Enquirer news services

DALLAS - Dallas agreed Wednesday night to trade Antawn Jamison to the Washington Wizards for the No. 5 pick in the draft, Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner, a source close to the deal told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The trade can't be official until the NBA offices open today. By then, Dallas might be working toward other deals in its pursuit of Shaquille O'Neal.

While O'Neal remains the center of the Mavericks' dreams, the high pick also gives them the chance to take 7-foot-5 Pavel Podkolzine, a 19-year-old Russian.

Podkolzine or the pick also could be part of the package the Mavericks would offer the Los Angeles Lakers for O'Neal.

The Wizards had made it clear they weren't enamored with any of their choices at the top of the draft. Taking Jamison, a proven scorer over his six-year career in Dallas and Golden State, is a much safer move.

For the Mavericks, all moves for the immediate future will be viewed as positioning for a prospective trade for O'Neal.

Other than the pick/Podkolzine aspect, the benefit of getting Laettner is that he's going into the last year of his contract, like Antoine Walker. That makes them commodities because their salaries - a combined $20.8 million - would open huge cap room next summer.

Their combined salaries put Dallas much closer to the $25 million needed to get within the league-mandated 15 percent of O'Neal's $27.7 million price tag.

LAKERS: Derek Fisher, a key member of the Los Angeles Lakers the past eight seasons, opted out of his contract Wednesday to become an unrestricted free agent.

HEAT: Miami president Pat Riley confirmed Wednesday that he met with Lakers officials about their coaching vacancy, but he stressed that no contract offers or demands were made.

Riley, in a statement distributed by team officials, said a meeting took place after Lakers owner Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak received permission from Heat owner Micky Arison.

"During our discussion, there was never any demands made by me nor was there ever an offer presented by them," Riley said.