Rice Era Could Be Coming to an End

Laker free agent Glen Rice is close to a contractual agreement with the Chicago Bulls, sources said Friday, and if Rice signs--as expected--the Lakers, who were hoping to use him in a sign-and-trade deal to get a big man, will wind up with nothing.

A Chicago TV station reported Rice had signed, but the Bulls made no announcement and refused comment.

Lakers officials are aware of ongoing talks between Rice and the Bulls but refused comment.

The Bulls are reportedly offering Rice a one-year, $7.5-million contract. Rice, 33, had hoped for a lucrative long-term deal with a contender, such as New York, but wound up with no other offers. For their part, the Bulls had hoped to sign younger players, such as Tim Duncan or Grant Hill, but were rejected by all the big-name free agents.

Agent David Falk spent the summer trying to move Rice to the Knicks, but Falk’s multi-team deals kept falling apart. Signing Rice to a one-year deal with the Bulls, who went 17-65 while Rice was winning an NBA championship with the Lakers, represents Falk’s surrender, at least sparing his client the indignity of playing this season for the $2.25-million exception.

The Lakers, who had hoped to trade Rice for P.J. Brown, Christian Laettner or Horace Grant, would come out of the situation empty-handed. They would also have nothing to show for the 1999 trade that brought Rice to L.A. and sent Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to Charlotte.

Rice was acquired with B.J. Armstrong, who was immediately waived, and J.R. Reid, who was cut last summer.

Rice has not been close to the player he was in Miami and Charlotte. The past two seasons in Los Angeles have been two of his worst. His shooting percentages, .432 and .430, were his lowest as a pro. Last season’s scoring average, 15.9, was his low since his rookie season, 1989-90.

Rice’s spirits appeared to sink last season as he realized the Lakers wouldn’t offer him the maximum $14-million-a-season contract he’d hoped for. During the NBA finals, his wife, Christina Fernandez, publicly accused Coach Phil Jackson of burying her husband in the team’s rotation. The Lakers never made Rice an offer to return this summer, expecting to trade him instead.

The Lakers were OK until potential deals fell through and the Bulls came up dry. The Bulls expected to use their bountiful cap room for young players they could build around, but were so embarrassed by the end of summer that they were looking for temporary help.

With Rice gone, the Lakers would have two untouchables--Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant--and a bunch of players with negligible trade value.

They have already cut last season’s starting power forward, A.C. Green, leaving Robert Horry, who split the minutes at the position, as the projected starter.

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EMPTY-HANDED

Other principles in trade in which Lakers got Glen Rice from Charlotte:

B.J. Armstrong

Cut by Lakers

J.R. Reid

Not re-signed

Eddie Jones

Signed with Heat

Elden Campbell

Still with Hornets