Waiting Game for Coach Goes On

Mike Krzyzewski was believed to be on a beach in southern North Carolina on Sunday, Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak was on a beach in Southern California, and another day passed without a decision.

Now 17 days without a coach, the Lakers tapped at their watches and awaited the call that would bring them Krzyzewski or send them looking again, perhaps back to Rudy Tomjan- ovich.

It has been nearly two weeks since the Lakers first made contact with Krzyzewski, a week since Kobe Bryant surprised Krzyzewski with another telephone call. He has been offered $8 million a season, according to sources, to leave college basketball and rework a Laker team that may or may not have Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Karl Malone.

The Lakers expect to hear from Krzyzewski by Tuesday or Wednesday, but there is no hard deadline. Kupchak apparently has maintained contact with Tomjanovich and perhaps other candidates, but nothing happens until Krzyzewski picks up his telephone.

Of course, a Krzyzewski hire would have no bearing on O’Neal, who is adamant in his desire to leave the Lakers, regardless of the coach.

Laker management is wading into the tricky quarter of three- and four-way trades to accommodate O’Neal, who has limited his destinations to Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans, Sacramento and a few others.

O’Neal, by contract, cannot dictate where he goes or even whether he goes, but the organization’s inclination is to trade him, particularly if that would help persuade Bryant to re-sign. A free agent, Bryant can sign a contract July 14, giving the Lakers their first deadline of the summer.