Bryant Is Toast of the Town

As Kobe Bryant met with Clipper officials Wednesday night at an undisclosed Los Angeles location, the Lakers negotiated the fine details of a contract with Rudy Tomjanovich, their preferred successor as coach to Phil Jackson.

A free agent for a week and measuring where he wants to play into his early 30s, Bryant and his agent met this week with Denver Nugget officials.

The San Antonio Spurs have an interest in Bryant as well but are not believed to have an appointment, and a contingent from the New York Knicks was expected to arrive Wednesday night.

Bryant has said his preference was to re-sign with the Lakers, that heightened perhaps by Jackson’s departure and Shaquille O’Neal’s unwillingness to continue his career with the organization.

There has been only light activity in regard to O’Neal lately, however.

The Lakers hope to complete a contract with Tomjanovich today and introduce him by Friday. On Wednesday night, sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the progress was steady and there did not appear to be any reason to doubt they would conclude satisfactorily. The deal is said to be in the hands of attorneys from both sides.

What Tomjanovich will find when he arrives is Jackson’s old office and a loaded in-box, along with Bryant browsing, O’Neal brooding and an evolving roster.

Tomjanovich, 55, is expected to become the eighth Laker coach, including interims, in 14 years, since the conclusion of the Pat Riley era.

He would arrive eager, healthy again after a year beating back bladder cancer, but in tremulous times for the Lakers.

Bryant, at 25 perhaps the league’s most talented player, is entertaining prospective organizations, apparently in Orange County. Before the summer ends, he also will be tried in Colorado on a charge of felony sexual assault.

He has spent time this week with Stan Kroenke and Kiki Vandeweghe, owner and general manager, respectively, of the Nuggets, who are well under the salary cap.

On Wednesday, Knick President Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan flew to Los Angeles, in part to visit Bryant. The Knicks also have entered a team in the Long Beach summer league, which opens Saturday.

The Knick party arrives with only the midlevel exception and no attractive players for a sign-and-trade, which Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak has stated he won’t do anyway.

One can barely navigate Newport Beach without bumping into an NBA general manager with $100 million in a six-year deal to offer Bryant, who Kupchak said is maintaining a steady dialogue with the Lakers. The Lakers can offer about $130 million over seven years. Free agents may sign contracts beginning Tuesday at 9 p.m. PDT.

Derek Fisher, another of the Lakers’ free agents, has received interest from a handful of teams, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein, and apparently would approve of the Tomjanovich hire.

“He’s got great respect for Rudy, given the success he’s had and the championships he’s won,” Bartelstein said. “But I think Derek would like to talk to Rudy before he made a decision.”

Fisher, a point guard, lost his starting job to Gary Payton last season and would need assurances about playing time before returning.

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Rick Fox has been diagnosed with three bulging discs, which he says caused the neck and shoulder pain late in the season. He will see a specialist in the coming weeks.... Kareem Rush, who experienced numbness and pain in his foot during the season, has been cleared to play for the Lakers’ summer league team in Long Beach. Recent tests were negative for a stress fracture.