SHOP TALK

Ah, summer. Whatever happened to it?

The NBA used to have an off-season that started after the draft and went until training camp in fall, but that’s all over.

“Teams got their draft picks,” muses Indiana Pacer President Donnie Walsh. “They made their trades during the draft, and then everybody thought they were great.

“Now you’ve got your own free agents hanging around, you’ve got the other free agents hanging around. You’ve got your cap going up and you’ve got sign-and-trades. Now there’s a lot happening.”

It starts today when the trading-and- free-agent-signing season opens, after which a bunch of big names such as Charles Oakley, Steve Smith, Isaiah Rider and Jim Jackson are expected to shuffle or be shuffled off.

Here’s how it shapes up:

Lakers--You may have noticed that although they have a new coach and assistants, they still have the same team that was blown out of the playoffs for the third year in a row and lacks a real power forward and an established point guard.

Charles Oakley is expected to visit this week, when they may learn if he’ll take the $2-million exception, which is all they can offer. Oakley has other suitors--Miami and Atlanta--and can get more but has talked of coming here anyway.

Glen Rice just assured Jerry West he wants to stay and will. The Lakers insist they never tried to move him, although other sources insist they inquired about Scottie Pippen and were even willing to discuss a deal for Penny Hardaway, who wants $9 million a year and has been hurt or mewing about slights since Shaquille O’Neal left Orlando.

Rick Fox, their top reserve, is expected to re-up. So is Derek Fisher, who has asked them for $3 million but can’t get it anywhere else.

Clippers--So much for that push Donald T. Sterling was supposed to make going into the Staples Center.

The Clippers are $20 million under the cap but can’t get anyone to take it while a veritable team of their own free agents--Lorenzen Wright, Sherman Douglas, Rodney Rogers and Lamond Murray--prepares to flee. For better or worse, they’re now the team of Maurice Taylor (one year from free agency), Michael Olowokandi and Lamar Odom (who didn’t make it here for the summer league).

With Douglas leaving, their backcourt is Troy Hudson and--if he returns--Eric Piatkowski. They’re interested in Jim Jackson, ticketed for Atlanta, in a sign-and-trade for Wright.

Portland--The Trail Blazers reportedly already have agreed to a deal, sending Rider and Jackson to Atlanta for Steve Smith, who’s decent but has bad knees and can’t play heavy minutes.

Atlanta--Shocked by the Knicks’ sweep last spring, Hawk General Manager Pete Babcock started breaking up his nucleus, trading Mookie Blaylock to Golden State and drafting Jason Terry, who recently scored 30 points against Baron Davis in a summer league game. The Hawks aren’t convinced Rider will change; they plan to renounce him next summer for cap room.

Seattle--After they traded promising Corey Maggette for old Horace Grant, the question is: Who’s running this mess?

Oh, Gary Payton. That explains everything.

Payton has been haranguing management into patching this wreck up. “We can’t start over,” he said recently. “I can’t. I can’t start over with young guys. We need to get back on top of the West.”

Payton wants them to sign Wizard free agent Mitch Richmond, who would be handy but still wouldn’t turn the SuperSonics into the equal of the Spurs, Lakers or Jazz.

Unfortunately, free agent Detlef Schrempf is leaving, tired of Payton’s attitude. Fortunately or not, Vin Baker, still out of shape and complaining about minutes at the Tournament of the Americas, probably will stay--because Payton will make the SuperSonic brass give him $11 million a year.

Next year at this time: Look for Payton to start haranguing management to trade him.

Boston--Who’s running this mess? Oh, Rick Pitino. That explains everything.

As usual, Pitino wants to trade everyone, starting with his stars: Antoine Walker, whose attitude, $70-million contract and 40% shooting have frightened everyone off; Ron Mercer, who wants Walker money and doesn’t like Pitino, and Kenny Anderson, who, Pitino discovered, was washed up, after all.

Next year at this time: Look for Pitino to be sorting through offers from NCAA schools.

Orlando--The Magic would like to get something in a sign-and-trade for Hardaway and will take two used basketballs and a No. 2 pick.

Toronto--The draft-day deal for Antonio Davis will be announced soon. They need a point guard, have $13 million in cap room and are thinking of offering Hardaway the $9-million he wants.

Hardaway prefers warm weather but, notes a GM, “He’ll play at the North Pole if he has to to get the money.”

San Antonio--The Spurs get a $2.6-million slot, half of Sean Elliott’s salary, to replace him. Schrempf is a possibility.

Phoenix--Scouts at the Rocky Mountain Revue raved about rookie Shawn Marion, “an athlete among athletes.” The Suns are talking about a sign-and-trade for Hardaway (Danny Manning, Pat Garrity and a No. 1). Hardaway, who visited last week, is the Suns’ kind of guy: athletic, soft, likes to play golf year-round.

Miami--Pat Riley needs firepower and has a history of last-minute surprises, so don’t be surprised to see him offer Jamal Mashburn for Mercer or Richmond.

Minnesota--The Timberwolves would keep Terrell Brandon if his salary demands were reasonable, but he just asked for $10 million a year. Of course, no one else will pay that much for a smurf who has turned into a head case.

Denver--Point guards being scarce, Nick Van Exel just asked for $10 million too. If they give it to him, they may as well make him player-coach, for all the direction he’ll take.

Charlotte--Anyone can have Big Poison and Bigger Poison, Anthony Mason and Derrick Coleman, but no taker that desperate has surfaced yet.

Dallas--Don Nelson, heading for his last roundup in a struggle with Maverick President Terdema Ussery, is determined to keep free agent Gary Trent, even if one personnel director sniffs Trent is “one of those guys like Mo Taylor, who scores a lot of points for a bad team. Portland and Toronto had him [Trent], and they’re both glad he’s gone.”

Houston--Charles Barkley is always hinting about leaving, but he’s always hinting about running for governor of Alabama too. The Rockets, who almost traded Hakeem Olajuwon to Toronto to start the rebuilding, are out of good ideas. The best they can think of is signing Rodney Rogers.

Indiana--The Pacers want Wright but won’t offer the player the Clippers want, Jalen Rose.

Philadelphia--Anyone want Tyrone Hill? Larry Brown discovered he’s as big a pain in the rear as everyone said.

Milwaukee--The Bucks want Wright too, but have little to offer. George Karl is frustrated with everyone on the roster except Ray Allen and Tim Thomas. Everyone else can be had, starting with Glenn Robinson.

Sacramento--The ugly ducklings who became America’s Team last spring want to keep free agents Corliss Williamson, Lawrence Funderburke, Vernon Maxwell and Jon Barry. But if the SuperSonics don’t get Richmond, they’ll come after Maxwell hard.

New York--The Knicks are sitting this out unless someone donates a point guard. Despite inquiries about their dueling two-guards, they aren’t moving either of last spring’s heroes, Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell.

New Jersey--The Nets are concerned only with keeping Keith Van Horn, who’s expected to re-sign for the $71-million max.

Utah--Anyone want to give the Jazz a center for Greg Ostertag? Nah, we didn’t think so.

Chicago--The Bulls are saving cap room for next year when Tim Duncan and Grant Hill can be free. Good luck.

Detroit--The Pistons decided they won’t trade Bison Dele. Good luck.

Vancouver--Geniuses at work, the Grizzlies haven’t had a 20-win season and don’t have any cap room, either.

Cleveland--With Shawn Kemp at $10.8 million, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas at $9 million, the Cavaliers are $4 million over the cap. Now to see if Ilgauskas makes it back from his latest injury.

Golden State--Erick Dampier, Northern California’s answer to Elden Campbell, is the best free-agent center, so the Warriors may have to give him $70 million. What they should do is see if they can find a sucker, er, anyone interested in him.

Washington--No way out of the hole the Wizards are in. Maybe they’ll keep Richmond and win 25 games. Maybe they’ll trade him and win 15. Cheapskates just won a special place in the hearts of players everywhere by offering rookie Richard Hamilton a three-year deal without the standard 20% raises.

ON THE TRADING BLOCK

Steve Smith: Reportedly headed from Hawks to Trail Blazers for Rider and Jackson.

Isaiah Rider: Hawks, seeking caproom, likely to renounce him after season.

Jim Jackson: Could end up a Clipper in sign-and-trade deal for Lorenzen Wright.

Mitch Richmond: Wizards need to keep him, but SuperSonics, Heat would love him.

Ron Mercer: Celtics’ Pitino wants to get rid of him and Heat may oblige.

Charles Oakley: Lakers hope he’ll settle for $2 million instead of more with Hawks, Heat.

Penny Hardaway: Wants to be a Laker, but wants more to make $9 million a year.

Lorenzen Wright: Clipper days numbered, as Hawks, Pacers, Bucks all interested.

Vin Baker: May re-sign with SuperSonics because Payton wants him to stay.

Terrell Brandon: Asking for $10 million, which may knock Timberwolves out.