Buss Looking Toward Future

The Lakers’ crystal ball never has been murkier, yet the one vision of the future that owner Jerry Buss can see most clearly is one with Kobe Bryant.

Buss was on his way out of America West Arena on Sunday after the Lakers’ 104-92 victory over the Phoenix Suns, and was asked why he sounded so much more definitive about Bryant’s long-term relationship with the Lakers during a television interview than he did about Shaquille O’Neal’s or Phil Jackson’s.

“I’m the perennial optimist,” said Buss, who later gushed that Bryant’s recent run capped by a 40-point performance Sunday showed that he was “the best player in the world.”

In an interview with ESPN during the third quarter Sunday, Buss left the long-term futures of Jackson and O’Neal dangling in the air, expressing more confidence in Bryant. Jackson and O’Neal would have signed contract extensions in October if they heard the right numbers, while Bryant has talked about his intentions to explore free agency in between his expressed desires to stay with the Lakers.

When asked about Bryant, Buss said: “I believe he will be a Laker for life.”

He didn’t sound as strong when asked whether he believed O’Neal would be there with him.

“Well, Shaq’s under contract for one more year, really two more years,” Buss said, alluding to O’Neal’s opt-out clause after next season. “At the end of the season we have to talk and see if he wants to stay here.”

His comments about Jackson, with whom the team halted contract negotiations two weeks ago, weren’t definitive either.

“I can’t read Phil’s mind,” Buss said. “There are times I feel he definitely wants to coach and there are times when it seems he doesn’t want to coach.”

These would seem to be the times when Jackson wants to coach, when O’Neal is reasserting himself inside and Bryant is willing and able to pass, rebound or score depending on what the team needs. As a result, the Lakers have won four in a row.

But there are two things to consider when wondering whether Jackson will be back next season. Maybe his services won’t be necessary if the number of superstars on the Laker roster shrinks from four to one, and it becomes more about building spirit than managing egos.

Maybe he’s tired of the constant drama on this team, which has all of the star power and turmoil of his Chicago Bull squads but with less consistency and underlying knowledge of the game. His problems at the end of his stay in Chicago were always with management, not with players. Lately in L.A. he’s had battles on both fronts.

“My deal all along with this club has been how willing are the players to work under the duration of how long I stay and coach?” Jackson said. “It’s reciprocal in that direction. If these guys are willing to do the work that’s necessary for me to coach, then I have no problem. If they make it difficult for me to coach, then I don’t want to put up with it.

“Before, I was willing to sign on. I told them if I sign on, it doesn’t mean that I can’t quit. Because if I don’t like what’s going on out here, I’m not going to keep pulling teeth.”

Some accounts have Buss balking at Jackson’s salary requests, which could be up to eight figures annually.

“It’s not money,” Jackson said. “Money has not played a huge part. This is a two-way street. Communication has to be good, the players have to be receptive and want coaching.”

How receptive is Bryant to Buss’ vision? Here’s all he had to say when it was relayed to him.

“Yeah, I heard that,” he said.

He didn’t have much to say on the topic of playing in fill-in-the-blank city, which Sunday was Phoenix and might also be Denver and Atlanta when the Lakers visit those salary-cap-spacious teams.

“I haven’t given it that much thought,” Bryant said. “I don’t play for money. Never have. At the end of the season, I’ll evaluate it, but I really can’t give you an honest answer.”

Money won’t be an issue if he does want to stay with the Lakers, because here’s a preview of how the negotiations would go with Bryant: “You just say, ‘Here’s the max. Do you want it?’ ” Buss said.

It’s not that simple with O’Neal. The two sides are believed to be $8 million apart over the course of two seasons on an extension that would kick in in 2006.

“The one to Shaq is still on the table,” Buss said.

But it doesn’t look too appetizing to O’Neal.

“My representatives haven’t called me, so obviously it’s a deal that’s not acceptable,” O’Neal said.

Does O’Neal want to stay long-term?

“Yeah, man,” O’Neal said. “But I’m always going to take care of myself and take care of my family. Once that time comes I’m going to do what I’m going to do.

“I’m not going to take a drastic drop [in salary] just because everybody else [or at least, Kevin Garnett] is taking a drastic drop. It don’t work like that.

“I’m not going to take a drastic drop. [Garnett] should take a drastic drop. I don’t have to. I’m proven. I’m like two plus two equals four. I’m proven. You don’t need to do no research, you don’t need to ask why. My game is proven. And the last four years I’ve got three of them thangs.” (“Thangs” meaning Lawrence O’Brien trophies.)

There’s no such thing as a break from the larger issues hanging over the Lakers, not even on Sunday. Most of the stances echo the same things that have been said since October, with the exception of Jackson’s take on what he wants to see to return.

The off-court intrigue always takes over everything, even affecting Buss’ social life (he told friends he couldn’t go to O’Neal’s party at the Playboy Mansion over All-Star weekend because he didn’t think it would be appropriate while they were in the midst of contract negotiations).

After playing a lot of poker last week, Buss doesn’t see these issues as one big card game.

“I do this for a living,” Buss said. “I’m an amateur when it comes to poker.”

He’s been a winner at basketball, collecting eight of “them thangs” in 25 years of owning the Lakers.

Now we’ll see if he can do it at fortune-telling.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.