Pau Gasol laughed with a tone that suggested both amusement and annoyance.

A little over a week removed from the Lakers' early playoff exit in the Western Conferense semifinals, and the team's forward is already finding himself the subject of trade rumors. This time it didn't involve the Lakers shopping him around with other teams. Bulls.com's Sam Smith quoted "Laker insiders" who said "Gasol would like to play for the Bulls." That contradicts the endless statements Gasol has made that he'd like to remain a Laker. He reiterated that stance again Tuesday during a visit at  Children's Hospital Los Angeles. 

"My position is still the same," Gasol told The Times. "I still would love to be a part of the Lakers and continue to be here to help the team win more championships as soon as possible. It's out of my control and it's out of my hands, no matter what."

Kupchak offered no assurances to Gasol and reporters at last week's exit interview that Gasol will remain with the Lakers, and suggested...

The reality show surrounding the Lakers is always captivating.

The Lakers' front office is looking to make roster changes. Kobe Bryant is wondering if he'll ever win his sixth NBA championship. Pau Gasol is worrying whether he'll remain a Laker. Andrew Bynum is noticing the angst on whether he will fully mature. Metta World Peace is thriving on acting goofy.

The Lakers' reality show rarely focuses just on the basketball court. It focuses on everything off of it too. With Lamar Odom, the Lakers were eventually treated to too many doses of the Kardashian family. With World Peace, the Lakers learned that he flirted with several reality television ideas without any of them coming to fruition. And now with Jeanie Buss, the Lakers executive vice president will stay involved with the return of Women of Wrestling in a show titled "Wow Girls."

44 Blue Productions described the new show in a statement as "an unflinching, behind-the-ropes look at the rebuilding of a wrestling franchise and the...

To both his amusement and annoyance, former Lakers Coach Phil Jackson noticed the player formerly known as Ron Artest genuinely try to do the right thing while tripping over himself in the process.

Memorial Day marked one of those many moments. Artest, now Metta World Peace, apparently mixed up his holiday calendar. He tweeted his followers best wishes on Memorial Day on Monday by writing, "Happy labor day .... enjoy it."

Too bad those holidays have completely different meanings.

Memorial Day takes place in late May and honors the fallen who have fought for our country. Labor Day takes place in early September and celebrates the economic and social contributions workers provide. Realizing his tweet offended many followers, World Peace, quickly backtracked in ways that hardly helped his cause. He blamed the mix-up on partying too late on Sunday night. World Peace mentioned that he's not familiar with all religious holidays. He also faulted his poor educational background in history. 

Yup,...

The Lakers marvel at Andrew Bynum’s monstrous presence. But they also scratch their heads at his inconsistent effort.

At times, they exercise patience with Bynum’s immature behavior. At other times, they show their annoyance with it.

And with the living contradiction that is Bynum, the Lakers are sending a clear message on how they see him in their future plans. By planning to exercise Bynum’s $16.1-million team option for next season, the Lakers show they’re willing to dip their toe in the pool. And with the Lakers currently mulling over signing Bynum to a long-term deal, they’re showing understandable reluctance in jumping right into the water.

The Lakers used to just worry whether Bynum could stay healthy. Even by playing through the 2011-12 season without a major injury, that concern hasn’t completely evaporated. That’s why Bynum plans to travel to Germany in September to undergo special Orthokine therapy on possibly both his knees, the same...

Less than a week has passed since the Lakers' early playoff exit, yet Metta World Peace has already returned to the gym.

Sunday marked his first appearance in the Drew League, a Los Angeles summer league that features amateur and pro players alike. He plans to attend the games hosted at King/Drew Magnet High School in Watts on a regular basis. 

"I want to come back next year in shape," World Peace said to The Times, "so I'm trying to play."

World Peace played on Money Gang, a team that features Toronto guard and former USC player DeMar DeRozan as well as the rapper Game against the team dubbed Kings of L.A., which boasts Golden State Warriorsguard Dorrell Wright.

World Peace's appearance proved to be a mixed blessing in Money Gang's double-digit loss. He scored 18 points, made a wide range of three-pointers and was responsible for several deflections. But he earned five fouls and even a technical for arguing over a reach. For those worried about World Peace's composure, don't be. He hardly...

Usually the health concerns that Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol share involve the stress on their own bodies. But this time, it involved the horse they co-own.

Siempre Mio was scratched from his scheduled race Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park because he had what Santa Anita chief executive Mark Verge described as a "minor cough" after going through a morning jog. 

Trainer Doug O'Neill, whose colt I'll Have Another won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, has a strict policy, according to Verge, that he won't race any of his horses if they cough at all the day of a race, no matter the severity. Gasol had planned to watch his horse run, but Verge said he was alerted about Siempre Mio's absence from the race.

"It's a lot of pressure when you have Kobe and Gasol as your partners. Everyone understood we've got to listen the trainer, especially since we have a trainer who had a brain," Verge said, jokingly. "He's about to win a Triple Crown so we have to show some respect to Doug O'Neill....

Nearly a month has passed since Pau Gasol became a horse owner, and Saturday will mark the first time the Lakers' forward will see him race.

Gasol confirmed in an email to The Times that he will watch Siempre Mio make his first start at Betfair Hollywood Park since he and teammate Kobe Bryant partnered in owning the horse. 

"I am looking forward to a nice event," Gasol said. "I am not used to that but it's going to be exciting and a good horse race."

Gasol and Bryant each bid $8,000 on April 25 at an auction benefiting the Lakers' Youth Foundation to share the owning rights after L.A. Car Guy President Mike Sullivan also chipped in with an $8,000 donation. Santa Anita chief executive Mark Verge and Chris Quinn, also an executive at Santa Anita, also own the horse.

Neither Bryant nor Gasol pay any expenses in the horse's care. Siempre Mio receives training from Doug O'Neill, whose colt I'll Have Another won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. 

The lasting image of Pau Gasol's decline in what could be his last year with the Lakers comes from this last week.

One can choose his costly turnover that became a flashpoint in the Lakers' 103-100 Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Gasol having a clear look to take a potential game-winning jumper, Kobe Bryant led the charge that his errant pass epitomized his season-wide inconsistent aggressiveness.

Focus on Bryant and Gasol arguing with each other in the waning minutes of the Lakers' Game 5 elimination loss to the Thunder. Gasol in his exit interview conceded the chemistry between the two never seemed as strong as it had been in the previous four seasons.

Notice Gasol's demeanor during his exit interview. He spoke almost in resignation over the possiblity the Lakers would trade him with two years and $38 million left on his contract, particularly after Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak offered no assurances about his future. It showed how the ongoing trade speculation...

The moment Andrew Goudelock arrived in Los Angeles, uncertainty surrounded him.

The Lakers had just learned that the NBA had nixed the Chris Paul trade. The team wondered how it would handle the fallout with a hurt Pau Gasol and a disgruntled Lamar Odom. And Goudelock, the former College of Charleston standout, hardly felt comfortable in a city he had never visited on a team that might not even want him.

"I hated L.A. because when I got here, everything was going terrible," Goudelock said this week in his exit interview. "I thought I was going to get cut from the team."

Goudelock made it, and wasn't just as a bench warmer. Lakers Coach Mike Brown made Goudelock the backup shooting guard behind Kobe Bryant. Goudelock then unexpectedly played at backup point guard while  Steve Blake recovered from a rib injury. The Lakers' rookie kept his spot in the regular rotation with his strong outside shooting. Goudelock ended the season averaging 4.4 points per game on 37.3% shooting from three-point...

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan lists five possible rebuilding scenarios the Lakers can take.

--The Times' Bill Plaschke provided mixed praise for Mike Brown's first season as Lakers' head coach.

--The New York Times' Howard Beck documents the Lakers' flameout.

--The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding believes it will be difficult for the Lakers to reload, but believes the front office can pull it off.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Andy and Brian Kamenetzky provide more coverage of the Lakers' exit interviews.

--Sports Illustrated's Zach Lowe wonders why Kobe Bryant made the NBA All-Defensive team since, you know, he plays very little defense.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin highlights Jerry West's contention made on ESPN Radio that the Lakers aren't one of the best teams.

--Forum Blue and Gold's Darius Soriano believes there are no easy choices for the Lakers to make this offseason.

--Lakers.com's Mike Trudell highlights Bryant making first-team All NBA for the 10th time in his 16-year career.

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