Lakers Not Expecting to Make Move in Draft : Pro basketball: Top seven picks are too valuable, Kupchak says.

With the draft a week away, the Lakers say they are pessimistic about making a deal that would enable them to draft higher than 12th.

Accordingly, the players they have brought in for informal workouts don’t include those who are expected to go early.

“At this time, there’s a lot of discussions going on. To move into the top seven or so would be very difficult,” Mitch Kupchak, assistant general manager, said Tuesday. “There’s only going to be six or seven sure players in the draft, and in order for a team to give one of those picks up, you’d have to give up something very good.

“There’s probably a better opportunity to move to (draft positions) 8-11. The chances of that aren’t very good, but they’re probably better than moving into the top six or seven.”

Among the players who have worked out for Laker coaches and executives are inside players Doug Edwards of Florida State, George Lynch of North Carolina, Vin Baker of Hartford, Scott Burrell of Connecticut and Chris Mills of Arizona, and guards Bobby Hurley of Duke, Allan Houston of Tennessee, Terry DeHere of Seton Hall, Lindsey Hunter of Jackson State and Nick Van Exel of Cincinnati.

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Sam Bowie, acquired Monday from the New Jersey Nets with a second-round 1994 draft pick for Benoit Benjamin, said at a Forum news conference Tuesday that despite the 10 screws in his right leg, bone grafts in his left leg and a staggering list of injuries, he’s far from done at 32.

“I still feel I have a lot of basketball left in me,” said Bowie, who was limited to 25 games with Portland from 1986-87 through 1988-89. “Obviously, it’s going to be very difficult for me to beat the rap about being injury prone, but if you look at the last three, four years, I’ve gotten through without any major injuries. I played 79 out of 82 games last year, and I feel as though my problems are behind me and my future looks pretty bright.

“I like the style of play the Lakers have. I’m very familiar with their style from being with Portland for five years. I think I have some good passing skills, I can run the floor, block shots and score when given the opportunity. I think I can fit in well with this organization.”

For Bowie, the trade will end a longstanding family feud. “My mother happens to be a big L.A. fan,” he said. “She always used to say when we play L.A., she hoped I scored 50, but that we also got beat by 50.”

Laker Notes

Doug Christie’s participation in next month’s summer league is uncertain. The Lakers want Christie, Duane Cooper and Anthony Peeler to play on their team, which will be filled out with free agents. “Doug is going to be a restricted free agent, and I can understand why he might not want to play,” Mitch Kupchak said. “We’d like to resolve this issue, as well as some others.” . . . Guard Sedale Threatt, whose contract runs through 1995-96 but contains an option to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, hasn’t told the Lakers of his plans. . . . Assistant coaches Chet Kammerer and Bill Bertka will return, Kupchak said, dispelling rumors that one of the two would be replaced by Michael Cooper, the former Laker who is a special assistant to General Manager Jerry West.