Magic Wants a Piece of NBA Action : Pro basketball: He talks to Buss and Stern about buying a franchise. Laker official says the owner isn’t ready to sell. Johnson started AZT treatment Monday.

Magic Johnson, saying he wants to become an NBA owner as soon as possible, said Tuesday night that he had informal discussions with owner Jerry Buss about buying the Lakers.

But Buss’ publicist, Bob Steiner, said the owner is not ready to sell. Buss declined an interview request.

“Jerry expressed he’d like his children to run the team, that has been his indication,” Steiner said. “While he thinks of Magic as one of his children, he doesn’t view him in the line of inheritance.”

Johnson, who retired from professional basketball 12 days ago after learning that he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, discussed his desire to become an owner in the Lakers’ locker room before Tuesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns.

“Yes I want a team,” he said. “Yes I want it to be next year. I’m for real.”

Johnson, who began AZT treatment Monday during an examination at UCLA Medical Center, refused to discuss his medical situation other than to say he was feeling fine and training daily.

The antiviral drug AZT is believed to help strengthen the immune system in HIV-positive patients. It is believed to delay the development of full-blown AIDS, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AZT can produce such side effects as bone marrow destruction, liver damage and anemia in patients suffering from fully developed AIDS.

Johnson, 32, attending his second consecutive Laker game at the Forum, said he has discussed ownership plans with NBA Commissioner David Stern.

“My first thing is to see what Dr. Buss is going to do,” Johnson said. “I have to see what happens.”

Johnson said he wants to remain in California and considers San Diego a potential location. However, he denied reports that he, former Laker center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and other investors have held specific discussions with Ron Hahn, the builder of a proposed sports arena.

“If they have an arena, it would be stupid for me not to consider moving a team there,” Johnson said.

Steiner said Buss has discussed the San Diego situation with Kings’ owner Bruce McNall. He said they talked about Buss, the former Kings’ owner, owning a San Diego hockey team and McNall an NBA team.

But Steiner said any discussion is premature.

“He can’t deal with (Magic’s retirement) at this point,” Steiner said.

Johnson said Orange County was considered but was dismissed as a possible site by NBA officials because of its proximity to Los Angeles, which has two franchises.

Johnson said his telephone conversations with Stern centered on which teams were available. He said there were five possibilities, but refused to name them.

“The financial part, we feel we’ve got that,” Johnson said of an unnamed group of investors he is working with. “That always is the hard part. We’ve got time, we’ve got a couple months.

“We’re doing this as fast as we can. I can’t say it’s going to happen next season . . . we’re hoping.”

NBA franchises do not come cheaply. The Orlando Magic, a 2-year-old team, was recently sold for about $80 million.

Johnson said if Buss refuses to sell the team, he and his partners would then explore other options, but “I’d be crazy not to make this my first choice.”

What kind of owner would he make?

“Fair but tough,” he said.

“I understand the players’ perspective, but some agents are really ridiculous.”

Johnson said he would streamline negotiations by starting with fair offers.

“None of this game playing,” he said.

Johnson said agents and owners know who is good and who is not. “There is always a parameter,” he said.

“I’ll want everybody to be playing (on the court).”

Johnson said he plans to meet with Stern in about three weeks to continue discussions.

Now that Johnson has started AZT treatments, he will need periodic examinations. It was announced Tuesday that he was being seen by Dr. Ronald Mitsuyasu, the director of the UCLA Center for Clinical AIDS research.

The dosage and frequency of Johnson’s AZT therapy were not disclosed. The physicians also refused to reveal Johnson’s T-helper cell count. The cells are key components in the body’s ability to combat the disease.

AZT usually is administered when the T-cell count drops below the 500 level, said David Ho, director of New York University’s Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. Ho administered an HIV screen on Johnson in October to doublecheck the results.