CLIPPERS RE-SIGN PIATKOWSKI; LAKERS DISCUSS TRADE FOR WRIGHT.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The Clippers re-signed free-agent guard Eric Piatkowski on Friday, but the future of Lorenzen Wright is decidedly unclear.

Wright's agent, Robert Fayne, met with Lakers executive Jerry West on Friday to pitch his client as a candidate for the Lakers' $2 million salary exception.

The Lakers also contacted the Clippers about possible sign-and-trade deals involving bit players on the Lakers roster in order to provide a more lucrative deal for Wright.

But according to a Clippers source, any sign-and-trade notions involving Wright and the NBA's two L.A. teams are going nowhere.

That leaves Wright, who previously turned down the Clippers' six-year, $30 million offer, staring at the Lakers' $2 million exception, while his agent hopes another interested team can make the Clips an acceptable sign-and-trade offer.

Atlanta could be back in the picture with $4.5 million in cap room and the enticement of draft picks.

``There's still talk,'' said Elgin Baylor, the Clippers' vice president of basketball operations. ``But I have no idea what he's going to do.''

``He'' is Fayne, who could not be reached for comment.

Piatkowski, meanwhile, made a fiscally responsible decision, accepting a four-year, $12 million contract from the Clippers rather than take a two-year, $4.2 million offer from Golden State.

Piatkowski, reached at his offseason home in Nebraska, said Wright would be wise to follow his lead.

``Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride,'' Piatkowski said, ``and accept the deal that is best for you and your family.''

- Randy Hill

Spurs remain intact: The San Antonio Spurs re-signed free agent guard Jaren Jackson, retaining their top 3-point shooter from last season's playoffs. They also are close to re-signing all-purpose reserve Malik Rose.

Jackson, 31, got a three-year deal, the amount of which was not disclosed. He averaged 6.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 47 games last season.

The Spurs remain in search of a small forward to take the place of Sean Elliott, who needs a kidney transplant. San Antonio, which has a $2.7 million injury exception to use on the free-agent market, has been negotiating with Utah free agent swingman Shandon Anderson.

Rose, meanwhile, said he's close to signing a three- or four-year deal.

Wallace back with Knicks: John Wallace, a fan favorite with the New York Knicks during the 1996-97 season, rejoined the Eastern Conference champions under a three-year contract worth $6.4 million.

The Knicks used their middle-class exception to sign Wallace, eliminating them from pursuit of former Knick Charles Oakley.

Wallace was traded by the Knicks in the fall of 1997 in a three-way deal that brought Chris Dudley to New York.

Rider arrives: Isaiah Rider, who dropped out of sight after learning of his trade to the Atlanta Hawks, finally surfaced.

``Obviously, the first day or two was a transition,'' said Rider, who made his first appearance with his new team Friday - four days after he was traded by the Portland Trail Blazers. ``Now, I'm fine with it.''

Rider and Jim Jackson went to Atlanta in a deal that sent Steve Smith and Ed Gray to the Blazers. It didn't take long for the newest member of the Hawks to begin answering questions about his checkered career.

``I've learned from my mistakes and I've paid for my mistakes,'' Rider insisted at a news conference. ``But sometimes people build up certain things and make them worse than they really are. They make me out to be some kind of animal.''

Richmond waits: Mitch Richmond is holding out hope that he will somehow be traded to Miami.

With Seattle, Golden State and Sacramento out of the Richmond sweepstakes, Miami was believed to be the only team still trying to make a sign-and-trade deal with Washington.

The problem, however, was that a third team - Toronto, Chicago or the Clippers - was needed to facilitate a Richmond trade under the NBA's salary cap rules.

And with the Heat unwilling to part with P.J. Brown, it was looking less likely that Richmond would be moving on to Miami, his destination of choice.

``I still give it some hope, but all these deals are very hard to do,'' Richmond's agent, Mike Sharpe, said. ``It's a tough situation, but we haven't stopped trying.''

Richmond, who has been offered $30 million over three seasons by the Wizards, would accept less money if it would get him traded to the Heat, his agent said.

Golden State had been interested in Richmond, but the Warriors could only pay him less than half of what Washington has offered.

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Photo

Photo: John Wallace, shipped out by New York in the Chris Dudley trade two years ago, is a Knick once more.

Kevin Larkin/Associated Press