The Future Might Be Now for Magic : Lakers: Coaching debut is more like a tryout to see if he will like the job enough to do it next season.

Magic Johnson, a man who needs no introduction, was officially introduced as the Lakers’ new coach on Wednesday, a job owner Jerry Buss wanted him to take for two years but might ultimately last only 16 games.

Standing at the same spot where he announced his retirement 2 1/2 years ago after testing HIV-positive and later his aborted comeback attempt, Johnson said he might only be the interim coach after Randy Pfund was fired. What happens between Sunday against Milwaukee at the Forum in his debut and the season finale exactly four weeks later, assuming the Lakers’ longshot playoff hopes don’t materialize, will determine whether he returns for 1994-95.

“I’m happy to be back with the Laker family, for however long it’s going to be,” he said at a packed news conference at the Forum. “I know it’s for about a month, anyway.

“It is something that I’m doing because Dr. Buss asked me would I do it. I told him I would do it for him, and that’s the reason I’m doing it. . . . I’m looking forward to the challenge, because, basically, that’s what it is, a new challenge. I will put forth 125% effort, just like I did when I was a player, and we’ll see what it’s all about from there.”

The Lakers bristled at the notion that the move, first announced Tuesday night, was made to boost lagging interest as the team heads to the lottery for the first time. That wouldn’t make sense from an economic point of view, they say, because Johnson can’t sell enough tickets in the remaining 10 home games to make much of a difference.

What does make sense, Buss and General Manager Jerry West said, is all about basketball. Maybe a little logic, too. Pfund was going to be fired after the season anyway, so why not let Johnson take the team for a test drive and see if he likes the feel as a fledgling coach as much as a superstar point guard? If so, the coaching search ends immediately.

“I decided in the last few weeks that next year I would like to have a new coach,” Buss said. “Since that was the case, by coaching the rest of the year I felt Earvin could gain some invaluable experience and at the same time find out whether it is something he’ll want to do long range.”

Said West: “Jerry Buss had made that decision, that we were going to have a coaching change. This will give Earvin a chance over the next month to see if this is something he would have a future with and enjoy, get his feet wet, get to know some of our younger players and hope to impart some of the things he has learned as a basketball player. And we really feel, particularly with our young players, that this will be a very positive thing for us.

“It’s certainly not a business decision, not at all. Period. This is not a sideshow. This is something we hope that will help our ballclub and particularly our younger players.”

And if Magic does not continue past this season?

“That makes little or no difference because it gives him an opportunity to see if it’s something he would really want to continue,” West said. “He has no plans at this point in time, but next year, after he’s going through it, it might be something that really whets his appetite, a chance for him to participate in a game that he loves. If not, it gives us an opportunity to go out and look for someone that we would want to coach our team for the future.”

So Pfund apparently became expendable within the last two weeks, after Buss, who over the previous two years had talked with Johnson in a conversational sense about taking over, turned the talks into an actual offer. What made the timing so strange, in addition to it being late in a season when the Lakers didn’t expect to make the playoffs anyway, was that they had won six of the final eight games under Pfund and were improving on defense, the area of most criticism from management.

One of the greatest players in basketball history, whose talent can only be rivaled by his popularity in Los Angeles during the Showtime era of the 1980s that produced five NBA titles, Johnson will undoubtedly be questioned about his health as much as his coaching abilities at every stop. Wednesday, noting he has played regularly while heading a barnstorming team that has toured the world, the league’s all-time assist leader said he does not have AIDS and is fit to coach.

For how long appears to be the question.

“I can’t think about next season until I’m there,” he said. “Give me a shot at Saturday (at the opening practice) first. Let me just concentrate on that right now.”

What issues will he analyze in deciding whether to come back?

“Did the team improve, both as a team and individuals? Did I enjoy myself? Is it something that I really want to put my time effort into? Because it takes a lot of time.”

In the meantime, Johnson, 34, easily becomes the NBA’s highest-paid coach. Sort of. He signed no coaching contract, but continues to draw on the playing contract that pays him $2.5 million this season and $14.6 million for 1994-95.

He has, however, given up or delayed income to become the 11th head coach in Los Angeles Laker history because commercials, appearances and speaking engagements had to be canceled or rescheduled. Lon Rosen, his agent, estimates those to be “in excess” of $500,000, but says Johnson will keep a charity commitment to watch his high school all-star game April 9 in suburban Detroit. The Lakers play at Portland that night, so Bill Bertka, the interim coach Wednesday at Dallas and tonight at Houston, will take over again.

Magic Johnson Chronology

1978--As a freshman, leads Michigan State to a 25-5 record and its first Big Ten title in 19 seasons.

March 26, 1979--Leads Michigan State to the NCAA championship with a 75-64 victory over previously unbeaten Indiana State and Larry Bird.

May 11, 1979--Announces he will make himself available for the NBA draft.

June 25, 1979--The Lakers make Johnson the first selection in the NBA draft. Pick was acquired when Gail Goodrich signed as a free agent with New Orleans before the 1976-77 season.

May 16, 1980--Starting at center in place of the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the NBA finals, he gets 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists against Philadelphia to lead the Lakers to the title. He becomes the first rookie named MVP of the finals, and the third player to win NCAA and NBA titles in consecutive seasons, joining Bill Russell and Henry Bibby.

June 26, 1981--Signs a 25-year, $25-million contract with the Lakers.

April 1982--Joins Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to get 700 points, rebounds and assists in the same season.

June 8, 1982--Earns his second playoff MVP award after leading the Lakers past Philadelphia, 114-104, in Game 6 of the finals.

April 1983--Leads the NBA in assists with a 10.5 average and breaks Jerry West’s club record with 829. Is named to the All-NBA first team for the first time, beginning a string of nine consecutive selections.

April 1984--Leads the NBA in assists for the second year in a row, this time with a record 13.1 average.

February 1986--Becomes the first player to receive more than 1 million votes in All-Star balloting.

April 1986--Leads the NBA in assists with a 12.6 average.

Dec. 23, 1986--Scores a career-high 46 points in an overtime victory over Seattle.

Feb. 8, 1987--Becomes the all-time All-Star assist leader as the West beats the East, 154-149, in overtime.

May 18, 1987--Named league MVP after averaging a career-high 23.9 points and leading the league with 12.2 assists.

June 14, 1987--Named finals MVP for the third time after guiding the Lakers past Boston in six games. The regular-season and playoff MVP sweep enables him to join Willis Reed, Moses Malone and Larry Bird as the only players so honored.

June 21, 1988--Guides Lakers to 108-105 victory over Detroit in Game 7 of the NBA finals as Los Angeles becomes the first team to repeat since Boston in 1969.

April 1989--Breaks his club record for assists with 988 and leads the NBA in free-throw shooting at 91.1%.

May 22, 1989--Leads the Lakers to their eighth consecutive division title and earns his second regular-season MVP award, edging Michael Jordan in the closest voting since 1981.

June 8, 1989--Injures his left hamstring in the third quarter of Game 2 of the NBA finals, won by Detroit, 108-105.

June 13, 1989--Sits out a playoff game for the first time as Pistons complete a sweep of the Lakers for the title.

Feb. 11, 1990--Scores 22 points in the West’s 130-113 All-Star Game loss and is voted MVP of the game for the first time in his nine appearances.

May 22, 1990--Leads the Lakers to a 63-19 record and is named regular-season MVP for the second consecutive year, making him the sixth player in NBA history to capture the award three times.

April 15, 1991--Sets an NBA record for career assists in a 112-106 victory over Dallas. Johnson, who needed nine assists to break Oscar Robertson’s record of 9,887, got 19.

June 1991--Leads the Lakers to the NBA finals for the ninth time in his 12-year career.

Nov. 7, 1991--Announces his retirement at age 32 after testing positive for HIV. He leaves the NBA ranked first in assists with 9,921 and second in steals with 1,698.

Nov. 8, 1991--Named by President Bush to National Commission on AIDS.

Feb. 9, 1992--Wins MVP honors in the NBA All-Star game as the West beats the East, 153-113.

Aug. 8, 1992--Wins Olympic gold medal as the United States beats Croatia, 117-85, in the Barcelona Games.

Sept. 25, 1992--Resigns from the National Commission on AIDS.

Sept. 29, 1992--Announces he will return to the Lakers and play limited schedule in the 1992-93 season.

Nov. 2, 1992--Announces his retirement again in a statement issued by the Lakers.

Oct. 1, 1993--Fails in bid for NBA expansion franchise in Toronto.

March 22, 1994--Named coach of the Lakers, replacing Randy Pfund.