Jackson trying to set meeting soon with Kobe
By Ross Siler, Staff Writer
The Phil Jackson saga appears to be entering its final stages, with Jackson trying to set up a meeting with Kobe Bryant as early as next week and possibly making a decision about his future before the start of the NBA Finals, according to sources.
Although the Lakers have played down Bryant's role in the hiring of a new coach, with owner Jerry Buss saying the superstar guard would be consulted but not be part of the decision-making process, the meeting with Jackson is said to be critical.
If Jackson and Bryant are able to reach an understanding about working together, Jackson could be close to returning as Lakers coach. If not, Jackson could rejoin the organization in a front-office capacity, a source said.
Whether that would be as a team vice president or a consultant has not been determined. The Lakers offered Jackson a similar role last summer after he was not brought back as coach, but he was not interested at the time.
Such a position also could come with Jackson electing to take another year off and deciding afterward whether he wants to return to coaching.
Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return several messages this week. The NBA Finals are set to begin June 9 but could be moved up by two days. Jackson is expected to have some public comment around then.
The negotiations between Jackson and the Lakers have been complicated, to say the least. One source last week called it a "done deal" that Jackson would return, and another source said this week that all options still are being considered.
At the NBA's Draft Lottery on Tuesday night, Jeanie Buss, the Lakers' executive vice president of business operations and Jackson's longtime girlfriend, predicted he would be coaching in the league next season.
"I don't know where he's going to end up, but he hasn't ruled anything out," she told reporters. "So that makes me think that he will be making a decision sooner than later."
Jerry Buss is vacationing in Europe, but sources said he had a substantive meeting with Jackson on May 13, before he left. The next night, Jackson said at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills that he was considering the Lakers' job.
If Buss' interest in bringing back Jackson was issue No. 1, then Bryant's willingness to play for Jackson is No. 1A, as many have speculated all along.
It was Bryant who received the most unsparing portrayal in Jackson's best-selling diary of the 2003-04 season. Jackson wrote about storming into general manager Mitch Kupchak's office and asking to have Bryant traded.
But Bryant was playing under the weight of a sexual-assault allegation, and Jackson has been conciliatory toward Bryant since returning from a seven-week trip late last winter to Australia and New Zealand.
The Lakers have said that Bryant and Jackson would be meeting on their own. No conversations are believed to be scheduled between Jackson and other Lakers players.
The pending expiration of the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement also has an uncertain impact. Jackson is seeking a contract starting at $10 million per season, although Buss said he expected to be paying a coach through the lockout, if there is one.
Also: North Carolina guard Raymond Felton went through a lengthy workout Thursday with the Lakers and Friday with the Clippers. Felton is one of four Tar Heels who could be taken in the first round of next month's NBA Draft.
Felton, who said he expects to be selected somewhere between Nos. 5 and 12, believes he can start his rookie season.
"I have that much confidence in my game," he said. l=8s=8 Ross Siler, (818) 713-3610
ross.siler@dailynews.com 
