Van Exel Considers Surgery Options

Team physician Steve Lombardo said Monday that Nick Van Exel should undergo arthroscopic surgery to determine the cause of a persistent clicking in the right knee, a procedure that could mean a stay on the injured list if the Laker point guard accepts the recommendation.

Van Exel has yet to make a decision and may wait to get a second opinion before doing so, as was the case in October, when he traveled to Oklahoma to see his personal doctor because of a sore left knee. So there may be no word on his future for a few days, at which time he could choose the operation or to play through it.

The Lakers are going out of their way to avoid talking about timetables until getting word from Van Exel, but merely going in to look around usually means a recovery time of about two weeks. And if the process then escalates to include cleaning out the joint or doing actual work on the knee, then it will be longer.

“You just don’t lose a guy of Nick’s quality and not have to make some serious adjustments,” Coach Del Harris said of the potential long-term absence. “But, hey, we’ve played almost half the time without Shaquille [O’Neal], so we’re used to adjusting.”

In the meantime, Derek Fisher probably will continue to start and Kobe Bryant play backup there. The Lakers could also sign someone to a 10-day contract if Van Exel has a lengthy stint on the sideline.

Van Exel had already sat out three games because of chronic soreness in the left knee, an injury that goes back years. Problems with the right knee arose last week, and he sat out Wednesday’s game at Phoenix and Thursday at home against the Nuggets, though he also had a bad stomach, and then finally Sunday at Orlando.

TONIGHT at Milwaukee

* 5:30 p.m.

* Channel 9,

6:30

Site--Bradley Center.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Lakers 36-16, Bucks 28-26.

Record vs. Bucks--1-0.

Update--The Lakers have lost four of their last five and seven of 12 and have fallen into third place in the Pacific Division. The Bucks, meanwhile, have won three in a row and four of five without their starting point guard, Terrell Brandon, who is on the injured list because of a sprained ankle. Glenn Robinson averages 23.5 points, fourth in the league.