Lakers' Divac may miss a month with injury Center hurts back during informal drill The Lakers, already thin at the center position, will lose Vlade Divac for up to a month after an MRI exam revealed a herniated disk in his back. NBA NOTES The Associated Press Updated: 3:42 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2004 Los Angeles Lakers center Vlade Divac has a herniated disc in his lower back and is not expected to be ready when training camp begins Oct. 5. “We don’t expect he’ll be ready for the start of training camp, but at this time it’s too early to target a return date,” team spokesman John Black said Friday. “We’ll have a better idea next week, when he’s re-evaluated.” Black said Divac hurt himself several days ago when he made a spin move during an informal workout at the Lakers’ training facility. An MRI exam Thursday revealed the extent of the injury. Beginning Oct. 5, the Lakers will train at the University of San Diego for about 10 days. Their first preseason game is scheduled for Oct. 12 against the Seattle SuperSonics in Anaheim. Divac, 36, signed a two-year contract in July that will reportedly pay him $4.9 million this season. He began his career with the Lakers in 1989 as the 26th overall pick in the NBA draft and played seven seasons in Los Angeles before being traded to Charlotte in the summer of 1996 for the rights to Kobe Bryant. Divac played for the Sacramento Kings the past six years, averaging 9.9 points in each of the past two seasons. The Lakers signed him after trading center Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler. Black also said he doesn’t know if forward Karl Malone is going to play this season. Malone, who underwent surgery on his right knee in late June, is a free agent and reportedly is being pursued by several teams. “Our understanding is he’s not going to be ready to return for a couple months,” Black said. “We’re hopeful he does decide to play another season and he decides to play for us.” Malone’s agent, Dwight Manley, refused comment. Malone, 41, played 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz before joining the Lakers as a free agent last summer. He is the second-leading scorer in NBA history. Warriors exercise option on Dunleavy The Golden State Warriors exercised the fourth-year contract option on forward Mike Dunleavy on Friday, keeping him with the team through the 2005-06 season. Dunleavy, the Warriors’ top draft pick in 2002 chosen No. 3 overall out of Duke, averaged 11.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31.1 minutes per game last season. “We’re excited to know that we have Mike in the fold through the 2005-06 season,” said Chris Mullin, the Warriors’ vice president of basketball operations. “We think he is a very special player and will be a key component of our team’s future success.” In 30 games when playing 35 or more minutes, Dunleavy averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.13 steals while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. In his two seasons with the Warriors, Dunleavy has averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 157 games. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6091436/
