Jaric Says He’s ‘Open’ to Staying in L.A.

While the Clippers continue exploring ways to upgrade their roster, Marko Jaric awaits word on where he might fit into their plans.

A restricted free agent, he remains “open to everything,” he said, including a return to the Clippers, despite recent comments attributed to him by a Belgrade news agency indicating that he was ready to move on to a team with a “winning mentality.”

The Clippers have said they’d like to keep him, but they’re busy pursuing other options, namely Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells. Abdur-Rahim is an unrestricted free agent and Wells could be if the Memphis Grizzlies, who unceremoniously removed him from the team during the playoffs, are unable to trade him and unwilling to exercise an $8-million contract option.

Jaric might be the third option to be the Clippers’ sixth man.

One thing’s for sure: If he is retained -- the Clippers have the right to match any offer made to him by another team -- it would be as a backup. Jaric, the team’s starting point guard the last two seasons, said that would be OK.

What’s important, he said, is playing for a winning team.

“I really want to be on a team that’s going to give me an important role, of course,” said the Serb, who would be the Clippers’ third guard, backing up starters Shaun Livingston and newly acquired Cuttino Mobley. “What position to play, or to start or not to start, doesn’t matter. There are players that are starting and playing 10 minutes a game. And yet there are players coming off the bench and they’re the best player on the team. It has nothing to do with starting.

“They make a little too much drama about that. Like [Manu] Ginobili, he started all the playoff games on the bench, right? There’s nothing bad about that.”

Jaric, who will turn 27 on Oct. 12, said that he has drawn interest from several teams -- the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves are among those thought to be interested -- but had received “nothing concrete” in the way of an offer. He expected things to heat up this week.

“I know everything’s going to end up good,” said Jaric, adding that it was possible he would accept a $4.2-million qualifying offer from the Clippers for next season and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

He said the Clippers “definitely are a team that so far has showed to me it has changed a lot and is ready to win.

“So, they are one of the teams that could be in my future.”

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Livingston sat out the last four of the Clippers’ five summer league games because of a thumb injury, suffered when he closed a car door on it before making the trip to Las Vegas. The Clippers ended play Friday.... Chris Kaman was the league’s No. 2 scorer and rebounder, averaging 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds and making 54.2% of his shots.... Lionel Chalmers, the Clippers’ second-round pick in 2004, made only 19% of his shots, 15.8% from three-point range. Daniel Ewing, the second-round pick in 2005, made 37.1%, two of five from three-point range.