Kittles Only One Piece of Clipper Puzzle

They found a new shooting guard Thursday when they traded for former New Jersey Net Kerry Kittles, but the Clippers still have holes to fill.

They have seven players under contract for next season -- Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Chris Kaman, Marko Jaric, Bobby Simmons, Chris Wilcox and Kittles -- and still are a little more than $3 million under the salary cap.

Even if they reach the cap, NBA rules would allow them to sign draft picks Shaun Livingston and Lionel Chalmers without technically exceeding it, so the rookies would be signed last, Livingston slotted in at about $2.5 million.

The Clippers say they believe that the versatile Kittles, a seven-year starter with the Nets, will fill three of their most pressing needs. Not only he will provide veteran leadership and replace Quentin Richardson in the starting backcourt, but he also will give them depth at point guard behind Jaric while Livingston develops.

They’re now looking for depth up front. They have worked out Zeljko Rebraca, a 7-foot center from Serbia and Montenegro who played in 24 games with the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks last season, and former Laker Samaki Walker, a 6-9 forward who played in 28 games for the Miami Heat.

“We’d like to get more size,” General Manager Elgin Baylor said, referring to someone who could play power forward and center. “We’ve talked to different agents about that type of player. That would be our next step.”

Beyond that, they’re expected to sign two players from their summer league team: Quinton Ross, a 6-6 guard who was one of their last cuts last October, and Mamadou N’diaye, a 7-0 center from Senegal who has played in 58 games over four NBA seasons, most recently with the Hawks.

“It’s a total puzzle,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “You’ve got a certain amount of cap space and certain roles, certain positions you need filled. You plug one guy into one role and you reduce the dollars there and you’re figuring out where you can get the other pieces. It’s not an easy thing to do.”