Jim Jackson Signed, Medvedenko Released

With an eye to the immediate future, the Lakers said goodbye to part of their past, signing free-agent swingman Jim Jackson and waiving injured forward Slava Medvedenko.

Jackson, 35, will be asked to add a veteran presence and outside touch to a team that has shot inconsistently throughout the season but is fighting for a playoff spot.

On his 12th team in 14 seasons, Jackson played in 27 games this season before being released by the Phoenix Suns last week, averaging 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15.6 minutes. He has not played since Jan. 4 but was practicing with the Suns until he was waived. His minutes were reduced this season when Phoenix added Eddie House and James Jones.

Jackson, the fourth overall pick in the 1992 draft, averaged 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds last season for a Phoenix team that won a league-best 62 games and lost to San Antonio in the Western Conference finals.

Jackson, 6 feet 6 and 220 pounds, will be paid about $500,000, his contract contingent on passing a physical today in Los Angeles. It is not expected to be a problem.

Medvedenko, who will be 27 next month, played only two games this season and underwent season-ending surgery in January for a herniated disk in his back.

Signed as a free agent in August 2000, Medvedenko played on two Laker championship teams. He was re-signed to a two-year, $6-million deal before the 2004-05 season but played only 23 games after that because of injuries and ineffectiveness.

For his career, Medvedenko has averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 249 games.

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Perhaps he momentarily forgot the parades that ran through downtown, or maybe he was just trying to instill confidence in his current team as it lags behind Detroit for the best record in the Eastern Conference, but Shaquille O’Neal said the Miami Heat has a “little more” talent than the three Lakers championship teams on which he played.

“I’m just waiting on [Antoine Walker] to become that Robert Horry,” O’Neal told the Miami Herald. “Toine is our missing link.”

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TONIGHT

vs. San Antonio, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 31-29, Spurs 46-12.

Record vs. Spurs -- 0-1.

Update -- The Spurs have won six in a row.