He will not, however, attend tonight's exhibition against the Jazz.

"You can see he's getting better, feeling better," assistant Kurt Rambis, who is coaching the club in Jackson's absence, told AP. "Even from (Sunday) night to (Monday) morning, he was spryer ... and barking out commands to the guys. You could tell the itch was there with him."

The Lakers tonight also will be without defending NBA scoring champ Kobe Bryant, still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery performed three months ago.

"We're just taking our time and taking it day by day," Bryant told AP, "but I feel it getting better, getting stronger."

ALUMNI UPDATE: The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Monday that "after a summer of rehabilitation, (ex-Jazz guard Troy) Hudson didn't have any pain in the ankle despite practicing twice a day" during Minnesota's opening week of training camp.

"I feel back to my old self at this point," Hudson, who has long battled ankle problems, told the Pioneer Press.

BODIES NEEDED: Rather than make a couple roster cuts as previously planned, Sloan took all 18 players in camp to Fresno.

On Monday, he revealed the real reason: The Jazz host a free, open-to-the-public scrimmage 7 p.m. Thursday at the Delta Center, and all hands on deck are needed to fill out two sides for the league-mandated affair.

"I forgot about it," Sloan said. "I get three or four guys hurt, then what? ... And I'd rather have everybody not have to play a long period."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com