NBA Mailman, The Glove may head to Lakers

Los Angeles is set to sign Gary Payton, and Karl Malone could be next.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- Shaq, Kobe, The Glove and The Mailman on the Lakers.
Start engraving the NBA championship trophy?
The Lakers' superstar count may double for next season: With Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant already in house, they're set to sign Gary Payton, nicknamed "The Glove." Karl Malone, "The Mailman," may not be far behind.
While O'Neal and Bryant already have three championship rings, that's a bauble that's missing from the otherwise stellar careers of Payton and Malone. Payton turns 35 later this month, and Malone 40.
"It is the Lakers' intention to enter into a contract with Gary Payton once the moratorium period ends," team general manager Mitch Kupchak said Tuesday in a statement. "Due to NBA rules regarding free agency, I am unable to further comment at this time."
Payton and other free agents are not allowed to sign contracts until July 16.
With nine-time All-Star Payton coming on board, the Lakers would be favored next season to win their fourth NBA title in five years. If two-time MVP Malone also decides to sign, Los Angeles obviously would be even more imposing.
Out of Milwaukee
Payton, a free-agent guard, severed ties with his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Monday.
Dealt by Seattle to Milwaukee at last season's trade deadline, he would be limited to earning $4.9 million with the Lakers in the first year of a multiyear contract.
Malone reportedly has said he'd be willing to take the veteran's minimum salary -- $1.4 million -- with the Lakers in order to have a chance to win his first NBA title.
Malone has mentioned San Antonio, Dallas, Sacramento and the Lakers as possibilities. His agent, Dwight Manley said the power forward has narrowed his choices to a handful of teams.
Manley would not identify those but said, "They would probably be the favorite if he were on the team."
Malone met last week with the Lakers, and Manley acknowledged that they were among the teams his client was considering, depending on who else signs with them.