CLIPPERS : Cal’s Murray Expected to Be Choice

The Clippers, who have had as little success in the NBA draft as on the court--first-round picks have included Benoit Benjamin, Danny Ferry and Bo Kimble--hope to fare better with their two first-round selections today.

Barring a trade, the Clippers probably will select Lamond Murray, a 6-foot-7 forward from California. After averaging 24.3 points to lead the Pacific 10 Conference last season, Murray decided to leave Cal after his junior season.

Murray, who averaged 19.2 points in his three-year college career en route to setting a school scoring record, would seem to be a good fit for the Clippers, who probably will not be able to re-sign free-agent forward Dominique Wilkins and free-agent guard Ron Harper, their leading scorers.

Murray, who idolizes Wilkins, has said he would like to play in Los Angeles.

The Clippers, who have the seventh and 25th picks, are reportedly considering trading disgruntled guard Mark Jackson and their lottery pick to Washington for the Bullets’ No. 5 pick.

The Clippers say they have tried to move up in the draft but have been unable to work out a trade.

There was also a report that the Clippers might send Jackson and their lottery pick to the Dallas Mavericks for forward Jamal Mashburn. But Clipper spokesman Joe Safety said the club has not talked to the Mavericks.

The Clippers might select All-American swingman Cliff Rozier of Louisville with their second first-round pick, which was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in the Danny Manning-Wilkins trade.

Rozier, 6-9, averaged 18.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots last season and was the Metro Conference player of the year.

“He’s got incredible power,” scout Kim Hughes of the Milwaukee Bucks said. “He gets any post position he wants. He just needs more offensive moves, but so did Shaquille O’Neal.”

However, Rozier could slip to the second round because of a questionable work ethic. One NBA executive called him lazy.

Whomever the Clippers select, club executives probably hope he fares better than did Terry Dehere, their No. 1 pick last season. Dehere struggled as a rookie, averaging 5.3 points and shooting only 37.7%.