Bryant wants West back with Lakers

Kobe Bryant’s 11-year tenure with the Lakers took another unexpected turn Sunday when the All-Star guard voiced the need for the franchise to reacquaint itself with a familiar face -- Jerry West.

West, who turns 69 today, was the architect of four championships during his reign as the Lakers’ general manager and executive vice president from 1982 to 2000.

After presiding over “Showtime” championship teams in 1985, 1987 and 1988, West helped the franchise retool in 1996 by plucking a fresh-faced Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets a week before signing Shaquille O’Neal as a free agent from the Orlando Magic.

Bryant has maintained a relationship with West since his NBA career began and made no secret of his desire for the Lakers to bring him on board, which could be awkward for General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who was West’s protege.

“My feeling on Jerry West is I trust him completely,” Bryant said. “I don’t want to get into people believing me to be bashing anybody. Mitch is a great guy. All I can go by is what has happened with this team the last two years, and I know Jerry West is a guy who’s great at what he does.

“He wants to win and he wants to win right now. I can roll with that, even if we don’t have the complete turnaround we’re hoping to have this summer. Just having him back in the nucleus will help.”

Lakers officials declined to comment about West, who will complete an up-and-down five-year run as the Memphis Grizzlies’ director of basketball operations when his contract expires July 1.

The Lakers couldn’t begin negotiations with West until that time, although a source close to West said he might simply choose to retire.

If not, West would have to consider whether to return to the team. West and Kupchak are close friends, and West would have to weigh the public’s perception and Kupchak’s feelings of such a move undermining Kupchak’s authority, even if West returns only as a consultant.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson would be fine with West returning, said a source close to Jackson, despite the fact West and Jackson were not on overly friendly terms when West stepped down in 2000.

West has kept a home in Bel-Air through the years and is expected to move back to Southern California after his term with the Grizzlies ends.

Kupchak has been the team’s general manager since West retired in August 2000, citing a desire to be “unburdened with the pressures of professional athletic business” after 18 years of calling the shots for the Lakers. West was hired by the Grizzlies in April 2002. Kupchak has one year left on his contract with the Lakers.

Bryant said he did not link his future with the Lakers to the hiring of West, as ESPN.com reported Sunday. He has not asked for a trade and did not foresee seeking one if West was not hired.

“I would love for him to be a part of this,” Bryant said. “But it’s not something where I demand he comes here. All I can do is offer my thoughts. I love being a Laker. I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can.”

One way Bryant can’t help is financially.

He has four years and $88.6 million left on his contract but can’t take less money to help the team acquire a big-name free agent because the collective-bargaining agreement between the NBA and the players’ union forbids negotiating contracts downward in order to create salary-cap space.

Unlike in the NFL, contracts in the NBA are strictly guaranteed and binding, although Bryant can terminate his in two years, not that the Lakers can envision it.

Jim Buss, the team’s vice president of player personnel, recently told The Times he feels that, quite simply, “Kobe Bryant is a Laker for life.”

The franchise is hoping for more patience from Bryant after his stepped-up unhappiness over the last month. Bryant told The Times on Saturday he was “still frustrated” with the direction of the team and was “waiting for them to make some changes.”

The Lakers have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons.

Two of their main trading pieces, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown, received unfavorable medical reports in recent weeks, which could make trades difficult in the near future.

Odom underwent surgery two weeks ago to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, a procedure that will require about four months of recovery time.

Brown will have surgery this week to remove bone spurs from his left ankle and could face reconstructive surgery to ligaments in the ankle that would potentially sideline him for several months.

West experienced highs and lows while with the Grizzlies.

He was the league’s executive of the year after Memphis finished 50-32 in 2003-04. But the Grizzlies were swept in the first round of the playoffs three consecutive seasons and had the league’s worst record (22-60) this season.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com