Lakers Find Two Good Buys in the Bargain Bin

Concluding whirlwind courtships they didn’t dare to acknowledge after all the times they’d been jilted, the Lakers announced Friday they had signed Mitch Richmond and Samaki Walker, turning what had started as a miserable off-season into a better one.

Not announced were the terms, but Richmond, a five-time all-star, accepted a one-year deal for the bargain price of $1 million.

Walker, 25, a promising young power forward who was the ninth pick in the 1996 draft, is another bargain at $3 million over two years.

The Lakers, who won consecutive titles with little firepower or size in reserve, have been trying to shore up their roster for years, only to be rejected by all the objects of their affection, who, to a man, said they wanted to come for whatever minimal pay the Lakers could give them.

In 1999, it was Toronto’s Charles Oakley who wound up staying where he was and taking the bucks.

In 2000, it was New Jersey’s Kendall Gill and Orlando’s John Amaechi. This is how bad the Lakers were going: Amaechi said he wanted to come, then took fewer years and less money to stay with the Magic.

This time, the Lakers wouldn’t confirm their interest in this summer’s prospects, or their very existence, until names went on dotted lines Friday.

“Because of injuries and free agency and, to a degree, age, there were a couple of gaps in our roster and depth chart that we needed to fill,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “We feel comfortable that we’ve done most of that.

“How does it work a year from now, as far as chemistry and the team jelling, etc? I don’t know . . . but we have something to work with.”

They have more than they had a week ago, anyway.

Their championship parade was barely over when they learned Derek Fisher and Mark Madsen needed surgery and were out at least through the start of the season. A third member of the rotation left when Horace Grant turned down an equivalent offer and went to Orlando.

By then, there were two Lakers taller than 6-8 left from the playoff roster, Shaquille O’Neal and Robert Horry, and only one who weighed more than 250 pounds.

However, after years of noting how eager players were to be Lakers, and learning the players had other priorities, the market changed.

A new dollar-for-dollar luxury tax dropped prices this summer. With only $2.5 million budgeted, the Lakers still were able to fill two important holes.

The rebuilding started June 28 when Kupchak used a cap exception he’d been saving to get sharpshooting Lindsey Hunter from Milwaukee to plug into Fisher’s spot.

This week brought Richmond and Walker. Richmond had been talking about coming for months, but Walker was a pleasant surprise for Laker officials, who predicted privately they’d lose him to a higher bidder.

Richmond is 36 and his scoring average has dropped for the last five seasons, bottoming at a career-low 16.2 in 2000-2001, his third campaign with the woeful Washington Wizards.

If he’s not what he was, however, he’s still a 39% career three-point shooter and a tough defender.

Walker, at 6-9, 250, is mostly unrealized promise after five pro seasons, the last two coming off the bench in San Antonio. He can block shots and he’s an improving mid-range shooter, although he has a history of ankle sprains and there are questions about his toughness.

Richmond will assume the role (very) intermittently filled by J.R. Rider. Rider was supposedly getting a last chance with the Lakers’ summer league team but has failed to show for any games.

Walker might start at power forward, because Horry has made it clear for years he prefers coming off the bench. In the last two seasons, Coach Phil Jackson has split the minutes, using Grant and A.C. Green in the first and third quarters and Horry in the second and the crunch-time fourth.

The Lakers now have 12 players under contract, not including Rider. With Fisher and Madsen out, they expect to start the season with 14, adding one more guard and one more big man.

The top candidates for the guard spot are Mike Penberthy, last season’s surprise three-point weapon, and free agent Fred Hoiberg, a good shooter with more size and game.

But Kupchak’s heavy lifting is over. A year ago as a rookie GM, he had to sit around all summer while agent David Falk shopped the Lakers’ lone disposable asset, Glen Rice.

Kupchak had scheduled a vacation in Hawaii for September, on the assumption everything would be settled by then. Instead, he spent it taking calls on his cell phone poolside while Falk explored options.

This time around, September’s looking better.

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A Different Look

The Lakers made two important signings Friday in their quest for a third consecutive NBA championship. Samaki Walker, left, is expected to replace Horace Grant as the starting power forward and Mitch Richmond gives the Lakers a quality backup shooting guard. A look at the roster the Lakers ended last season with, and the projected one for next season:

STARTERS

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2000-01 ROSTER Position PROJECTED 2001-02 Rick Fox Small Forward Rick Fox ***Horace Grant Power Forward Samaki Walker Shaquille O’Neal Center Shaquille O’Neal Kobe Bryant Shooting Guard Kobe Bryant Derek Fisher Point Guard * Derek Fisher

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*

KEY RESERVES

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2000-01 ROSTER Position PROJECTED 2001-02 Robert Horry Forward Robert Horry Brian Shaw Shooting Guard Mitch Richmond ***Tyronn Lue Point Guard Lindsey Hunter

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*

OTHERS

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2000-01 ROSTER Position PROJECTED 2001-02 Devean George Small Forward Devean George Mark Madsen Power Forward *Mark Madsen *** Greg Foster Forward/Center Stanislav Medvedenko **J.R. Rider Shooting Guard Brian Shaw **Ron Harper Guard ** Mike Penberthy

*--*

* Expected to start season on disabled list.

** Currently a free agent.

*** Traded or signed by another team in off-season.

Comparatively Speaking

Samaki Walker is expected to replace Horace Grant as the Lakers’ starting power forward, and Mitch Richmond will fill the role of backup shooting guard held last season by J.R. Rider before he fell out of favor with Coach Phil Jackson. Comparing those players:

PLAYER FACTS

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Walker Grant Age 25 36 NBA Seasons 5 14 Height 6-9 6-10 Weight 250 245

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*

2000-01 SEASON STATISTICS

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Walker Grant Minutes 15.8 31.0 FG Made 1.9 3.4 FG Att. 4.1 7.4 FG% .480 .462 FT% .613 .691 Rebounds 4.0 7.1 Points 5.3 8.5

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*

2001 PLAYOFF STATISTICS

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Walker Grant Minutes 6.3 31.0 FG Made 0.4 2.3 FG Att. 1.2 6.0 FG% .333 .385 FT% .500 .733 Rebounds 1.2 6.0 Points 1.2 6.0

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*

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Richmond Rider Age 36 30 NBA Seasons 13 8 Height 6-5 6-5 Weight 220 215

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2000-01 SEASON STATISTICS

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Richmond Rider Minutes 32.9 18.0 FG Made 5.5 3.0 FG Att. 13.6 7.0 FG% .407 .426 3 Pt.% .338 .370 FT% .894 .855 Assists 3.0 1.7 Steals 1.2 0.4 Rebounds 2.9 2.3 Points 16.2 7.6

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CAREER STATISTICS

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Richmond Rider FG% .456 .443 3 Pt.% .390 .351 FT% .849 .813 Points 22.2 16.8

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* Statistics are per game.