Labradford

The Washington Bullets' overcrowded backcourt lost a candidate yesterday when Haywoode Workman signed a two-year contract to play for Pesaro Scavolini in the Italian Basketball League.According to his agent, Frank Capatano, Pesaro more than doubled the Bullets' qualifying offer of $180,000 to Workman, who received the minimum NBA salary of $120,000 last season, when he made the team as a free agent.Workman, 25, was in Italy this week trying out for Pesaro, which was searching for a proven pro guard after failing to acquire John Paxson, who re-signed with the Chicago Bulls last week.

LANDOVER -- His pro basketball debut is still four months away, but rookie guard LaBradford Smith has faced his first frustration.The first-round selection of the Washington Bullets will not be able to wear No. 23, the uniform number he sported during his Louisville career in tribute to his idol, Michael Jordan. That number belongs to reserve center Charles Jones, the Bullets' least Jordan-like player." 'Dr. J' [Julius Erving] and Michael Jordan are my favorite basketball players," said Smith, appearing at his first Bullets news conference yesterday.

North Carolina State guard Rodney Monroe expected to be drafted by either the Atlanta Hawks or Washington Bullets in Wednesday's NBA draft. It's just that he didn't expect to have to wait until the second round -- and for seven other guards to be chosen -- until he went on the 30th pick to the Hawks.There were the lingering questions among pro scouts about his size and ability to create shots off the dribble, but not since Wake Forest's Charlie Davis in 1971 has the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year slipped below the first round.

RICHMOND, Va. -- Take away the second quarter and the BayRunners played fairly well last night against the Richmond Rhythm. The BayRunners' poor performance in the second quarter, though, was enough to ensure Richmond a 95-80 victory before 1,104 at Richmond Coliseum. The BayRunners hit three of 13 field-goal tries in the second period and committed 10 turnovers en route to falling to the team that is chasing them for the final playoff spot in the International Basketball League's East Conference.

Washington Bullets general manager John Nash is continuing negotiations with the agent of forward Harvey Grant, hoping to get a contract extension worked out before the start of the NBA season, Nov. 1.Grant, who showed marked improvement last season, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, has publicly aired his dissatisfaction with his contract. A first-round draft choice out of Oklahoma in 1988, the slender 6-foot-9 forward earned $474,000 last year, the ninth lowest salary on the team.

BOWIE -- Slight movement was reported yesterday in the salary arbitration case of Washington Bullets forward John Williams.Bullets general manager John Nash said that Williams' attorney-agent, Fred Slaughter of Santa Monica, Calif., had responded to evidence presented by the team at the arbitration meeting Dec. 9 in New York."We've got seven days to respond to Mr. Slaughter's brief, but I didn't see anything new in it that hadn't already come out in the testimony given to the arbitrator," Nash said.

BOWIE -- Slight movement was reported yesterday in the salary arbitration case of Washington Bullets forward John Williams.Bullets general manager John Nash said that Williams' attorney-agent, Fred Slaughter of Santa Monica, Calif., had responded to evidence presented by the team at the arbitration meeting Dec. 9 in New York."We've got seven days to respond to Mr. Slaughter's brief, but I didn't see anything new in it that hadn't already come out in the testimony given to the arbitrator," Nash said.

SAN DIEGO -- In the past, the San Diego Stingrays have been the perfect get-well opponent for the BayRunners. That trend ended last night as the Stingrays held off Baltimore, 107-99, in front of 1,104 fans at the Sports Arena. Baltimore's losing streak reached five, and the BayRunners continued winless on the road since a victory here last month. "San Diego didn't play like an 8-32 team tonight," Baltimore coach Terry Truax said. "Obviously, we showed that we can't take any team for granted."

The first words out of BayRunners coach Terry Truax's mouth in his post-game news conference were, "Wow, what a way to end it." That was followed by the type of crooked smile that follows a facetious remark because he knew the BayRunners did nothing to wow the 6,120 fans at Baltimore Arena. So the 98-86 season-ending loss to the Trenton Stars was like the inaugural game: a disappointing defeat at home to a team that is going where the BayRunners are not -- to the International Basketball League playoffs.

BayRunners coach Herb Brown said signing former Washington Bullets No. 1 pick LaBradford Smith could turn out to be "the steal of the year."The BayRunners announced the acquisition of Smith and University of Maryland standout Rodney Elliott yesterday. The two become the eighth and ninth members of the team.Smith returns to the United States after playing in Europe the past three seasons. The Bullets took Smith -- 6 feet 4, 202 pounds -- as the 19th overall pick in the 1991 draft."He exudes class.