http://www.pe.com/sports/lakers/notebooks/PE_Sports_Local_lakers_notes_05. 585d7.html Malone keeping everyone waiting 12:25 AM PDT on Thursday, August 5, 2004 Karl Malone is back home on his ranch in El Dorado, Ark., feeling better about how his right knee is responding after off-season surgery, sounding upbeat now that he's able to work out with his brother, Terry. Eventually, Malone said Wednesday, he will come to a conclusion on his future, on whether he'll play again or retire after 19 years in the NBA. He knows the Lakers are waiting for him to make a decision, and he knows they are hoping he returns and plays at least one more season in Los Angeles. He knows the San Antonio Spurs are waiting, as are the Heat and center Shaquille O'Neal, who recruited Malone to the Lakers last year and now is trying to sway him to come to Miami. "I'm on the mend," Malone said in a phone interview. "I haven't made a decision yet." Malone said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich have been in constant contact. Malone would make about $1.8 million if he returned to the Lakers. But he said the team has offered him a three-year deal for almost $7 million to come back. Malone made $1.5 million last year with the Lakers, a pay cut of about $17.5 million from what he earned during the 2002-03 season with the Jazz. The Spurs, who re-signed former Laker forward Robert Horry Tuesday, have said they'd like to offer Malone a similar contract to play for them. Malone said ABC and TNT have called him to gauge his interest in working as an NBA analyst if he decides to retire. "I know everybody is waiting on me," Malone said. "I don't know what I'm going to do." Malone, 41, said his doctors cleared him to do about 20 minutes of biking. He said he has started to increase his workouts. Cleamons joins Hornets Former Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said Wednesday that he was hired as an assistant on New Orleans coach Byron Scott's staff. Cleamons, who was a part of the three championships the Lakers won from 2000- 02, had hoped to get the head coaching job at Ohio State, his alma mater. Cleamons said he's happy to get back into coaching. "I'm looking forward to it," Cleamons said in a phone interview. "I had gotten comfortable here in Los Angeles, and I didn't want to move. But that's the way it goes, and you have to just keep floating. I'm happy to still be coaching. " --

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