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The Los Angeles Lakers drafted forwards Brian Cook of Illinois and Luke Walton of Arizona on Thursday night, although the team's greatest needs will be filled through free agency.
"We need to go out and get veteran players," coach Phil Jackson said. "We have a hit list of what we want to do on July 1."
The draft was almost an afterthought, though, as talk focused on Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Bryant is under contract for next season. After that, he will opt out and become a free agent, ESPN reported Thursday night.
"I thought it was a little premature to make that statement," Jackson said. "Kobe exercising his option, that's not beyond the realm of reason. We've anticipated the possibility for a long time, but we'll wait until we hear it from him."
Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak speculated that Bryant's possible free agency is a way for the All-Star guard to see what talent the Lakers will add and what kind of shape Shaquille O'Neal gets into over the summer.
But the idea that Bryant would actually leave the Lakers seems unlikely.
"No one likes to walk away from winning," Jackson said.
Kupchak added, "If he does opt out, we'll do everything we can to keep him, and we think we will."
One reason Bryant would stick around is Jackson. The coach plans to fulfill the final year of the five-year, $30 million deal he signed with the Lakers in 1999. He underwent an angioplasty to unblock an artery to his heart during the playoffs.
He said he feels fine and he plans to talk to team owner Jerry Buss about a contract extension.
Jackson said he and O'Neal had a "difficult, protracted" talk about the future after the Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs.
O'Neal told the Lakers he would hire a personal trainer to work with him at his offseason home in Orlando, Fla. He was second-guessed throughout last season for waiting until September to undergo surgery on his arthritic right toe.
"Sometimes it takes a while for him to get where he wants to go and there may be a little squawking along the way, but when he says he's going to do something, he does it," Kupchak said.
Jackson figures O'Neal's considerable pride will ensure that he returns in top shape.
"I anticipate that with everybody saying how great a player Tim Duncan is and how he's the best big player in the game, Shaq is down there gritting his teeth every time he hears that kind of comment," he said. "Knowing his own abilities, he's saying to himself, 'I'm going to prove to them next year who's the best big player in the league."'
Meanwhile, the Lakers must decide by Monday whether to exercise next season's option on Robert Horry, who had a poor season. Jackson said there was nothing to read into Horry's future based on the Lakers' draft picks.
"We're not closing the door regardless of what happens on Monday," he said. "He was probably the most important player for me as far as a clutch player and an intelligent player on the floor, and no way can we walk away from that."
Cook, the Big Ten player of the year, was taken with the 24th pick in the first round. He led the conference in scoring with 20 points a game and was the Illini's leading rebounder with 7.6 a game.
"We have to assume that rookies are not going to help us," he said. "The teams that count on rookies are teams that didn't make the playoffs last year."
Walton was taken with the 32nd pick overall in the second round.
"L.A. is the best place I could possibly be at, with the best coach in the NBA, the best players," he said.
"We need to go out and get veteran players," coach Phil Jackson said. "We have a hit list of what we want to do on July 1."
The draft was almost an afterthought, though, as talk focused on Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Bryant is under contract for next season. After that, he will opt out and become a free agent, ESPN reported Thursday night.
"I thought it was a little premature to make that statement," Jackson said. "Kobe exercising his option, that's not beyond the realm of reason. We've anticipated the possibility for a long time, but we'll wait until we hear it from him."
Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak speculated that Bryant's possible free agency is a way for the All-Star guard to see what talent the Lakers will add and what kind of shape Shaquille O'Neal gets into over the summer.
But the idea that Bryant would actually leave the Lakers seems unlikely.
"No one likes to walk away from winning," Jackson said.
Kupchak added, "If he does opt out, we'll do everything we can to keep him, and we think we will."
One reason Bryant would stick around is Jackson. The coach plans to fulfill the final year of the five-year, $30 million deal he signed with the Lakers in 1999. He underwent an angioplasty to unblock an artery to his heart during the playoffs.
He said he feels fine and he plans to talk to team owner Jerry Buss about a contract extension.
Jackson said he and O'Neal had a "difficult, protracted" talk about the future after the Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs.
O'Neal told the Lakers he would hire a personal trainer to work with him at his offseason home in Orlando, Fla. He was second-guessed throughout last season for waiting until September to undergo surgery on his arthritic right toe.
"Sometimes it takes a while for him to get where he wants to go and there may be a little squawking along the way, but when he says he's going to do something, he does it," Kupchak said.
Jackson figures O'Neal's considerable pride will ensure that he returns in top shape.
"I anticipate that with everybody saying how great a player Tim Duncan is and how he's the best big player in the game, Shaq is down there gritting his teeth every time he hears that kind of comment," he said. "Knowing his own abilities, he's saying to himself, 'I'm going to prove to them next year who's the best big player in the league."'
Meanwhile, the Lakers must decide by Monday whether to exercise next season's option on Robert Horry, who had a poor season. Jackson said there was nothing to read into Horry's future based on the Lakers' draft picks.
"We're not closing the door regardless of what happens on Monday," he said. "He was probably the most important player for me as far as a clutch player and an intelligent player on the floor, and no way can we walk away from that."
Cook, the Big Ten player of the year, was taken with the 24th pick in the first round. He led the conference in scoring with 20 points a game and was the Illini's leading rebounder with 7.6 a game.
"We have to assume that rookies are not going to help us," he said. "The teams that count on rookies are teams that didn't make the playoffs last year."
Walton was taken with the 32nd pick overall in the second round.
"L.A. is the best place I could possibly be at, with the best coach in the NBA, the best players," he said.