Phil And Lakers Continue To Wait For Each Other

LA Times: Phil Jackson and the Lakers continue to wait for each other, as timelines and guidelines are nudged aside to preserve the possibility of a reunion.

Laker owner Jerry Buss said Wednesday that he hoped to meet with Jackson within a few days, a time frame that came and went without formal discussions. Neither Buss nor Jackson is sold on the other yet, and Jackson hasn’t committed to coaching any team next season.
Salary and roster considerations aside, Jackson has been taking stock of his health and mind-set. He has been bothered by arthritis in his knees and hips, as well as back and shoulder pain, remnants of an NBA playing career that lasted 874 games over 12 seasons. He also underwent an angioplasty in May 2003 to open a blocked artery, a health concern mentioned by Buss to media members Wednesday.

Jackson, 59, is atop the lists of the Lakers and New York Knicks and is being pursued by the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers, but he could just as easily sit out another season and restart the process next spring if he finds none of his suitors appealing.

Jackson’s agent, Todd Musburger, declined to comment specifically on negotiations with any team.

“The process that we knew awaited us is proceeding as planned,” Musburger said. “It is slow and deliberate, but I don’t feel that anyone is disappointed in the pace of the various conversations that might be taking place.”

Jackson continues to be a presence at Laker offices in El Segundo, having lunch Monday with longtime girlfriend Jeanie Buss, an executive vice president for the Lakers.

Jackson did not talk with Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who left Monday for a weeklong scouting trip in Europe, or Buss, who left for Hawaii last week.

Buss will return briefly this week before leaving Sunday for a six-week trip to Europe.

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