Divac-for-Bryant Deal Done, Freeing Money for O’Neal

Vlade Divac officially became a Charlotte Hornet and Kobe Bryant got his wish of playing for the Lakers as the teams were able to complete the trade Thursday that was agreed to June 26. It had been held up for 15 days because of the NBA moratorium on signings prompted by labor strife.

Bryant, the 17-year-old from Ardmore, Pa., trying to make the jump from high school to the pros, will be introduced today at a press conference and will make his pro debut in a summer league game at 5 p.m. Saturday at Cal State Long Beach’s Pyramid against the Detroit Pistons.

The Lakers’ first-round draft pick, Derek Fisher of Arkansas Little Rock, may make his first appearance today in a game at 2:30 p.m. against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Hornets, having gone into the off-season with the addition of a big man as their top priority, drafted Bryant for the Lakers at No. 13 after a trade for Divac had been arranged. Divac reacted by saying he would rather retire than leave Los Angeles, putting the deal on shaky ground for a few days, but his wife persuaded him to continue his career.

Divac also liked the idea that the transaction would free an additional $3.29 million for the Lakers to pursue Shaquille O’Neal. That was a big part of the motivation for the Lakers. The other was getting Bryant, a 6-foot-5 swingman who can handle the ball and has been described by several teams as having superstar potential.

“We obviously think he’s a wonderful prospect and hopefully he’s going to be a player the fans will watch turn into a great player,” Executive Vice President Jerry West said. “If he has the intangibles to match his skills, he’s going to be a heck of a player.”

The Lakers are the only professional team Divac has played for since coming from Yugoslavia as the 26th pick in 1989. His seven seasons included several as their starting center.