Management Confident About Re-Signing Fox

Conceding that comments from Rick Fox mean it will be tougher to re-sign him than originally expected, the Lakers nonetheless remain confident they can retain their starting small forward when he becomes a free agent July 1 despite salary-cap restrictions that could work against them.

Neither side knows what limits, if any, will be put on an offer because a new collective bargaining agreement is yet to be negotiated, but the most the Lakers could put on the table under the rules that expire June 30 is one year at $1.2 million. Under that scenario, as Fox comes off one year at $1 million, their game plan for the summer of 1998 to keep him will be simple.

The same one from the summer of 1997.

“We did it last year,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said of getting Fox to turn down much larger offers to become, or stay, a Laker. “I think if you ask him he’d say that everything is here for him. Our response would be to just bear with us. It worked out this year and there’s no reason it can’t work out going forward. From our point of view, hopefully he won’t have a tough decision to make.”

But from Fox’s point of view, he will, unsure if he wants to pass on more lucrative deals for the second summer in a row when he may have to wait still another year until the Lakers can pay him without regard to the cap.

“We can’t make any promises, we can’t make any insinuations, we can’t talk anyone into believing what may be done in the future,” Kupchak said. “But we’ve always had happy people in Los Angeles. Hopefully that will come prominently in his mind as he makes his decision.

“There’s something to be said for peace of mind and happiness and winning. You can go back to the finances, and it is something to be factored in. But I think if you talk to him, he’d say everything he wants is here.”

Fox does say that, hoping things can work out as much as the Lakers do, but he is also concerned about long-term financial security. At least team officials might be able to deal with an agent on this matter who will be thinking very much along the same line: Fox.

He has not made a final decision, but is considering handling negotiations with all interested clubs himself. Fox had an amicable parting with former representative Bill Strickland and feels like he can handle the process himself.

“I know what I’m worth,” he said.

That’s what the Lakers are afraid of.

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Robert Horry sat out Wednesday and is scheduled to see a foot specialist today to confirm that his injury is not more serious than the strained Achilles’ tendon that has kept him out of two of the last three games and forced him out early in the other.

“Nobody seems to be in a panic,” Coach Del Harris said.

Horry remains day-to-day, unless the examination with Dr. Phillip Kwong changes the diagnoses, so the possibility remains that he could play Friday against the Phoenix Suns at the Great Western Forum. The missed game against the Vancouver Grizzlies, Harris said, had nothing to do with letting their starting power forward take an extra night off because of the opponent.

“It’s better to keep playing if you can play,” he said. “There’s only seven games left. We’re just getting the team healthy. It’s better to play as many of them together as we can.

“Once you get into that kind of paranoia, you don’t let anyone play. This is a high-risk venture.”

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Wednesday night brought the Grizzlies and the chance for riches. OK, more riches.

Shaquille O’Neal played the lottery. Not just that, he played it in a big way, joining Jerome Crawford, the Lakers’ full-time security man, and four friends and relatives to invest about $10,000 for tickets in hopes of hitting the jackpot. O’Neal, who has a history of playing such games of chance, footed about $9,000 of the tab.

“If we win, I think I’ll take one million and let them take the other 69,” he said. “Buy a boat or something.”

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The win Sunday at Detroit not only concluded a 4-0 trip, but capped the Laker comeback against the Eastern Conference. They had started 7-7, then won 12 of the final 16 to finish 19-11. That ties the 1996-97 record.