Oakley to Sign, but Not With Lakers

The Lakers apparently suffered another setback in their search for a power forward Tuesday when Charles Oakley agreed to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors for three years at $18 million.

“The deal is all but done,� Charles Grantham, Oakley’s agent, told Fox Sports.

Oakley, who averaged seven points and 7.5 rebounds last season for Toronto, had been waiting for the Raptors to increase their previous offer of $16.5 million for three years. On Tuesday, the Raptors did that.

A Laker deal now appears unlikely because of salary-cap complications. The Lakers already are over the NBA maximum in salaries, and would have to give up two or more players to make a deal work.

Oakley turned down the Lakers’ $2-million veteran exception, and to get him in a trade, they would most likely have to include point guard Derek Fisher, who recently signed a long-term deal with the Lakers.

Jerry West, executive vice president, and Mitch Kupchak, general manager, are on vacation until later this week and were unavailable for comment.

Unless the Lakers can pull off a surprise move, they will be left with Robert Horry and Travis Knight as their power forwards.

They struck out in their pursuit of Lorenzen Wright, who was sent by the Clippers to the Atlanta Hawks in a sign-and-trade deal; they apparently are not going to have Oakley, and they have lost J.R. Reid, a free agent who signed a three-year deal with Milwaukee last week.