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By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Vlade Divac phoned the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday morning and informed them
that he is ready to return to the team that drafted him in 1989, Divac told
ESPN.com.
Vlade Divac is leaning toward a return to L.A. to play for the Lakers.
"I called them and said, 'Let's do it,' " said Divac.
Divac, 36, is expected to receive the Lakers' full $4.9 million mid-level
exception and formally sign a multi-year contract as early as Tuesday.
After making his decision final, Divac joined his close friend and teammate
Peja Stojakovic at a basketball camp they run in Sacramento.
"Obviously he's sad," Divac said of Stojakovic. "But he knows how to work now
[in the NBA].
"I had a great time here. This is a community that I've always be a part of me.
The people [of Sacrament] are wonderful. They made me an even better player,
just like L.A. did in my first seven years."
Sacramento co-owner Joe Maloof told ESPN.com last week that he feared losing
Divac to the Lakers because the Kings, for the second successive summer, are
trying to reduce payroll to avoid future luxury-tax payments. The strategy,
however, could backfire if there is no luxury tax after next season, as some
teams are forecasting.
Maloof insisted then that the Kings didn't want to part with Divac, a fan
favorite who doubles as Sacramento's locker-room glue and as a surrogate
brother to Stojakovic. Yet Sacramento was reluctant to offer more than $2.5
million as it tries to gets its payroll as far below $60 million as it can.
The Kings carried a payroll of nearly $65 million last season, resulting in
nearly $10 million in luxury tax. Divac earned $12.1 million last season in
completing a six-year pact worth nearly $63 million.
Divac concedes that rejoining the Lakers now after so many bitter
Sacramento-L.A. battles in recent seasons won't be the easiest move.
"I know how people (in Sacramento) feel about the Lakers," he said.
He quickly adds, though, that playing in Los Angeles for his original team is
the most comfortable decision for his family.
"I played for the Lakers for seven years and for the Kings for six years,"
Divac said. "Both teams have a special place in my heart."
Divac averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 28.6 minutes per
game last season before his playoff minutes were cut in a run-and-gun series
with Dallas in the first round. He has flirted with the idea of finishing his
career with one season at a top European club in Italy or Spain -- so his kids
can experience full-time European life -- but Divac insists that "I know I can
be productive [in the NBA] for one or two more years."
"A friend of mine said it would be kind of nice to finish with the team I
started with," Divac said. "If I do go back to the Lakers, it will be because
of Dr. [Jerry] Buss. We've always had a great relationship."
The Sun were pursuing the 7-foot-1 center, but while Phoenix needed to wait
until after July 29, after having signed free agent Quentin Richardson to an
offer sheet, Divac wanted to make a decision by Monday or Tuesday. Also
interested were the Clippers, but while Divac voiced interest in the other
Los Angeles team, his primary focus was in returning to the Lakers.
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