Dehere Signs in Time for Camp : Clippers: Rookie gets five-year deal. Weiss has set lineup, but depth could be a problem.

The Clippers signed Seton Hall guard Terry Dehere, their No. 1 draft pick, to a five-year contract Thursday. Although financial terms weren’t disclosed, Dehere is guaranteed $6.5 million and, with incentives, could earn as much as $8 million.

Dehere, the 13th player taken in the draft, was happy to get his contract resolved so that he wouldn’t miss the start of training camp today at UC Irvine.

“It is very, very important to have a rookie in training camp,” Coach Bob Weiss said. “If you look at the history of anyone who has come in late, unless they’re a top one or two pick like a Larry Johnson, where their talent can make up for it, it’s very hard for them to catch up.”

A 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard from Seton Hall, Dehere is expected to play behind Ron Harper and will be tried at point guard. Dehere could get a lot of playing time this season because the Clippers have only four guards going into training camp.

“I feel comfortable with that because the only way you can learn is on-the-job training,” Dehere said.

Weiss, the Clippers’ seventh coach since they moved to Los Angeles in 1984, has a set starting lineup going into camp.

Mark Jackson returns as the point guard and Harper as the shooting guard.

Stanley Roberts, who lost 35 pounds during the off-season, will start at center.

Danny Manning, who averaged a career-high 22.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season en route to making the All-Star team, will start at small forward. Loy Vaught, who recently signed a $12-million, four-year contract extension, will start at power forward in place of Ken Norman, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks during the summer.

Manning becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season, and his agent, Ron Grinker, said Manning won’t return to the Clippers next season.

“They have no chance to sign their star (Manning), not now, not a year from tomorrow, never,” Grinker said. “I don’t know what it takes for them to understand that. He’ll be more than comfortable coming back under the circumstances as best he can, but he is never going to sign and play for (Clipper owner) Donald Sterling’s team.”

The Clippers have a 19-man roster, but forward John Williams will be absent because he’s in a residential weight-loss program. Where the other trims, those involving the roster, figure to come:

GUARD

In--Harper, Jackson, Dehere, Randy Woods.

Out--Clifford Lett.

On the bubble--Harold Ellis, A.J. Wynder.

With Gary Grant gone, the Clippers need a dependable backup point guard. Ellis and Wynder, a pair of CBA players, were invited to camp after playing for the Clippers’ summer league team.

FORWARD

In--Vaught, Tom Tolbert, Manning.

Out--Fred Lewis.

On the bubble--Williams, Henry James, Leonard White.

Tolbert, signed to a three-year, $2.5-million deal last week, figures to be the backup power forward. If Williams, who weighed 300 pounds at the end of last season, loses weight, he’s likely to be the backup power forward and center. White, a second-round draft pick from Southern, will get a shot at backup small forward. James, the CBA’s second-leading scorer last season at 23.3 points per game, was signed as a free agent last July.

CENTER

In--Roberts, Elmore Spencer.

Out--Wayne Tinkle, Bob Martin.

On the bubble--Wallace Bryant. Spencer needs more experience. Bryant spent the last seven years playing in Italy, Spain and Argentina.