Lakers Are Still Looking for a Few Big Men

A year ago, as Shaquille O’Neal simmered and Kobe Bryant pondered becoming a Clipper, Derek Fisher jumped at Golden State’s money, Karl Malone opted out and Gary Payton opted in only to be traded a month later.

But this time around, the Lakers’ lone free agent of note is reserve forward Luke Walton, meaning they will be more predator than prey.

They don’t have the purchasing power to lure any franchise-changing free agents, but they do have a midlevel exception of $4.9 million a year and the so-called million-dollar exception of $1.6 million, figures that could increase slightly when the new collective bargaining agreement is finalized in a few weeks.

“I think we still have to work on improving the team and we can make a free-agent acquisition,� Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “Certainly we do want Luke back and we intend to sign him. But it’s also safe to say we don’t have a free agent like Kobe available and that creates a different level of tension. I don’t expect it to be as tension-filled as it was last summer.�

Walton, a restricted free agent, made $620,000 last season and averaged 3.2 points. Coach Phil Jackson’s return increased the likelihood of the Lakers re-signing him.

As for free agents from other teams, the Lakers could use their mid-level exception on one player or split it up among two or three. If they keep it intact, they could offer up to five years but likely wouldn’t extend beyond a two-year deal because it bends their long-range plan of being well under the salary cap by July 2007.

The free-agency negotiating period begins at 9 tonight. Players cannot officially sign until July 22, a longer than usual period to allow for completion of the collective bargaining agreement.

The Lakers went big with two of their three draft picks -- 6-11 high-school center Andrew Bynum and 6-10 Gonzaga forward Ronny Turiaf -- and will try to add another forward with size.

They pursued Toronto Raptor forward Donyell Marshall last summer and might make another run at him. Marshall, who tied an NBA record with 12 three-pointers in a game last March, can score from the outside, rebound and block shots. An unrestricted free agent, he made $5.3 million last season.

Another possibility is veteran shot-blocker Theo Ratliff, who may be waived by the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the amnesty provision in the new collective bargaining agreement. (Teams that pay the luxury tax have a one-time opportunity to release a player. Such teams would still have to pay the player’s salary, but he could earn a second salary with another team.)

The Lakers are also seeking help at guard, not necessarily a traditional play-maker but a taller shooting guard with ball-handling skills, which Jackson prefers in the triangle offense.

Free agent Antonio Daniels of the Seattle SuperSonics is a selfless, stay-within-the-system player who has been part of winning teams in San Antonio and Seattle. Oft-injured Allan Houston is expected to be released by the New York Knicks as part of the amnesty provision, and Doug Christie might be released by the Orlando Magic, providing possible options who might accept less money because they’d be drawing salaries from two sources.

Finally, the Lakers are interested in a change-of-pace guard after failing to land Nate Robinson in the second round of Tuesday’s draft. Jackson has a tremendous comfort level with players he has coached, making former Laker Tyronn Lue, most recently with the Atlanta Hawks, a possible fit for a reunion.

*

The Lakers drafted a unique pair in the second round, Turiaf and Florida State guard Von Wafer.

Turiaf was projected as a certain first-round pick at the end of the college season, but his stock slipped far enough that he felt compelled to take part in the Chicago pre-draft camp, usually reserved for borderline first-round picks and second-round talent.

He needs to develop a better low-post game and often gets into foul trouble, but the Lakers liked his aggressiveness at both ends of the court and took him with the 37th pick.

At the very least, Turiaf will have one of the more interesting backgrounds on the roster. He was born on the Caribbean island of Martinique and left behind his family in a small fishing town of 18,000 to attend a basketball academy in Paris, where he was discovered by Gonzaga coaches at age 15. As a result of his travels, he speaks four languages -- his native Creole, French, Spanish and English.

Wafer, drafted 39th overall, also has a noteworthy past, but not for reasons as cosmopolitan as Turiaf’s.

A former McDonald’s All-American out of Homer, La., Wafer was the core of Florida State’s nationally recognized 2003 recruiting class but was bogged down by disciplinary problems in his two seasons.

He was suspended for two games early last season and benched frequently later. His family told the Tallahassee Democrat that the suspensions were because he missed classes and study sessions.

Wafer was poor defensively and scored in spurts. He averaged a team-best 12.5 points.

The Lakers like his size, 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds, and shooting touch. He made 39.6% of his three-point attempts last season and made seven three-pointers in the Seminoles’ January upset over then-No. 3 Wake Forest.

“We normally conduct intensive, exhaustive interviews and checks and we’re comfortable with the players that we picked in the draft,� Kupchak said.