Lakers Trail Big in Personnel Race

This Laker off-season has down-shifted from bad to worse, from not getting players they wanted to losing players they already had.

After a summer of failed trades and free-agent flirtations that ended with broken hearts, the latest news is that guard Derek Fisher has a stress fracture in his right foot and could be out for three to six months.

It’s not as if Fisher was a vital part of the team’s championship run last season, and he doesn’t fit the mold of Coach Phil Jackson’s ideal player. But he is a guy who has been around, a known quantity, a guy who could pick up the energy and intensity of the team with his willingness to dive all over the floor and draw charges.

Maybe this will be the opportunity for some of the younger players, such as John Celestand or fan favorite Tyronn Lue, to show what they can do. But that’s just one more unknown to add to the growing list of questions that include:

* Can Isaiah Rider keep it together long enough to put all of his exceptional skills to use?

* Will they be able to get anything at all for Glen Rice? And . . .

* What about another big man?

After various trade packages that would have brought in Christian Laettner and Chris Dudley or Horace Grant fell through and after John Amaechi rejected a free-agent contract to stay in Orlando, the Lakers are now mulling over signing power forward Dickey Simpkins.

Phil Jackson wants it to happen. Then again, he sometimes can be more enamored of his former Bulls now than when he was with Chicago. And Jackson wasn’t even the coach when Simpkins had his best season, averaging 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds a game in the lockout-shortened 1999 campaign.

Simpkins started 48 games for the Bulls last season and averaged 4.2 points and 5.4 rebounds.

But the best thing that can be said about him is he is 6 feet 10 and weighs about 250 pounds. The Lakers need beef, no matter what the grade.

They could get Simpkins for the $2.25-million exception, but they have been reluctant to part with that.

Brian Shaw, another guard, wants to come back, but he wants more than the $1 million the Lakers paid him last year. In other words, he has his eyes on that exception, and he could depart if another team gives it to him.

Fisher’s injury makes the Shaw situation more interesting. If Fisher needs surgery on the foot he could be out for up to six months, which would sideline him through March. Subtract Shaw as well and the Lakers would be without half of their backcourt rotation from last season.

Portland has seemed to express an interest in every player the Lakers consider. It’s not that the Trail Blazers need anyone else, they just want to keep them out of Los Angeles. They talked to Shaw and Simpkins, but their signings of center Will Perdue and swingman Stacey Augmon on Wednesday would probably take them out of the mix for Simpkins and Shaw.

The Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Seattle SuperSonics have also talked to Simpkins.

Chicago’s signing of Brad Miller basically rules out his return there.

Meanwhile, Rice was in Chicago, which could be the first sign of the Lakers’ worst-possible scenario unfolding.

The Bulls are far enough below the salary cap that they could give Rice a fat contract on their own--without having to involve the Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal. That means no compensation for watching Rice walk out the door.

Why the Bulls, who are trying to rebuild around a core of young players, would want to tie up their money with the 33-year-old Rice is another matter. For one thing, never underestimate Bull operations chief Jerry Krause’s animosity toward Jackson. The chance to deprive Jackson and the Lakers of their third-leading scorer from last season with nothing in return might be too tempting for Krause to pass up.

Why would Rice leave the defending champs for a going-nowhere team? Once the Lakers took the Rider risk it was clear that Rice was finished in L.A. If any of those New York trades came off, Rice would have had his contract and stayed with a competitive team.

With that option gone, it appears Rice is ready to cash out. He has his championship ring, and this is his last chance at a big contract.

The Lakers are just about out of chances to make something happen this summer. Rider coming and Rice leaving is a wash (provided Rider acts right). Now they’re down Fisher.

Meanwhile, Portland has been stockpiling players as if they were hoarding supplies before an approaching hurricane.

Less than three weeks before training camp, and the Lakers are already playing catch-up.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: j.a.adande@latimes.com.