Lakers Turn to an Old Favorite

Still filling in the place where Shaquille O’Neal once stood, the Lakers have agreed to terms with center Vlade Divac, who eight years ago was traded away for Kobe Bryant, in part to clear salary-cap space to acquire O’Neal.

Divac is expected to sign for $10.3 million over two seasons, the second at his option, the full value of the Lakers’ midlevel salary-cap exception.

He earned $12 million in his final season with the Sacramento Kings, who, fearing a coming luxury tax, allowed Divac to leave with barely a fight.

A favorite in the Laker organization for his selfless leadership skills and even temperament, Divac, 36, will man the center position with Brian Grant, acquired last week in the trade that sent O’Neal to Miami.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak, reworking his roster around O’Neal’s trade demand, also would like to re-sign forward Karl Malone, who this weekend told the Lakers he would take a smaller salary for the overall good of the roster. Had Malone asked, the Lakers would have given him their midlevel exception, worth $4.9 million.

“It’s never been about money since I’ve been here,” Malone said Monday afternoon. “I want the best for the Lakers, and I didn’t want to hold them up. I’m a loyal man. I need to be loyal.”

In a lunch meeting more than a year ago, Malone told Kupchak to give Gary Payton the $4.9 million, that he’d take the smaller exception of $1.5 million.

This year, the player is Divac. But this year, it is no sure thing Malone will return.

Malone will be 41 on Saturday, the day after Payton turns 36. He is recovering from knee and finger surgeries, considering retirement, and spending days with his family in Newport Beach. He is coming up on a year since his mother passed away, another event that will pull his attention from the details of his basketball career.

He did, however, spend the weekend mulling the Laker roster and his situation. He has heard from several teams, among them the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat, and the Lakers would love to have him back.

The Lakers could pay him $1.65 million. The Heat has about half of its mid-level exception remaining after signing Michael Doleac to back up O’Neal. And the Spurs would have to clear a player or two to give Malone more than the veteran’s minimum, which for him would be $1.1 million.

Malone is not ready to commit to next season. So, rather than hold up the Lakers, who need depth at center, power forward and point guard, Malone allowed them to sign Divac and maintain the possibility he would return.

“He told them if they could get Vlade for the midlevel, they should do that,” Malone’s agent, Dwight Manley, said.

If Malone re-signs, and assuming he is healthy, the Lakers could start him at power forward, Divac at center, Lamar Odom at small forward, Bryant at shooting guard and Payton at point guard. Grant and Caron Butler would come off the bench.

Like Malone, Divac is a clever passer. If Bryant cooperates, the Lakers could look more like the Kings of recent years than the Lakers. Owner Jerry Buss and Coach Rudy Tomjanovich would like to run more, which, with O’Neal, made less basketball sense.

Divac played his first seven seasons for the Lakers before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets for the draft rights to Bryant, then 17 years old. He played two seasons in Charlotte, then six in Sacramento, where his fall-down defensive style was as good as any employed against O’Neal.

O’Neal called him a “flopper,” the Staples Center crowds booed him and Phil Jackson scowled at his antics, but Divac would reclaim his popularity in Los Angeles with his basketball and lively personality.

Although his scoring and rebounding numbers -- 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds last season -- have fallen as he reached his mid-30s, Divac just averaged a career-best 5.3 assists and in the last six seasons he has sat out only six games.

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Bryon Russell is talking to the Heat.... The Lakers are looking for a backup point guard. In the absence of that, they would have three players on the floor -- Payton, Bryant and Odom -- who could run the point.

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Going Steady

A look at Vlade Divac’s average season during his first run with the Lakers (1989-96) and his average season with the Kings (1998-2004):

*--* Category Lakers Kings Minutes per game 26.8 27.8 Field-goal % 51.0 47.8 Free-throw % 70.7 67.6 Rebounds per game 7.8 7.2 Assists per game 2.4 3.4 Points per game 11.3 10.5 Steals per game 1.1 0.9 Blocks per game 1.5 1.1

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