Riley, Buss Work on New Deal : Basketball: The former coach is negotiating for a front-office position. He also is close to a NBC contract.

Pat Riley’s future, the main issue left unresolved after Monday’s news conference announcing his resignation as Laker coach, is likely to be decided soon.

Riley is close to reaching an agreement with NBC to be a commentator for the network’s NBA coverage next season, and sources say an announcement is expected early next week.

But it was also learned Wednesday that Riley is not expected to completely sever ties with the Lakers, whom he coached for nine seasons. He is negotiating a new contract with owner Jerry Buss for a front-office job that could begin immediately or wait until after Riley’s broadcast commitments are over.

Buss said Wednesday that, contrary to published reports Tuesday in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, he is not negotiating a “settlement” of Riley’s coaching contract, which had two seasons to run. Instead, Buss said a new contract for a different job is being negotiated, even though a job title for Riley has not been determined.

“We have torn up the old contract and offered him a new one,” Buss said. “What position he would have depends on how free he is.”

Riley and Buss denied the Press-Telegram story that quoted unnamed sources as saying that Riley actually was fired, rather than resigning, and that Buss has settled Riley’s contract for $6 million over 10 years.

“The decision was totally Pat’s,” Buss said Wednesday. “I don’t know where that came from. It sure didn’t come from me.”

Said Riley: “It’s wrong. It’s not true. (Buss) is not just trying to protect me. Every indication he gave me is that he wanted me to stay. What he said at the press conference about wanting me to stay as coach is exactly what he told me all along.

“Dr. Buss has always been supportive of me and appreciative of what the coaching staff has contributed to the Lakers’ success. If Jerry Buss--or Jerry West, too--ever looked me in the eye and told me I was hurting the team, I would’ve left and said so. That’s not what happened.”

West, the Lakers’ general manager, also denied the report.

“Jerry Buss did not fire Pat Riley, period, period, period,” West said. “To suggest otherwise is ludicrous . . . The thing is, this guy just did not want to coach anymore. Jerry and (Riley) have a good relationship. That’s what makes this so ridiculous.”

Riley had two seasons remaining on a contract of $650,000 a season, plus incentives. Because he resigned, Riley would forfeit the final two years of his coaching contract. Any new position with the Lakers or Buss would be done under a new contract.

“If he is free to do so, he could start with the Lakers immediately,” Buss said. “Our offer is on the table. He can take it now or down the road. He has other deals to negotiate first. I can’t comment on those. I only know what we have offered him.”

To avoid perceptions of a conflict of interest, Riley might be asked by the network to wait to work for Buss until after leaving NBC, should he choose to accept the network’s offer. Brian McIntyre, NBA vice president for public relations, said the league has no authority over the announcers used on network telecasts. He said the league would not intervene if a broadcaster were also employed by an NBA team.

Neither Buss nor Riley gave details of the new Laker offer.

“Dr. Buss has offered me a deal for the future,” Riley said Wednesday. “It has nothing to do with any settlement. It’s just a long-term thing if I choose to stay with the Lakers.”

Riley would not comment on the reports that he already has reached an agreement with NBC and is merely waiting for the NBA finals to end to announce it. The NBC job, a source said, would pay about the same as his coaching salary, $650,000 a year.

Riley also has offers from Prime Ticket, HBO and Columbia Pictures for various projects.

John Severino, the president of Prime Ticket, said: “If his NBC contract will allow it, we would like to use him in a variety of ways--on our news show (scheduled to begin Oct. 1) and also at halftime or following Laker telecasts.”

“Everything should be cleared up in two or three weeks,” Buss said. “Pat has a lot of decisions still to make.”

Laker Notes

New Coach Mike Dunleavy has met with Bill Bertka, Randy Pfund and Jim Eyan, as well as General Manager Jerry West, and soon will decide on his coaching staff. It is possible that one or all of Pat Riley’s former assistants will be retained. But sources said Dunleavy also is considering hiring Jan van Breda Kolff, an assistant coach at Providence College and son of former Laker coach Butch van Breda Kolff.

Times Staff Writer Steve Springer contributed to this story.