Lynch’s Priorities in Order : Lakers: First thing draftee will do after signing is buy a house with a big kitchen for his mother.

When George Lynch signs his first NBA contract--which he expects to do soon--his first purchase will be a present for his mother, Francine Small.

“I’m definitely going to take care of her,” he said. “I want to buy her a nice house with a big kitchen so she can cook for me and my sisters.”

Makes sense. After all, her home cooking helped Lynch develop from a 2 1/2-pound, two-months-premature baby into the strapping forward chosen 12th by the Lakers in Wednesday’s draft.

“He was so tiny, we thought he wasn’t going to make it. He had a lot of breathing problems,” said Small, who accompanied her son to a Forum news conference Thursday. “As you can see, he grew up to be a very good son, very healthy.”

Lynch grew to a solid 6 feet 7 1/2 and 223 pounds, which he used well in four years at North Carolina under Coach Dean Smith. Playing power forward, but covering everyone in North Carolina’s switching defense, Lynch averaged 14.7 points and 9.6 rebounds as a senior to become the first player to lead the Tar Heels in rebounding three years in a row since Sam Perkins did it in 1982-84.

The Lakers project Lynch at either forward spot, although he said his size dictates that “in the NBA, I’m a small forward.” He hopes to solidify his frame with a weightlifting program and by playing on the Lakers’ summer league team, and he’s eager to begin preparing for his professional debut.

“This is the next test for me. I’m willing to accept any challenge,” said Lynch, who grew up in Roanoke, Va. “I’m going to be well prepared going into camp. . . . Each time on the floor I will play hard and be 100% competitive.”

His commitment to winning and teamwork, instilled in him by his Laker-fan stepfather and sharpened by Smith, caught the Lakers’ attention.

“One thing I’ve always felt about basketball is that it’s a team game, and that’s how Dean Smith runs his program,” said Laker General Manager Jerry West, who has watched Lynch periodically since his freshman year. “If a kid can play at a high level at North Carolina, there’s no reason he can’t play at a high level in the NBA.”

Considered a shaky shooter from outside, Lynch is practicing as many jump shots as he can stand to try to improve his range. “There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to work as hard as any player taken in the 1993 draft,” he said.

Their drafting done, the Lakers’ turned to their free agents.

West called re-signing unrestricted free agent A.C. Green his first priority, and he has spoken with Green’s agent, Marc Fleisher, since making a proposal West called “pretty attractive.” Neither Green nor Fleisher could be reached Thursday.

Sedale Threatt’s attorney, John Langel, echoed a sentiment West expressed Wednesday by saying he expects to reach agreement on a new contract for Threatt. The 31-year-old point guard is seeking a four-year deal.

“We look at it as his being a very valuable player for the L.A. Lakers, someone who perhaps was the best buy, per pound, in the last two years,” Langel said. “Both sides think we’ll be able to get it done. That’s what Sedale wants.”

A return by Byron Scott is less likely, but not impossible. If it becomes clear in summer league play that Doug Christie isn’t effective at point guard and is a better shooting guard, Scott will be expendable because of the crowd at that position. If Christie plays well at point guard, Threatt could move to shooting guard.

Anthony Peeler, last year’s top draft pick, is virtually assured of starting at shooting guard next season. A spokesman at the office of Scott’s agent, Bob Woolf, said Woolf had talked to the Lakers and other clubs, but called it too early to predict Scott’s future.

West, who made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Elden Campbell, Duane Cooper, Christie and Tony Smith, hasn’t considered other teams’ free agents.

“We’re going to try and take care of the things we need to take care of internally before we do anything else,” he said.

Laker Notes

Anthony Peeler, no longer hampered by the sprained foot that idled him during the playoffs, is playing in a summer league in Kansas City. He is also expected to play with the Lakers’ summer league team at UC Irvine. . . . Two undrafted players, 6-7 forward Harper Williams of Massachusetts and 6-9 center Warren Kidd of Middle Tennessee State, were invited to play on the summer league team.