"I'm leaving happy," Vlade Divac said in his first public comments since accepting a trade to the Charlotte Hornets, a deal that becomes official when the moratorium on league business is lifted a week from today. "Happy I could help rebuild the Lakers if they could bring in Shaq."

In Divac's thinking, he took one for the team by calling off a threatened retirement and allowing the transaction that will give the Lakers an additional $3.29 million to pursue Shaquille O'Neal. Rather, he took one for the former team.

He is, essentially, a Laker no more, ending a seven-year association with the only NBA team he has ever known and a city he loves. The final appearance before the home fans comes when Divac and the rest of the Yugoslavian Olympic squad play Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion against a team called the U.S. All-Stars that is scheduled to include Pig Miller, Duane Cooper and Mike McGee.