Coaching Not on Jackson’s Schedule

Phil Jackson returned to the world of modern technology, but he and the Lakers took stock of their individual situations, exhaled, and did nothing Friday that would bring them closer together.

Jackson, vacationing off the coast of western Australia, had been out of cellphone range for two days before sailing back to shore and boarding a plane bound for New Zealand, not Los Angeles.

Jackson’s agent said his client would continue his trek, expected to last until the end of February, and should not be looked upon to fill any coaching positions in the short term, be it with the Lakers, New York Knicks or other teams “on both sides of the Mississippi.”

“Whoever wins the Phil derby shouldn’t look for him to report for duty until the 2005-06 season,” Todd Musburger said. “He has other obligations that he has agreed to and Phil is so very careful about making sure that he follows through on things he’s agreed to. I know he would not disrupt his schedule when he returns.”

Jackson, 59, has lined up several speaking engagements in March and April, many of them motivational or charitable appearances, Musburger said.

“He didn’t leave for this trip thinking he would come back for a coaching situation,” Musburger said. “When he returns, it’s a mix of family, business, charity, all the things that a guy who’s worked his tail off for so many years would like to do.

“March and April are months that are very filled with plans that have been made for him. The demand for Phil is higher than it has ever been.”

The Lakers, meanwhile, are holding off on a quick reaction to Rudy Tomjanovich’s sudden resignation and said they have not contacted Jackson. For now, they are content to move along with longtime assistant Frank Hamblen as their coach, curious to see which direction the wind will blow during a five-game trip that begins Sunday in Houston and ends Feb. 13 in Cleveland.

“People need to just relax and take a deep breath,” Laker spokesman John Black said. “We’re not going to be doing anything any time soon. Both management and the team have confidence in Frank to lead us. If we do hire a coach to replace Frank, it’s not going to happen any time in the near future.”

Despite Hamblen’s endorsement of Jackson and his wry insistence he’s merely keeping the seat warm for a replacement, the Lakers are expected to stand still for at least a couple of weeks.

Other than trying to move a small forward or two before the Feb. 24 trading deadline, the Lakers aren’t expected to be major players in the market.

If that is the case, veterans such as New Orleans power forward P.J. Brown, a player long linked to the Lakers through annual trade speculation, won’t be in the Lakers’ plans, and speculation on a reunion with Gary Payton, who is expected to be moved by the Boston Celtics, is erroneous. A team cannot reacquire a player traded during that season -- a season being marked from July 1 to June 30 -- unless the player has been waived.

The Lakers’ main acquisition by the end of February could turn out to be a familiar name.

Kobe Bryant, out since Jan, 13 because of a severely sprained right ankle, is unlikely to play during the trip because his ankle felt sore after a series of sprints Wednesday. He was voted as a starter for the All-Star game at Denver on Feb. 20, but he will not participate if not fully recovered, giving him that many more days to rest and recover.

In the interim, the Lakers will hope Lamar Odom continues to attack the basket and plan to give Luke Walton more playing time and shoot far fewer three-pointers than they have been.