Although David Stern has held firm to his objections to Las Vegas and seems sincere, the speculation is he wants to keep it open for a Michael Jordan group to move in. But they need a team first. The most likely candidates are Orlando, New Orleans and Miami, which all have had financial problems and struggles with attendance. Over the next two weeks, the NBA will crown its second champion since anyone has seen or heard much from Jordan. But Stern continues to promise Jordan will be back. And Las Vegas makes the most sense. Don't bet against it. The big issue facing the Pacers is whether to trade Ron Artest. His value never will be higher after winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award and becoming an All-Star without many incidents. But the Pacers know the potential is there. And Artest, who breaks the offense constantly and takes wild shots, doesn't fit the controlled style coach Rick Carlisle likes to play. It might be their best move to get a big man or a scorer to take pressure off Jermaine O'Neal. Dwight Howard tells the Sentinel that rumors of him warning the L.A. Clippers to not draft him at No. 2 are unfounded. "No, that's not true at all," Howard said. "I would be honored to be drafted by any team and play in the NBA." The most shopped player this summer is likely to be Dallas' Antoine Walker. Dallas media is saying the Mavericks intend to make Walker their sixth man, if they keep him, and go with a bigger front line. Supposedly, the season-ending meeting between owner Mark Cuban and coach Don Nelson included a promise from Nelson to play a slower, more defensive-oriented game with Cuban getting the team a big man. Lakers guard Devean George credits Brian Shaw with getting team elders Karl Malone and Horace Grant to form a tribunal that called in Shaq and Kobe and engaged them in a sensitivity seminar that assuaged their mutual malices toward each other and restored a more functional rapport that enabled them to rally from an 0-2 deficit to the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs and eliminate them by winning four straight. Coach Phil Jackson credits Ron Harper with an assist for getting Payton out of his funk where he had a hard time fitting in with the team and an harder time playing in the triangle. Jeff Hornacek was among those considered for the Celtics job before Doc Rivers was hired. Many in Salt Lake City believe Hornacek is a future coach for the Jazz, though owner Larry Miller said assistant Phil Johnson will replace Jerry Sloan if Sloan decides to retire or take a leave. While Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke expressed respect for Jeff Bzdelik, the team is no closer to making a decision on the coach's future. "Any owner has an influence on the decision," said Kroenke. "That decision is being handled and weighed. People think we've made good decisions in the past, and we'll make another good decision." Bzdelik, who is scheduled to make $1.6 million during the 2004-05 season, led the Nuggets to 43 wins and their first playoff berth in nine years this season. Indiana Pacers associate head coach Mike Brown said Sunday he will interview a week from today for the coaching position in Atlanta. Brown, 34, just completed his first season with the Pacers, working as their "defensive coordinator." The Pacers finished second in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing 81.1 points per game. Now that his season is over in Italy, the Pistons hope to bring in guard/forward Carlos Delfino to get a taste of the NBA Finals hoopla. There had been reports Delfino, one of the Pistons' first-round picks last year, along with Darko Milicic, was growing reluctant to play here after seeing fellow Europeans Mehmet Okur and Milicic struggle for playing time this season under Larry Brown. But Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations, said he talked to Delfino a few days ago and he definitely will be here next season. In the Pacers' closing meetings, it became clear that the team will consider trading Al Harrington. The backup forward has brooded all season about being the sixth man and has told friends he would ask for a trade after the season. Bird said Harrington was the only player who said he'd be interested in playing elsewhere. The Maloofs, who own a casino in Las Vegas, would love to move the Kings there. With difficulty getting a new arena in Sacramento, the issue could come up again. And what the league fears is litigation. Who Knew? It has been 15 years since the Lakers and the Pistons last played each other in the Finals, but the teams' trainers - Gary Vitti of Los Angeles and Mike Abdenour - remain the same. The Magic on Sunday worked out Andris Biedrins, who many believe will be the first foreign player to be selected. Biedrins, a 6-11 forward from Latvia, is projected as a top-10 lottery pick. Also working out for the Magic: combo guard Delonte West of St. Joseph's. Let's see. If Carmelo Anthony ends up joining LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire on the Olympic team, Team USA is getting closer to depending on college-age kids again. Tracy McGrady has been pushing for trading the pick to acquire veteran players. Does keeping No. 1 mean the Magic lose T-Mac? John Weisbrod hopes not. He hopes after the free-agency period ends next month, he will have found a quality point guard (Brent Barry? Marquis Daniels?) with the mid-level exception and be able to present a team of Okafor, Barry/Daniels, Juwan Howard and Grant Hill to T-Mac. To the notion of a diminished championship ring, Karl Malone and Gary Payton are not guilty. The Lakers would not be in the NBA Finals if not for the significant contributions of Malone and Payton. Malone and Payton, two future Hall of Fame members, are no longer what they once were. But they are hardly the shell that Mitch Richmond was in the 2002 season, when Richmond merely was along for the championship ride of the Lakers. Jim Brewer soon will be announced as the Celtics' newest assistant coach, joining Dave Wohl and Tony Brown on Doc Rivers' staff. Rivers is in town doing color on the Finals television broadcasts. Team sources said yesterday that Brewer, a former NBA center and assistant coach, will most likely have his deal completed in time for him to accompany the Celtics' contingent to Chicago for the league's predraft camp this week. Brewer was last on the Toronto staff of Lenny Wilkens before he was let go last season. Brewer's hiring leaves one - possibly two - positions open on the Boston staff. Sources say Rivers plans to speak again with friend and Minnesota assistant Randy Wittman and former Celtic Ed Pinckney, who was an assist last season at his alma mater, Villanova. The Bulls like Luol Deng with their third overall pick, but many prospects and trade possibilities still need to be explored. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on players tuning you out: "My dad always moved as a minister every five years. That was his belief. Your message gets old." Broadcast insiders still are wondering how FSN Ohio and the Cavaliers failed to sign former Cavs guard Craig Ehlo as the team's analyst on cable games - especially since Ehlo clearly wanted the job. Instead, Ehlo joined the Seattle SuperSonics' TV team. FSN Ohio and the Cavs are seeking a new analyst to replace Matt Guokas. Joe Dumars also is trying to arrange for some of his old Bad Boys teammates to come to the Palace on Thursday for Game 3 against L.A. Some won't be hard to find: Rick Mahorn is a color analyst for the team, Bill Laimbeer is coaching the Detroit Shock, and Vinnie Johnson already has attended playoff games. Knicks president Isiah Thomas also has visited during the playoffs, and John Salley was expected in to file a report for the "Best Damn Sports Show Period." Others might be iffy: Dennis Rodman lives in the L.A. area and James Edwards is in Seattle. John Long and Mark Aguirre could attend, but some of the subs might be harder to get here in time. When Phil Jackson retires and gets inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach, should the Knicks consider retiring his No. 18 jersey? Jackson was a reserve on the Knicks' 1972-73 championship team. He also was on the regular-season roster in '69-70, but missed the entire season after having spinal fusion surgery. In 11 Knick seasons, he appeared in 732 games, ranking fifth in franchise history, behind Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley and Carl Braun. Every starter on the Knicks' titles teams had their number raised to the rafters. "I played with so many great players there," Jackson said. "I was also fortunate to play in a ton of games. There's a certain longevity there as a Knick and a great role I was able to play. But we had so many Hall of Famer players that [played ahead of me]. My role was a fortunate thing. People said you could go somewhere else and be a starter. I was more than happy to be a role player for a team that was as great as that team with that character." "But I don't think that number should be retired as a player," Jackson said. "It's a wonderful thought, but no." Ben Maller.com
