http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers19-200...l19,0,6
Forward/center will go to Golden State after signing four-year, $17-million
offer sheet.
By Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
9:52 PM PDT, July 18, 2008
Ronny Turiaf has expended his last burst of energy as a Laker.
As expected, General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced Friday the Lakers will
not match the four-year, $17-million offer sheet Turiaf signed a week ago
with the Golden State Warriors.
"When we looked realistically at how much time Ronny Turiaf will play for
us," Kupchak said, "it's probably not a number that justifies that kind of
financial commitment."
Because the Lakers are over the trigger point for the luxury tax, they would
be assessed an amount equal to any amount spent, an expensive deal for a
reserve like Turiaf, who averaged 18.7 minutes in the regular season last
year, but only 9.8 in the postseason.
Turiaf, who made $770,610 last season, was not available for comment Friday,
but Kupchak, who met with him Thursday, said the 6-10, 250-pound, three-year
veteran was at peace with the knowledge he would be heading north.
"The last thing a 25-year-old like Ronny wants to do is sit on the bench,"
Kupchak said.
Kupchak estimated Turiaf probably would have logged no more than 10-15
minutes a game had the Lakers retained him.
"Ronny feels strongly that his future is not here in Los Angeles," Kupchak
said. "He feels it's time to move on and that's a hard thing for a kid like
that to say."
Turiaf averaged career bests of 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds last season in
78 games. But, with his reduced time in the postseason, he averaged just 2.0
points and 1.4 rebounds.
Against the dominating frontcourt of the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals,
Turiaf totaled 11 points and four rebounds, none on the offensive boards, in
the six games while averaging 10.3 minutes.
Still, Turiaf is about more than numbers. The native of Martinique exuded a
contagious passion for the game that could be felt even from the bench.
A crowd favorite at Staples Center, he could turn that passion into a
high-energy performance on the floor that often provided a much-needed lift
when the Lakers fortunes were sagging.
"We will miss Ronny's contributions," Kupchak conceded, "the emotion he
brought whether he was playing or not."
Turiaf may have been a luxury the Lakers were willing to give up, but that
does not appear to be the case with their other potentially high-priced
restricted free agent, guard Sasha Vujacic. So far, Vujacic, who has
switched agents -- from Bill Duffy to Rob Pelinka -- has not come back to
the Lakers with an offer sheet. Kupchak has taken the offensive in recent
days, negotiating directly to bring Vujacic back.
As for those minutes the Lakers will be missing from Turiaf, Kupchak is
confident they can be made up by the return of both starting center Andrew
Bynum, who suffered a knee injury that cost him the second half of last
season, and Chris Mihm, who was the starting center until an ankle injury
caused to him to miss all of the 2006-07 season and most of last year.
Bynum was cleared by his therapist Friday to expand his rehabilitation
program to include light work on the court.
"The reports are very positive," Kupchak said. "Everything is upbeat. We
expect Andrew to be able to go full steam, full bore by training camp."
In other news from the Lakers' frontcourt, Luke Walton underwent successful
surgery on his right ankle to remove bone spurs and scar tissue and clean up
cartilage debris. His rehabilitation program is expected to take
approximately six weeks.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sasha is next.
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