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--> --> Rider still wants to be with Lakers EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Relegated to practice fodder during the Los Angeles Lakers' run to the NBA title, Isaiah Rider wants to return to the team that left him off its playoff roster. Known for his tardiness and errant behavior, Rider nonetheless remains a favorite with his teammates, and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak concedes, "He's kind of endearing to be around." Rider, a free agent, recently told Kupchak and coach Phil Jackson that he wants to return and even offered to play on the Lakers' summer league team - mostly the domain of players looking to catch on with a team. "We haven't closed the door," Kupchak said Thursday. "There's a twinkle in Phil's eye when we talk about Isaiah. Phil doesn't give up on players, and I think he likes the challenge, and he recognizes something there that is redeeming in value." Kupchak believes Rider will attract free-agent offers and said Rider showed a greater aptitude with the triangle offense in the final six weeks of practice than he had all season. At the same time, Kupchak said, "I don't think we can say it's a player that we're going to mark down and be able to count on next year." That's not the case with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Rick Fox, who will be back in pursuit of a third straight title. Kupchak said Fisher earned a starting spot as Bryant's backcourt mate with his stellar postseason play, especially his 3-point shooting. The Lakers don't have any selections in next week's draft. Vancouver has their first-round pick because of a trade with New York, and the Lakers traded a second-round pick to San Antonio. But management has plenty of decisions to make, including the futures of aging Horace Grant, Ron Harper and Brian Shaw. Grant turns 36 in July and Harper will be 38 in January. Both are free agents and want to return. Shaw is 34 and has another year on his contract, which isn't guaranteed until December. Kupchak said Grant could provide frontcourt help, but he indicated his salary would figure into whether he's retained. Kupchak expressed doubt whether Harper has another season in him because of his age and bad knees. Personal issues cloud Robert Horry's future, although he has publicly said he won't opt out of a contract that would pay him $10.6 million over the next two years. Horry's family lives in Houston and his young daughter requires constant medical attention, leaving him torn about spending most of the year in Los Angeles. "We asked him two days ago and he said, `I haven't made my decision yet,"' Kupchak said. "We're hopeful in the next day or two that we get some type of notification that he stays here." Horry and Greg Foster both have until July 1 to opt out of their contracts. Foster was injured and barely saw action in the playoffs. If Grant and Horry don't return, the Lakers may add another frontcourt player. Although they like power forwards Mark Madsen and Slava Medvedenko, both are young and played very little. Guard Tyronn Lue helped his cause with outstanding play against Allen Iverson in the NBA Finals. The Lakers fielded inquiries about Lue during the season, and they're likely to get calls about him when the free-agent period begins July 1. "If (Horry and Foster) are back and it makes prudent sense to bring Tyronn back, then I think that's something we'd probably try to do," Kupchak said. The new rules include allowing zone defenses and eliminating touch fouls, which would allow brief contact by a defensive player if it doesn't impede the progress of the player with the ball. Kupchak foresees more gimmick defenses, including defenders in front of and behind O'Neal. "I would think next year there may be some frustrating times for him," he said. "I think the biggest challenge for him, in addition to coming back in great shape, would be to figure out how to be just as dominating and it may take three or four months." Kupchak believes the public feud between O'Neal and Bryant that erupted in January and simmered for a few months before evaporating is gone for good. "That's not to say something is not possible, but I don't think we'd have to endure that again," he said. "What we experienced the last seven weeks is something that we can experience for seven or eight years, and ultimately, that's what they want." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing