The Los Angeles Clippers continued their busy offseason yesterday, signing restricted free-agent swing man Kelenna Azubuike to an offer sheet.

The 24-year-old Azubuike, who played at Kentucky, averaged 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 21.4 minutes while playing 81 games for the Golden State Warriors last season. The Warriors have seven days to match the Clippers' three-year offer for about $9 million once they receive a copy of the offer sheet.

"Kelenna is a guy who's worked his way up," coach Mike Dunleavy said by telephone from Las Vegas, where the Clippers have a summer league team. "He's very athletic, he's a good shooter, a good defender and a good all-around kid."

Dunleavy said current plans call for Azubuike to be the Clippers' backup small forward behind Al Thornton if the Warriors decide not to match.

"He can play some (shooting guard), he can play some (small forward)," Dunleavy said.

Azubuike would join former teammate Baron Davis with the Clippers. Davis signed a five-year, $65 million contract earlier this month.

BUCKS

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Tyronn Lue and forward Malik Allen, giving new coach Scott Skiles two more veterans with which to work. The team did not reveal terms of either contract.

The 31-year-old Lue played for Atlanta and Dallas last season, averaging 5.8 points and 1.5 assists in 50 games. The 6-foot guard was drafted out of Nebraska with the 23rd pick in the 1998 draft. He has averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds in his 10-year career, which included championship seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and 2001.

Allen began last season in New Jersey before being traded to Dallas. The 6-foot-10 Allen averaged 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds last season and has averaged 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in his seven-year career.

TIMBERWOLVES

After watching Craig Smith develop into a hard-working rebounder and efficient scorer off the bench in his first two seasons in Minnesota, Timberwolves boss Kevin McHale decided to sign the undersized power forward for another two.

The restricted free agent signed a deal that runs through the 2009-10 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"We like Craig a great deal. I didn't see any reason not to try to really re-sign him," McHale said in a teleconference from Las Vegas, where the Wolves have a summer league team. "There was an opportunity possibly to go out and chase other free agents, but it didn't make any sense to me. Our young guys, I like a great deal."

The 6-foot-8 Smith averaged 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game last year for the Timberwolves, his third season in the league.