NBA NOTES : RODMAN REMAINS WITH BULLS.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Dennis Rodman, the NBA rebounding leader who threatened to take his drag-and-dye-job act out of basketball, decided Friday to return to the Chicago Bulls next season.

Rodman agreed to a one-year contract with the NBA champions, agent Dwight Manley said. Rodman joined Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson in returning to the Bulls.

Manley said the deal was worth significantly more than the $6 million the Bulls had offered and slightly less than the $10 million Rodman had said he would need to preclude retirement.

Rodman needs to pass a physical before he signs the contract, probably Sunday, Manley said.

``We're done,'' Manley said. ``He's ecstatic to be back in Chicago. Both sides compromised and both sides are very happy.''

Shaq who?: Mention Shaquille O'Neal merchandise to Orlando retailers and they'll have just three words to say: Sell, sell, sell!

Like plummeting stock, retailers are desperately trying to dump Shaq stuff, discounting goods as much as 50 percent.

The day that O'Neal announced his plans to ditch the Orlando Magic for the Lakers, Sports Unlimited rushed to do the same with goods bearing Shaq's name. At its Winter Park store, sales staff made its intent clear, placing Shaq jerseys and T-shirts on a sale rack at the main entrance.

But even the obvious display isn't helping much.

``We've marked down Shaq merchandise below cost, but we'll probably still get stuck with some of it,'' assistant store manager Cassandra Ferrigno said.

Celtics sign top pick: The Boston Celtics signed top draft pick Antoine Walker and also worked out a deal to keep free agent Greg Minor with the team.

Terms of Minor's deal were not released, but the rookie salary scale entitles Walker to $4.660,200 over three years, including $1,350,800 this season, $1,553,400 in 1997-98 and $1,756,000 in 1998-99.

Heat goes to court: Two days after the NBA rejected Juwan Howard's seven-year, $98 million contract with the Miami Heat, the team went to court in an effort to protect its interest in the player. Dade County Circuit Judge Joseph Farina issued a temporary injunction ``prohibiting Juwan Howard and the NBA from entering into and-or approving an NBA contract'' until arbitrators settle the dispute over Howard's Heat contract.