ESPN is reporting that a three-way trade involving the Lakers, Bulls and Kings is now dead but has been discussed.

The Lakers would acquire Ron Artest and Ben Wallace; the Kings would acquire Ben Gordon and P.J. Brown (acquired via sign-and-trade), while the Bulls would get Kobe Bryant.

Lakers' vice president Magic Johnson said the deal between Chicago and the Lakers involving Kobe Bryant isn't going to happen, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

"A deal can't get done because they won't include [Luol] Deng," Johnson said Tuesday on TNT. "And without Deng, a deal can't get done."

Johnson also hinted that talks of bringing Indiana Pacers' All-Star Jermaine O'Neal to the Lakers to join Bryant have resurfaced.

Johnson said the Bulls and Lakers could not put together a trade that would satisfy the league's money requirement for such a deal. The total salaries of the players sent to Los Angeles for Bryant must be within 15 percent of the $19 million Bryant will make this season.

A source close to the Phoenix Suns shot down a rumored three-team deal that would've had the Bulls landing Bryant, Gordon and the Suns' Shawn Marion going to the Lakers and a package of Tyrus Thomas and other considerations heading to Phoenix.

The Suns' source said the team would be interested in discussing such a deal but that Phoenix last talked trade with the Lakers for Bryant some 10 days ago, and the conversation went nowhere.

Mark Bartelstein, the Chicago-based agent for P.J. Brown, said he had not been contacted by the Bulls or any other team to facilitate a sign-and-trade deal for the former Bulls' forward to help match money for a Bryant trade.

Ben Wallace didn't practice again Tuesday because of his sprained left ankle, although coach Scott Skiles said Wallace warmed up and athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi "feels like Ben is going to go."

Wallace is leaning toward playing.

"I'm going to give it a shot before the game and see how it goes," he said. "Every day it feels a little better. But if I can't go out there and deliver, there's no need for me to be on the floor."

Joe Smith worked with the first unit during Tuesday's practice, suggesting he'd start regardless of whether Wallace is playing. Deng, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich are the other three starters.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, ever the sly individualist, went against the grain again Monday by publicly confirming to reporters in Los Angeles that his team was having trade talks with the Bulls surrounding Kobe Bryant.

The Bulls, who could try to involve a third team, aren't meeting the Lakers' price.

While calling him a "great player," Wallace offered an interesting take on the rumors.

"One player can't get it done," he said. "That's been proven time and time again in this league."

Ben Gordon realizes that discussions about a contract extension with the Chicago Bulls is purely business, and he is not taking anything personally.

Gordon, however, believes he is the best player on the team, and his contract should reflect that.  The Bulls are also discussing an extension with Luol Deng, who many consider to be the Bulls best player, although Gordon doesn't believe that Deng's negotiations will affect his in any way.

"Nah, nah, nah," Gordon said. "Lu's money isn't going to benefit me, and it's not going to cause me any harm. I'm always just looking at a deal that I think I deserve and is good for me. I don't count other people's money."

According to the Chicago Tribune, league sources said if no extension was reached, Gordon's camp had discussed signing the Bulls' one-year tender offer next summer and then playing out the 2008-09 season to become an unrestricted free agent.

Whether that's merely a hard-line negotiating scare tactic remains to be seen.

"The kind of person I am, I always like to make my decisions on principle," Gordon said. "I try to think things through and make the best decision for myself.

"I want to retire here. This is the first team that gave me my chance to live out my dream. But it's a business both ways. So you just hope for the best."

With the Wednesday deadline for extensions looming, Bulls GM Paxson asked Luol Deng and Ben Gordon for one-on-one meetings to try to outline the Bulls' position in terms of their salary structure and the current restricted-free-agent market.

The process was similar to what Paxson did with Kirk Hinrich at the same time last year, which led to Hinrich agreeing to and signing a five-year, $47.5 million contract extension.

The Bulls have talked parameters of five-year, $50 million deals with agents for both players.

Deng offered at least a window into his thinking recently and perhaps indicated he'd sign if the Bulls slightly increased their financial commitment.

"If somebody had told me that at some point in my career, I'd make 'X' amount of dollars, of course you would take it," Deng said. "But it's a business, and you have to understand that negotiating is part of the situation."

The Deng negotiations have mirrored the Hinrich talks ? initial pessimism despite cordial talks, a Paxson request for a meeting and at least a glimmer of hope a deal would get done.

No such optimism exists in the Gordon negotiations.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls have been having daily discussions about Kobe Bryant trade possibilities for at least the past week, with Bryant's no-trade clause throwing a unique wrench into the situation, according to sources.

The Lakers are asking for a package built around Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, which is more than Chicago is willing to surrender. Also, Bryant would not want to play in Chicago if the Bulls surrendered all four of those players, believing there would not be enough talent left to compete for a championship, and he would veto that trade even if the Bulls and Lakers were both in favor of it.

Further complicating matters is the division within the upper echelon of the Lakers front office, a house divided between the competing desires of owner Jerry Buss, his son, Jim, daughter Jeanie (and her boyfriend, coach Phil Jackson) and general manager Mitch Kupchak. According to sources, one faction seems more determined than ever to part with Bryant, while others still are hanging onto the belief that Bryant can still be persuaded to stay in Los Angeles.

A source told ESPN.com that the likelihood of a Bryant trade before opening night seemed higher a few days ago than it does now, and a deal going down sometime before the end of November now seemed more likely.

Bulls' center Ben Wallace (left ankle sprain) and forward Joakim Noah (right ankle sprain), both injured in last night's preseason win over Milwaukee, had X-rays taken last evening, with both coming back negative.  

Both players will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

Tyrus Thomas, who was also hurt during the game, has been listed as day-to-day.

Wednesday is not only the Bulls' first regular-season game, it's also the league deadline for the team to reach extensions with Ben Gordon and Luol Deng. Both confirmed they have received offers from general manager John Paxson.

Neither Gordon nor Deng, both of whom are entering the final season of their four-year rookie contracts, would say what those offers are. But a source familiar with Deng's negotiations indicated Paxson offered Deng a five-year, $50 million deal. That would best the five-year, $48.5 million extension Kirk Hinrich accepted under the same circumstance on opening day last season.

"I would like to get a deal done," Deng said. "But if we can't come to terms, I have enough confidence to play out the season."

Kirk Hinrich scored 20 points, and Ben Wallace scored eight points before leaving late in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle as the Bulls defeated the Bucks 97-81 on Thursday night.

In their final preseason game, the Bulls also lost forward Tyrus Thomas in the third quarter with a right foot injury, and rookie forward Joakim Noah went down in the fourth quarter with what looked to be a right ankle injury. Neither player returned to the game.