It’s Post Season for Laker Deals

With the goal of adding a post player, the Lakers are trying to acquire troubled Kwame Brown from the Washington Wizards in a trade for Caron Butler and a player to be determined -- point guard Chucky Atkins, forward Devean George or aging center Vlade Divac, depending on the Wizards’ preference.

The Lakers might also include the 2006 first-round pick they acquired from the Miami Heat in the Shaquille O’Neal trade last July.

If Butler is traded and if the Lakers take advantage of a one-time opportunity to waive Brian Grant to save almost $30 million in luxury taxes, Lamar Odom will be the only original piece left from the O’Neal deal.

Brown, 23, is a restricted free agent who received a qualifying offer of $6.9 million from the Wizards, giving them the right to match if another team signs him to an offer sheet. Wizard President Ernie Grunfeld, a longtime friend of Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak’s, is mulling a handful of sign-and-trade offers from other teams involving Brown.

The main sticking point in the Laker trade is negotiation of the length of Brown’s contract. The Lakers offered only two guaranteed years so they could stay on track for their long-range goal of getting under the salary cap by the summer of 2007, when Amare Stoudemire and Yao Ming could become unrestricted free agents.

Brown’s representatives wanted a guaranteed third year, a potential deal-breaker, while the Lakers had offered only a team option for the third year.

Kupchak, who met Tuesday with Brown’s agent, Arn Tellem, declined to comment specifically on Brown.

“Whether it’s prior to the trade deadline or during the off-season, in particular when you win 34 games, it’s my job to look for ways to improve the team,” Kupchak said. “You can do that through the draft, via free agency or via a trade, and we’ll continue to do that.”

The Wizards are looking for scoring punch after losing unrestricted free-agent guard Larry Hughes to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Butler was one of the Lakers’ most consistent players toward the end of last season, averaging 21.9 points over the last 15 games.

Brown, 6 feet 11 and 243 pounds, was the first high school player taken with the top pick in the NBA draft, but he has been an enigma through his first four seasons.

He was suspended a total of seven playoff games last season because he had pouted as his playing time decreased, claiming a stomach illness and skipping a practice before Game 5 of the Wizards’ first-round series against the Chicago Bulls.

As a rookie in 2001-02, he had run-ins with the Wizards’ then-coach Doug Collins and guard Michael Jordan that seeped into the 2002-03 season. Collins and Jordan made demands of Brown that went largely unfulfilled.

Off the court, Brown was charged in 2002 with driving 120 mph and was charged again a year later with driving under the influence in his hometown of Brunswick, Ga.

But there are NBA teams interested in Brown, hoping he could live up to his potential. The New York Knicks have offered forward Michael Sweetney as part of a package, and the Atlanta Hawks are also believed to be interested.

Brown, after a lackluster first two seasons, displayed hints of his talent in 2003-04, following up a 30-point, 19-rebound effort against the Sacramento Kings with a 27-point, 11-rebound game against Atlanta, but he could not sustain the momentum.

Brown broke his right foot during a pickup game last summer and started last season on the injured list. He was out of shape most of the season and averaged seven points and 4.9 rebounds in 42 games.

The acquisition of Brown would provide a clearer picture of a Laker frontcourt without Divac or Grant, or maybe both.

Under the so-called amnesty provision of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams that pay a luxury tax can waive one player.

If the Lakers waived Grant, they would pay his $29.7-million salary over the next two seasons and would not be given salary-cap relief from his contract until after the 2006-07 season, but they would avoid a $29.7-million luxury-tax hit.

Divac, 37, has said he would not play for another team besides the Lakers. If he is traded, his new team probably would buy him out for $2 million and waive him instead of paying him $5.4 million to play next season.

By moving Butler, the Lakers would be closer to clearing out a crowded small forward position. The Lakers had four small forwards last season -- Butler, George, Jumaine Jones and Luke Walton, who is a restricted free agent. The Lakers have said they hope to re-sign Walton.

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The Lakers signed TV color commentator Stu Lantz to a four-year contract extension. Lantz, the team’s commentator since 1987, will call games with Joel Meyers, who was recently hired as play-by-play announcer for broadcasts on FSN West and Channel 9.

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By the numbers

Kwame Brown’s career averages:

*--* Season Team G MIN PTS REB 2001-02 Washington 57 14.3 4.5 3.5 2002-03 Washington 80 22.2 7.4 5.3 2003-04 Washington 74 30.3 10.9 7.4 2004-05 Washington 42 21.6 7.0 4.9

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