the ball comes out to him, put it in the hole.”

Calip now has boosters who think he should remain after Smith’s return. Even if he doesn’t, he will have shown NBA personnel people what he can do.

“It was exciting to be out there,” Calip said. “All those guys you’ve seen play on TV, now you’re out there playing with them.”

Interjected Tony Smith: “And getting dogged by them.”

Said Calip: “It’s kind of tough being a rookie, though. You don’t get a lot of calls.”

Said Smith: “You referring to getting picked (having the ball stolen) by Derek Harper? You think you should have gotten a call?”

After Saturday’s game, Divac was in so much pain he could barely dress.

“I hurt my back three months ago for first time, but the night after the Dallas game was the worst I felt,” Divac said. “I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t stand up. I was losing control of my legs.”

By Monday, Divac felt better and is expected to return by the weekend.

“That’s life in the NBA,” Dunleavy said. “Better now than later. As long as it doesn’t happen now and later.”