Kobe apparently weighing options

Kobe Bryant wasn’t tipping his hand Tuesday night as the clock ticked down on the final hours of the NBA’s two-week moratorium on trades and free agent signings.

Eager to learn his choice but uncertain when that decision might come, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers awaited word from Bryant or one of his agents.

Shortly after the moratorium ended at 12:01 a.m. EDT, a Lakers spokesman said he had no news to report.

Both clubs made formal presentations to the free agent guard on Monday night, and the Charlotte Observer reported for Wednesday’s editions that the Clippers would trade forward Melvin Ely and guard Eddie House to the expansion Bobcats for future second-round draft picks.

The end of the moratorium came just two hours after the league released the new salary cap of $43.87 million for the 2004-05 season — an increase of just $30,000 from last season’s figure.

Bryant is eligible to receive a starting salary equal to 105 percent of his 2003-04 salary of $13.5 million, but the Clippers have only $11.65 million of cap room — meaning they would have to trade at least one other player in the next few days to get far enough under the cap to offer Bryant a maximum deal.

Several lesser free agents also were awaiting salary cap calculations to determine the amount of the average salary, which will be the starting salary in 2004-05 for any of them who receive the full midlevel exception from a team already over the salary cap. It came in at $4.9 million.

While Bryant made everyone in Los Angeles wait, and while his agent, Rob Pelinka, again did not return several phone messages, the process of trading Shaquille O’Neal was being set in motion.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat were expected to complete a deal Wednesday sending O’Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick.

A few free agents were expected to sign offer sheets after the moratorium expired at 12:01 a.m. this morning, while others — most notably Steve Nash going from Dallas to Phoenix — would finally be allowed to sign the deals they agreed to during the first two weeks of this month.

Among the top free agents whose plans were not yet known were Rasheed Wallace of the NBA champion Detroit Pistons, Erick Dampier of the Golden State Warriors, Karl Malone of the Los Angeles Lakers, Vlade Divac of Sacramento, Derek Fisher of the Lakers, Darius Miles of Portland and Kenyon Martin of New Jersey.

Martin was weighing whether to sign an offer sheet with Atlanta or Denver after sign-and-trade discussions between the Nuggets and Nets broke down.

Malone, puzzled by the breakup of the Lakers, was being courted by the Spurs.

“Without a doubt I’m serious (about the Spurs),” Malone told the San Antonio Express-News. “I’ve had serious dialogue with them, and more than once. I’ve talked to Coach (Gregg) Popovich two or three times and (general manager) R.C. (Buford) one or two times. They call about every other day. I’ve had great dialogue with them.”

Malone, however, said he will not make a decision on next season until he knows whether he can perform at 100 percent of his capability. He recently underwent surgery on his left knee, which he sprained twice last season.

One of the most controversial contracts in NBA history closed a chapter shortly after 9 p.m. PDT when Carlos Boozer’s six-year, $68 million offer sheet from the Utah Jazz became official.

“For (the Cavs) taking shots at my character is incredibly wrong, and I don’t understand that,” Boozer said. “I thought I had a great relationship with them. Maybe they’re trying to save face or trying to make up stuff and kill my character.”