Splitter’s summer itinerary includes a mid-July return to Brazil to join the national team in training for the FIBA Americas tournament. Even that plan must await the results of CBA talks.

“This is one of the crazy summers I’m going to have,” said Splitter, the 26-year-old whose rookie season was a series of injury-plagued stops and starts. “We don’t know what it’s going to be. It is hard to plan something because it all depends on what is going to happen with the lockout. You can be on vacation until December or January. Nobody knows.”

Though he has committed to play for Brazil, Splitter won’t play unless his contract with the Spurs can be insured.

“I told (Brazilian team officials) that of course there is a problem,” Splitter said. “Most important is the insurance. If the NBA is in lockout, I don’t have insurance to play with them. They have to figure out how to deal (with) that. If not, I’m not playing.”
Under the current CBA, teams can’t prohibit players from competing in FIBA events. However, NBA teams must be indemnified against injury incurred in international competition

Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said he has been contacted by Puerto Rico officials about becoming the national team coach.

Cleamons said he is scheduled to meet with the officials this week to talk about leading the team at the FIBA Americas Championship.

"They said they had some interest," Cleamons said. "I have some interest. It's something I would do, especially if there is a lockout."

Cleamons has been a member of Phil Jackson's staff with the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls.

Knicks center Ronny Turiaf is expected to pick up the player option on his $4.36 million contract and then spend the summer playing for the French national team, which will attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympics at the EuroBasket 2011 tournament in Lithuania.

With Shelden Williams and Jared Jeffries becoming free agents, Turiaf is the only center remaining on the Knicks roster aside from Jerome Jordan, last June's 2nd round draft pick who spent last season in Serbia.

USA Basketball wanted Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Anthony Davis to be on the team that will play in the World Championship for players 19 years old and younger June 30-July 10 in Latvia.

But the trio were among about 27 players who declined invitations to participate in the tryouts next month. Ford said that UK wanted Gilchrist, Teague and Davis to attend summer school and accelerate the process of becoming college players.

"Obviously, they're going to be a younger team next year,"  National Team director for USA Basketball Sean Ford said of Kentucky. "Coach (John Calipari) is looking to say, 'Hey, let's get the younger players in. Let's get them acclimated. Let's get them spending time with the upperclassmen so come September, when the rest of (the country's) freshmen come in, our guys are not true freshmen anymore.'

"It's unfortunate. We wish it were different. But we certainly understand the reality of it."

Pau Gasol said he planned to spend the unexpected time off analyzing his own play and looking for ways to come back with "a clean cut" next season.

He also said he was "leaning toward playing" for the Spanish National team this summer as it tries to qualify for the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Gasol has not played for Spain the last two summers because he decided he needed to rest after the Lakers deep playoff runs.

"My decisions the last couple years have been because of a lack of rest and time to recover from our runs to the championships before the beginning of the season," he said. "But this obviously gives me more opportunity of participating with my national team."

Andrei Kirilenko feels optimistic, his mind is clear and his body has healed. The latter is key.

After missing Utah’s final 10 games due to nagging injuries, the Russian native is healthy and plans to play for his home country in the 2011 European Basketball Championship.

The tournament is scheduled from Aug. 31 to Sept. 18 in Lithuania.

“I feel pretty good,” said Kirilenko, who is set to fly back to Russia this week and doesn’t plan to return to the United States until August. “I was pretty close at the end of the year. But, obviously, we ended [the season] a little bit early.”

China's captain Liu Wei expressed cautious optimism about the appearance Yao Ming in the Asian Basketball Championships this September.

"Nothing is certain right now," Liu, a former team mate of Yao's at the Shanghai Sharks, told the China Daily.

"He will stay in Shanghai for a while and then go back to the States for an injury check. Nobody knows if he will be able to play until the results come out."

The September 15-25 tournament guarantees the winners a spot at next year's London Olympics.