There are a host of contender teams lobbying for Karl Malone, but it seems more and more likely that he will remaing with the Los Angeles Lakers.  

Shaquille O'Neal has actively recruited the Mailman, but an O'Neal associate said it was the center's belief that Malone eventually would elect to return to the Lakers. That possibility appears even stronger now that Malone's children have been enrolled in schools in suburban Los Angeles.

The Heat and Spurs can both offer him the NBA minimum of $1.1 million for the coming season. The Lakers could offer slightly more, while it appears increasingly likely that the Timberwolves are not to a factor.