Banks Is Sent Back to Celtics

The Lakers have seen it all this summer, including the exit of their coach followed by that of their seething center, and now an unexpected reconfiguration of last week’s trade involving Gary Payton.

Unhappy about being traded Aug. 6 to the Boston Celtics, Payton refused to report within a week for a physical with the Celtics, a move that forced the Lakers to sweeten the deal to keep it from being nullified.

The Lakers returned guard Marcus Banks to the Celtics Friday in exchange for forward Jumaine Jones, who will add to an already crowded Laker frontcourt. The Lakers also returned the second-round pick they originally received from the Celtics. The Celtics agreed to waive the necessity of Payton’s physical.

In the end, the Lakers traded Payton, Rick Fox, a lottery-protected first-round pick in next year’s draft and about $2 million to the Celtics for Chucky Atkins, Chris Mihm and Jones. Fox is expected to retire and is negotiating a buyout with the Celtics.

It was one more snag in a summer of discord, and it occurred the day before General Manager Mitch Kupchak headed to Hawaii for a vacation.

Banks, 22, was considered the wild card of the original deal, an erratic but intriguing point guard prospect who was prone to inspired play -- and unnecessary errors. He would have been the Laker backup point guard, a duty that now could belong to Sasha Vujacic, a 20-year-old rookie from Slovenia.

Jones, 25, has two years left on his contract at a total of about $3.6 million. He was a non-factor with the Celtics last season, playing in 42 games and averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds. He sustained a strained hamstring before the season and never found a consistent place in the rotation.

In a five-year pro career that began with the Philadelphia 76ers, the 6-foot-8 Jones has averaged 6.3 points and four rebounds. He started 14 playoff games for the 76ers in 2001 when they reached the NBA Finals against the Lakers.