Nike unveiled its Kobe Bryant logo on the fourth version of its Air Huarache 2K5 shoes, which debuted Tuesday.

The company signed Bryant to a five-year, $40 million deal in June 2003, just days before he was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in Colorado. Since criminal charges against Bryant have been dropped and the civil suit was settled, Nike has slowly been rolling out its campaign for the Los Angeles Lakers guard.

Earlier this month, Nike bought a two-page ad that appeared just inside the cover of Sports Illustrated, in which Bryant rationalizes that he works harder on his conditioning when he hears the critics call him names like "a ballhog" and "a baby."

"It's devoid of any specific Kobe characteristic," said Ed O'Hara, chief creative officer of SME, a design company that has done more than 2,000 sports logos. "Since the silhouetted player is now a thing of the past, Nike is counting on people making the association between the logo and Bryant.

Los Angeles Lakers second-round draft pick Ronny Turiaf underwent heart surgery Tuesday and was expected to make a full recovery, the team said.

The former Gonzaga star had surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root and preserve his aortic valve. He's expected to be hospitalized about a week.

The six-hour operation was performed by Dr. Craig Miller at the Stanford University Medical Center.

Turiaf, selected 37th overall in the draft, was diagnosed with an enlarged aortic root during a team physical after the draft. Had the condition not been caught and treated it could have been fatal, team spokesman John Black said.

Ronny Turiaf, the Los Angeles Lakers' second-round pick at No. 37 overall and the West Coast Conference player of the year as a senior, has an enlarged heart and will need open-heart surgery, ESPN reported.

Turiaf's condition was confirmed by his agent, Bouna Ndiaye, who said the problem was diagnosed during extensive medical testing in Los Angeles. Lakers spokesman John Black reportedly said Turiaf will have the surgery in 4-6 weeks. A press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT on Friday in Los Angeles.

Warriors point guard Baron Davis has taken over what he calls a "huge" responsibility.

He wasn't talking about his role as the leader of the Warriors. He wasn't referring to carrying his team into the 2006 NBA playoffs. He's talking about taking over Magic Johnson's charity game.

At the conclusion of Magic's Celebrity & Pro All-Star Charity Basketball game, the marquee event part of "A Midsummer Night's Magic," Johnson bequeathed the entire event to the control of Davis and Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce, a fellow Los Angeles-native.

"It's a great way to give back to the community, also bring some entertainment to the city that I grew up in," Davis said. "I have a lot of friends in L.A. and it means a lot to me to give back. Magic has given 20 years of greatness with this event. In the past 10 years, Magic has been a hands-on mentor for me, both on and off the court. For him to hand something down after 20 years, it's an honor to be considered, let alone be given that responsibility."

The Magic Johnson Foundation has yet to officially announce the move.

RealGM's Christopher Reina is reporting that the Portland Trailblazers are not in the running for Antonio Daniels.

Portland GM John Nash indicated to Reina that the Sonics' free agent wants a five year deal and that the club is unwilling to give him a long term contract.

This now leaves the Wizards and Lakers as frontrunners for Daniels, with the Jazz and Spurs considered to be long shots.  

It is also plausible for Daniels to return to Seattle, but it appears to be highly unlikely and only if the market for the former member of the Grizzlies, Spurs and Blazers dries significantly.

Without a proven NBA point guard on their roster, the Lakers are the logical choice for Daniels, who would likely step in immediately and join their starting line-up.  The Lakers have also stalled with Daniels over the length of the contract, but appear to now be close on a deal.

If Daniels goes to the Wizards, he would fill the void as a combo guard created by Larry Hughes' departure.

Daniels' agent Tony Dutt could not be reached on Tuesday night for comment.

Vlade Divac, who played 16 seasons in the NBA, announced his retirement in Belgrade, Serbia, according to a story on the Sports Ticker Web site.

Divac, limited to 15 games with the Lakers last season because of a back injury, said he feels a lot of pain in his back when he plays four or five days in a row.

"There is just a 50-50 chance for me to be fully recovered for the season," he said. "As I don't want to become a disabled player, I think this is a right time for me to stop playing basketball."

Unrestricted free-agent guard Antonio Daniels visited Lakers' headquarters in El Segundo but left without reaching a deal.

Daniels, 30, averaged a career-high 11.2 points last season for the Seattle SuperSonics. He is also being courted by the Utah Jazz, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards, and will likely make a decision later this week or early next week.

Daniels' agent, Tony Dutt, said the Lakers were "definitely high on the list. It's always been a situation Antonio likes."

The Lakers could offer Daniels their mid-level exception, valued at about $5 million annually.

The Lakers signed Luke Walton, a restricted free-agent forward, to a two-year contract to stay with the Lakers, his agent said Wednesday.

Second-round pick Ronny Turiaf signed with a two-year deal with the Lakers, with only the first year guaranteed. The total value, if Turiaf plays both years, will be about $1 million. Turiaf was taken 37th out of Gonzaga.

Kwame Brown's agent, Arn Tellem, was scheduled to meet with Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak on Tuesday night, according to a league source.

The Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks have also shown interest in Brown. According to league sources, the Pacers and the Wizards discussed a deal that would have sent shooting guard Freddie Jones and forward Jeff Foster to Washington. Indiana, however, is no longer interested in Brown.

According to David Aldridge, the Washington Wizards may already have their potential replacement for Larry Hughes in sight.

Sources involved with the discussions say that the Wizards are talking to the Los Angeles Lakers about a sign-and-trade deal in which forward Kwame Brown, the top pick in the 2001 NBA draft, would go to the Lakers in exchange for swingman Caron Butler.

The Wizards have other options on the table that could bring them a much-needed big man in return for Brown, but Butler would make a lot of sense.

Butler has been available during most of his yearlong stay in Los Angeles. If the Lakers move him and, as expected, release forward Brian Grant in order to save money under the luxury tax, they would have precious little to show for their blockbuster trade of Shaquille O'Neal to Miami.