Lakers Draft Pick Now Training in CBA for the NBA

Ronny Turiaf, the former Gonzaga Bulldogs star who had open-heart surgery just over six months ago, has signed a contract to play for the Yakama Sun Kings as part of his rehabilitation.

Turiaf brings new status to the Continental Basketball Association team, whose fans tracked his stellar career at Gonzaga, just three hours east in Spokane.

"From a selfish standpoint, for me, he's a great basketball player. But for the franchise, and for everything Ronny has done in this state, it's the biggest one we've ever had," coach Paul Woolpert said of the signing Wednesday. "And he hasn't even stepped on the floor yet."

Turiaf, a 6-foot-9 forward, was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 35th pick in June's NBA draft. During a subsequent physical, doctors detected a heart problem, and Turiaf underwent surgery July 26 to repair an enlarged aortic root.

The Lakers voided the contract but retained the rights to Turiaf for three years. He has no timetable for joining the NBA team.

"I'm not physically healthy enough to endure practice and training for an NBA schedule," Turiaf said at a Wednesday news conference. "I'm using Yakama as training. As long as I'm here, I will work hard and I will try to make this team better."