PHILADELPHIA – With a big contract and without a starting spot, point guard Eric Snow became expendable in Philadelphia.

Snow will likely find himself in the same situation this year, only in Cleveland after he was traded by the 76ers to the Cavaliers on Tuesday for guards Kevin Ollie and Kedrick Brown.

Snow spent 61/2 seasons with the 76ers, averaging 9.7 points and 6.6 assists while helping them to the 2001 Eastern Conference championship.

“I’m excited and thankful,” Snow said Tuesday night in an interview with The Associated Press. “I’m going to a team that wanted me, and wanted me to be the player I am. Cleveland is a nice, young team that is hoping to go to the playoffs, and hopefully I can come and help them accomplish that goal.”

Philadelphia, though, was looking to save money, get blossoming second-year guard Willie Green into the starting lineup and shift Allen Iverson to point guard. Also, Philadelphia coach Jim O’Brien had little use for a true point guard in his up-tempo offense, which seemed ill-suited for Snow who thrives more with set plays.

“He wouldn’t be happy,” O’Brien said. “I don’t see how anybody that is a competitor would be happy.”

He’ll try and find happiness in Cleveland, where he could again be looking at a reserve role.

The Cavaliers were shopping for a backup for Jeff McInnis, who quickly became a team leader and initiated the offense in his first season with the team. Coach Paul Silas said no one was taking McInnis’ spot.

Divac comes full circle, rejoins Lakers

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Vlade Divac has come full circle to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I’m really happy, for my family, too,” Divac said Tuesday after signing a two-year contract with his former team. “This was my home when I came to America in 89. It was my first NBA team and it was special to me.”

The 36-year-old center from Serbia, who played the past six seasons for the Sacramento Kings, will fill the spot left vacant when Shaquille O’Neal was traded to Miami last week. Brian Grant, acquired along with Lamar Odom and Caron Butler in that deal, will share duties at center.

Divac, taken by the Lakers with the 26th pick in the 1989 NBA draft, said he also followed a difficult act his first tour of duty with Los Angeles.

“When I was 21, I had to fill Kareem’s (Abdul-Jabbar’s) shoes, now it’s Shaquille’s,” Divac said during a news conference at the Lakers’ training facility. “It’s definitely tough, but it’s a team sport and we have to be all together on the same page and help each other.”

He played seven seasons with Los Angeles before being traded to Charlotte in 1996 for the rights to Kobe Bryant.

Divac is aware of the irony of now playing with Bryant.

“I was talking with my wife about that earlier,” Divac said. “I really want to try to do something. Signing Kobe and bringing in the other guys, the Lakers helped the team, a team that can win the championship.’

An unrestricted free agent, Divac agreed to a 2-year deal that reportedly will pay him $4.9 million for next season. Karl Malone, whom the Lakers hope will re-sign for next season, agreed to take less money if he does play – enabling Los Angeles to sign Divac at the midlevel salary cap exception.

Golden State swaps Van Exel for Davis, Dickau

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Golden State Warriors traded point guard Nick Van Exel to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday for forward Dale Davis and guard Dan Dickau.

Van Exel was injured for much of his only season with the Warriors, who acquired him from Dallas last summer in a trade involving Antawn Jamison. He averaged 12.6 points while playing just 39 games, leaving the team for good shortly after the All-Star break with a recurring knee injury.

Portland is the fifth NBA team for Van Exel, whose future with Golden State probably ended when the Warriors signed point guard Derek Fisher to a six-year, $37 million contract last week. The Warriors also have Speedy Claxton under contract for next season.

“It’s a situation that helps both teams, and it makes sense,” said Tony Dutt, Van Exel’s agent. “With Nick in this situation and kind of on the back end of his career, Portland has a chance to win right away, and that’s a good place for him.” Van Exel will make approximately $12 million next season – the last guaranteed year on his contract.

Sacramento signs longtime Jazz center Ostertag

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Center Greg Ostertag signed with the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, leaving the Utah Jazz after nine seasons.

He signed with Sacramento on the same day center Vlade Divac left the Kings to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers. Terms of Ostertag’s deal weren’t immediately available.

“I hope everyone knows that I’m not going to replace Vlade with scoring and passing,” Ostertag said. “But I will be rebounding, blocking shots and taking up space in the middle. Hopefully I’ll be able to help these guys reach their ultimate goal of winning a championship.”

Ostertag averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.85 blocks during his career with the Jazz, who made him a first-round draft pick in 1995. He played in two NBA Finals with Utah in 1997 and 1998, though many Utah fans loved to hate his sometimes graceless game.

But Ostertag’s solid defense will help the Kings, and with Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer expected to join the Jazz after signing offer sheets earlier this month, Utah had a glut of big men. Jarron Collins and Curtis Borchardt still are under contract, and the Jazz made little effort to re-sign Ostertag as an unrestricted free agent.

In Sacramento, Ostertag will back up All-Star center Brad Miller and forward Chris Webber. The Kings once had one of the NBA’s deepest frontcourts, but Divac, Scot Pollard, Keon Clark, Tony Massenburg and Hedo Turkoglu have departed in the last year.

“By adding Greg, it gives us a chance to improve in some areas where we’ve been struggling over the past couple of years,” said Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ president of basketball operations. “This gives us another rebounder and an interior presence at the basket.”

I think he’ll fit in well with Brad and Chris on our front line.”

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