Divac Considers Return to L.A.

While reiterating that his preference is to remain in Charlotte, Vlade Divac said he would give strong consideration to returning to his adopted hometown of Los Angeles to play for the Clippers if he does not re-sign with the Hornets this summer.

Divac has grown to enjoy his new city after initially balking at the trade that became the crossroads for the new Lakers, one that brought Kobe Bryant in exchange and cleared major salary cap room to sign Shaquille O’Neal. But the lure of Los Angeles remains strong--Pacific Palisades remains his permanent home and he said he think about finishing his career as a Laker.

That would not be possible with the next contract, though, because the Lakers will be over the salary cap. The Clippers, however, could be in position to make a sizable offer, depending on how the situations with their own free agents, namely Loy Vaught and Brent Barry, play out.

A bidding war with the Hornets, they could not win. But the Clippers, likely to still be in need of a center, do have one major advantage.

“Because I’m from Los Angeles,” Divac said, “it’s a big plus.”

The big minus is that he would like to play for a contender, thus the appeal of the Phoenix Suns, another team that should have big-time cap space and be searching for a center.

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O’Neal has been going through drills with Magic Johnson and his touring team, although apparently staying away from scrimmages and all contact, as specified by the Laker medical staff. That O’Neal has gone beyond individual work and started some form of practice with others is another step, albeit a minor one, in the rehabilitation from a strained abdominal muscle.