[0] MAGIC COULD BE BACK TUESDAY\He may announce decision to return to Lakers today.

Byline: Marc Stein and Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writers

The expected return of Magic Johnson appeared even more imminent Sunday night, when the former NBA great headed home from the Super Bowl to be ready for this morning's practice and, very possibly, Tuesday night's game against Golden State at the Forum.

The Lakers denied an NBC report that Johnson's No. 32 will be unretired at a news conference today, but that does not preclude Johnson from meeting with reporters afterward to confirm his intention to play again.

Johnson was en route from Arizona and could not be reached.

"Again, I think he's going to make a decision very soon," Lon Rosen, Johnson's agent, said late Sunday night.

Lakers spokesman John Black reiterated that no formal announcement has been scheduled, saying, "There might be a million press conferences in the world tomorrow, but the Lakers aren't holding a press conference."

Before Saturday's win at New Jersey, with speculation growing that Johnson was planning to come back Tuesday night instead of returning Friday against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Lakers coach Del Harris couldn't even guarantee that Johnson would attend today's workout.

"The moment that I say, 'Earvin, go in for so and so,' that's when I'll believe it," Harris said of Johnson, who would likely be used as a sixth man in the front court behind Elden Campbell and Cedric Ceballos.

Lakers players, however, have been saying since Friday that they fully expect the 36-year-old, whose last true NBA appearance was Game 5 of the 1991 Finals against Chicago, to be in uniform against the Warriors.

Johnson originally retired Nov. 7, 1991, after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He aborted a comeback attempt in the 1992 exhibition season in the face of heavy criticism from players and even Phoenix owner Jerry Colangelo about trying to play with HIV.

The three-time MVP has made it clear that he won't be pressured away again should he decide to return.

"I think now it's three, four years later," said Philadelphia's LaSalle Thompson, who worked out with Johnson daily until signing with the 76ers on Jan. 11. "I think everybody's a lot more cognizant of this disease and knows a lot more about it. They know you don't catch it from casual contact like that. I think there'll be a lot more understanding than there was."

Johnson's lawyers and the NBA have already formulated a plan to divest his 5-percent ownership stake with the Lakers, a requirement for his return. In the most likely scenario, Johnson would sell the 5 percent back to Lakers owner Jerry Buss and be paid $2.5 million for the remainder of the season.

"I think this is his love," said Sam Perkins, a forward with the Seattle SuperSonics and former teammate. "He doesn't really have anything else. I mean, he has other things. (But) he just craves basketball."

Johnson has practiced three times with the Lakers since Jan. 14. In drills, he has operated primarily at forward, usually on the second team opposite Campbell, Ceballos, Vlade Divac, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel.

"I guess he'd be one of the top power forwards in the NBA now," Thompson said. "He can still play guard. I don't know if he will. But at 6-foot-9, he's probably weighing about 250 to 255 pounds, so I think he's going to have to play power forward. But he's still got it."'

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Photo (color) Magic Johnson, all smiles here, could rejoin the Lakers this week. Associated Press