Payton’s Place With Lakers Still on Hold

After a wearying 24 hours in which the gloom over Kobe Bryant’s arrest would not lift, and as they pushed along at a business-as-usual pace, Laker decision-makers awaited word on Gary Payton and kept their other options in play.

Payton is in Las Vegas with his family. Since the news that the Milwaukee Bucks were no longer an option for him, other teams have called. “Too late,” his agent, Aaron Goodwin, claimed Monday afternoon. So, the primary known oppositions to the Lakers’ offer -- the mid-level exception and a chance to compete for a championship -- are a sign-and-trade possibility with the Portland Trail Blazers and the suddenly flush Miami Heat, though Goodwin continued to position the Lakers as favorites and Payton as all but convinced.

League sources said Monday night that the Bucks and Trail Blazers have discussed a sign-and-trade deal that would send Payton to Portland for guard Jeff McInnis and Arvydas Sabonis, worth about $10 million to Payton.

Or, Payton could sign with Miami for the $9 million-$11 million that the Heat will be under the salary cap, and request that free-agent center Alonzo Mourning be re-signed as a condition of the deal. The Heat, thus far, has balked.

Laker management remained optimistic that Payton would come, according to team sources, and perhaps stand now somewhere between wanting to give Payton his space and wanting to get on with things. More than a week remains in the NBA’s negotiating period, and that could mean a lot of reconsidering, as Payton once seemed on the verge of announcing his agreement to become a Laker.

Karl Malone, who has a stake in Payton’s decision, is in Arkansas, hoping to be the first of the high-profile, free-agent power forwards -- Jermaine O’Neal, P.J. Brown, Juwan Howard and Malone -- with a handshake deal. His choice has been the Lakers all along, and Payton’s delay appears to have everyone a bit uncomfortable.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak has maintained contact with the agents for Brown and Howard, because teams may not sign players until July 16 and because he has seen close deals die before.

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Kupchak, on Rick Fox’s recovery from surgery: “My understanding of the situation is that doctors expect a 100 % recovery and it is our understanding he’ll be in training camp at some level. That could be shooting free throws, jump shots, jogging. We are not planning on him being available to scrimmage and go through a full training camp. Maybe he misses part of the regular season.” ... The Lakers have not ruled out trying to re-sign Mark Madsen.... Free agent Brian Shaw has been contacted by the Washington Wizards. The Wizards’ former point guard, free agent Tyronn Lue, has drawn interest from the Lakers.