Jackson’s job not as easy as it looks

Possible reasons why Phil Jackson re-upped with the Lakers, aside from Jeanie Buss, a place on the water in Playa del Rey and, oh yes, the $24 million . . .

I can’t think of any.

On the other hand, Jackson is an optimist, this is definitely a job, and if there’s one thing he learned the last time he retired in 2004, it was that he didn’t want to retire.

As pricey as Jackson is, as remote as his chances of winning another title, the Lakers are lucky he wants to do this job, because it would kill an ordinary coach.

How many men could coach a team with no assurance its star will be here next month, to say nothing of next season?

How many coaches could act as if the possibility of Kobe Bryant leaving doesn’t even exist?

Asked Thursday night if it wasn’t time for the organization to make a definitive statement that Bryant won’t be traded this season, Jackson replied, flatly:

“No.”

Why not, your serene highness?

“I think Dr. [Jerry] Buss has stated maybe twice, once this summer and once again this fall, it’s not our intention to trade Kobe,” Jackson said.

“It never has been our intention to trade him. We want him to remain a Laker and that’s the statement that’s predominant. . . . Since this season started one month ago, there has not been one iota of trade talk going on.”

There may have been no iotas but there were two days of breathless speculation about trade talks between the Lakers and Bulls on ESPN’s many platforms before Chicago General Manager John Paxson’s formally pulled out of the running Nov. 1.

Since then, there have been only tremors, such as last week’s report by ESPN’s Ric Bucher that Bryant’s distrust of the front office is such, “he would prefer to play for a championship elsewhere.”

Let’s just say it wouldn’t be a good idea for the Lakers to lose a lot of games and see how that affects the situation.

How many coaches could handle Bryant’s mood swings from enthusiasm (second and third weeks of the season) to shows of displeasure with teammates (fourth week) when he isn’t trying to get himself traded (first week)?

As if still making up his mind about being here this season, or figuring out how he feels about it, Bryant now gives off new signals weekly.

An ideal teammate for the last two seasons, Bryant made a noticeable show of his frustration during Sunday’s loss to the New Jersey Nets, the Lakers’ third in a row, while Jackson chided him almost daily for not passing the ball.

Bryant’s relationship with the front office is arctic. During the talks with Chicago, Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, reportedly steered Paxson away from Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, who was deemed to be against a deal, to Jackson.

The reality was there was no anti-trade faction. No one wanted to trade Bryant, including Jackson.

Because Kupchak couldn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance without upsetting Bryant, Mitch isn’t supposed to say anything.

That leaves the controversy-averse owner who isn’t saying anything, either.

That leaves Jackson, who can do this stuff standing on his head.

With so much going on behind the scenes, everything on the surface remains calm, which is a hallmark of Jackson’s teams.

Hard as it may be to believe, when he didn’t have crises to make disappear, he missed them.

It didn’t help that retiring wasn’t his idea but that of Jerry Buss, who thanked him for his contribution when Phil’s contract ran out in 2004 without even asking if he wanted to stay.

“Phil took a trip out of the country for two months,” Jeanie Buss said.

“He went to Australia, New Zealand. . . . He chose to go that far away to get away from the game and what was going on.

“It was painful and I worry about when he does retire, what am I going to do because he’s going to drive me crazy.

“Once he got back from that trip he watched the NBA. He watches every night, every game, that’s what we do. He’ll stop it and say, ‘Wait, wait, you need to see this play, Jeanie.’

“And then he’ll show me, like what the coach just called and how the guys did it right or didn’t do it right. He just loves the game.”

In the good news, when Phil is finally through, maybe Jeanie can coach!

Of course, a lot is definitely going to happen between now and then.

mark.heisler@latimes.com