Where does Kobe Go?

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

Interested to hear others thoughts. East or West? Clippers like what almost happened a few years back? Isiah sells the farm for him? What do you guys think.

[Matt Young 0]

Nowhere.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

People seem to assume the Lakers have to trade him. They don't. If he's unhappy by next year, then yeah, maybe.

[Black Lushus 0]

are the Lakers in a rut right now financially where they CAN'T appease this guy whatsoever? No trades? free agent signings? I don't mean appease by getting him out of LA, I mean making it a competitive team like they supposedly promised him.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I think they are over the cap by a pretty penny.

[Guest]

He's gone.

 

He's whining just as bad as Shaq now. Won't even wait to see what happens this summer. I hope they send his bitch ass out.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

It's going to have be a team with a couple young players or high draft picks coupled with moveable contracts. I can't think of any off the top of my head. I'll have to do some research.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

He's gone.

 

He's whining just as bad as Shaq now. Won't even wait to see what happens this summer. I hope they send his bitch ass out.

 

Wait. You sided with Kobe in the other thread. That's quite a turnabout.

[Guest]

I had more time to think about it.

 

At some point you have to shut your mouth and give the team time to try and get some things done. He just makes everything worse and worse and at this point, I hope the Lakers trade him to Portland because they'll be better next year for it. I'd give them Kobe and our 1st for Roy, Jack and Randolph. Or Roy and Randolph.

 

If we trade Kobe, we're in a good enough position to pull it off. We can add a lot of young players to our already young core and we'll be a playoff team still with a lot of room for improvement. I'd like to do Kobe for Dirk straight up, LAWL.

[Fökai 0]

It's going to have be a team with a couple young players or high draft picks coupled with moveable contracts. I can't think of any off the top of my head. I'll have to do some research.

 

It's bound to be a three-team deal. For example, Chicago can't do anything without getting someone like Boston (Ratliff, Wally), New York (take your pick) or Seattle (after signing Rashard) to move their piece to the Lakers. Most trade possibilities will revolve around Team A (let's say the Bulls) receiving Kobe, Team B (middle-man) receiving Nocioni/Duhon/whomever, and the Lakers receiving Gordon/Bulls' 1st-rounder/Team B's albatross.

 

Even if it isn't the Bulls, the recipients of Kobe will have to pay through the nose. There aren't too many inflated contracts floating around in the league anymore, and it'll come down to whoever can afford to lose 2-3 key players and a draft pick.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

With the exception that they are in the same division, I could see Phoenix as a good trade partner. Marion and Stoudemire are both supposedly going on the block this summer. Seems like they could swing something based around those guys.

 

Or how about Gasol and the #4 pick for Kobe. I'm not sure if that works under the cap.

[Steviekick 0]

I think Kobe is going to wind up staying with the Lakers and a lot of the front office is going to wind up changing.

 

I'd trade Odom for Gasol in a heartbeat. Gasol doesn't want to be in Memphis anymore and his skill set is different enough to not stifle Bynum and even Kwame's development. That and I would trade Radmanovic for a bag of sand or a servicable point guard.

[Steviekick 0]

With the exception that they are in the same division, I could see Phoenix as a good trade partner. Marion and Stoudemire are both supposedly going on the block this summer. Seems like they could swing something based around those guys.

 

I don't get why the Lakers would want to keep Kobe in their own division. I'd think they'd want to send him to the Eastern Conference just for the sake of not having to potentially deal with him in the playoffs.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

With the exception that they are in the same division, I could see Phoenix as a good trade partner. Marion and Stoudemire are both supposedly going on the block this summer. Seems like they could swing something based around those guys.

 

I don't get why the Lakers would want to keep Kobe in their own division. I'd think they'd want to send him to the Eastern Conference just for the sake of not having to potentially deal with him in the playoffs.

Well I said in the first sentence that they would be a good trade partner except for the fact that they are in the same division.

[Guest A.BUTCHER'S HOUSE OF RIBS]

How about Kobe to the Hawks for their 2 first round picks this year (3,11) and Joe Johnson?? God it'd be great to see the Hawks have a good team again. It's been a LONG time.

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

This is one of the few occasions where I feel like the complaining star has enough clout to force a deal, and rather quickly. I mean the lakers have essentially been toying with the roster for the past few years post shaq, none of it has been a major play to be a competitor again. I've been hearing portland, but that doesn't right. I'm thinking something with an eastern conference team..using Charlotte as a facilitator to eat up bad contracts.

[Guest]

Gasol for Kobe would only work if they had the #1 or #2 pick to send with. He will get sent to whoever offers the most. I don't think that the Lakers give a damn whether or not he goes within the division if they can get an awesome return.

[Ripper 0]

Kobe has a trade clause, doesn't he? He can veto a deal.

 

With that being the case, he isn't going to want to be traded to a loser.

 

That leaves very few teams that can trade for him and still have the pieces to be a decent team. Chicago and phoenix can put together packages where the team would still be competitive even though they would have to ive up alot to get him.

 

The Bulls could send Gordon and Deng, the expiring PJ Brown, and that first rounder. I am not sure if thats enough, but they could. That would leave you with Hinrich, Bryant, THABO, Tyrus Thomas and Ben Wallace...in the east....yeah...they would still be contenders.

 

The Suns could offer up Marion, Barbosa, Kurt Thomas's expiring deal or James Jones, a unprotected first rounder next year and 2 first rounders this year. You are left with Amare, Boris Diaw, Kobe, Raja, and Nash starting with a depleted bench which doesn't matter because Mike D'Antoni doesn't play his bench anyway.

 

That is still a contending team.

[Ripper 0]

I forgot to add Nocioni into the Bulls trade...if you resign him. Noc, Deng and Gordon is one fuck of a package. And the Bulls have enough backup at each position to justify trading them for Kobe.

[Ripper 0]

How about Kobe to the Hawks for their 2 first round picks this year (3,11) and Joe Johnson?? God it'd be great to see the Hawks have a good team again. It's been a LONG time.

 

 

Kobe and Josh Smith would be punching each other in the face within a week.

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

From TrueHoop:

 

UPDATE: From ESPN research:

 

When Bryant signed his free-agent contract on July 15, 2004, a seven-year deal worth $136.4 million, a no-trade clause was built into his contract. He is the only player in the NBA that has a no-trade clause in his contract. He has a no-trade clause for at least two more seasons, at which time he can opt out of his current contract (after the 2008-09 season). If he exercises his option to become a free agent, he would walk away from a combined $47.8 million for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. The only way the Lakers could trade Bryant is if he waived his no-trade clause, which means the team would need Bryant's approval to trade him.

 

And more from Mike Bresnahan in the L.A. Times:

 

Bryant will obviously waive his no-trade clause, but he has a trade kicker in his contract that is believed to add about $13 million to his total contract value, a cost to be absorbed by any team that acquires him. The money would be paid like a signing bonus and would not count toward the salary cap. The Lakers had to pay a similar fee to Lamar Odom when they acquired him from Miami three years ago, paying him about $8 million.

[Nightwing 0]

I don't think they'll be able to get a good deal for him, and he'll move when he becomes a Free Agent.

 

I mean, the guy is becoming worse and worse by the second with all these public demands on the Front Office. While he is a franchise player, he isn't the GM, and frankly he's part of the reason the team is where it is right now. I can't see anyone taking him without trying to rob the Lakers because of the possible trouble he might cause with the Diva attitude he's showing off.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't want to trade both Nocioni and Deng. Though for Kobe, yeah I know we might have to.

 

In fact I'd rather trade Thabo than Deng. I'm not sold on the guy.

[Ripper 0]

You know who I forgot? New Jersey. They could offer up a resigned Carter and Jefferson, and maybe even throw in Marcus Williams for the Kobe.

 

Kidd, Kobe, Nocbar, Mikki Moore, Nedad Kristic

 

Thats pretty much a finals appearance.

[Ripper 0]

I don't want to trade both Nocioni and Deng. Though for Kobe, yeah I know we might have to.

 

In fact I'd rather trade Thabo than Deng. I'm not sold on the guy.

 

Deng has more trade value. And fuck John Paxon while I am at it. He could have at least given Phoenix Thabo after they handed him Deng. Son of a bitch not letting the suns trade up.

 

I love Deng. Really do. But at the end of the day he is a midrange shooter that isn't that great on defense. Thabo is a much better defender and has point guard skills at his size.

 

Once again, I love Deng, but you can find a 6'9" consistant midrange shooter in the late first round.

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

I don't think they'll be able to get a good deal for him, and he'll move when he becomes a Free Agent.

 

I mean, the guy is becoming worse and worse by the second with all these public demands on the Front Office. While he is a franchise player, he isn't the GM, and frankly he's part of the reason the team is where it is right now. I can't see anyone taking him without trying to rob the Lakers because of the possible trouble he might cause with the Diva attitude he's showing off.

 

I don't seem them making it to free agency on this. Also NBA GMs have always said it was much easier to make a trade in the offseason than during the season. So this is pretty good timing on his part.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

I said it once and I'll say it again

 

The biggest mistake Kobe has ever made was not signing with the Clippers.

 

Elton Brand is the perfect guy to play with Kobe.

 

Too bad Kobe let his love for the Lakers blind him to the obvious

[Guest]

Kobe with Dan Patrick in a few...

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?station=nyc

[Nightwing 0]

But who is going to trade for him?

 

Suns: No way. You can make a fairly reasonable claim that they were robbed of a Finals berth this year by an antiquated rule, and even then they almost pulled it out. Putting Kobe into Nash's distribution system might screw things up if Kobe feels like holding onto it. Combined with the possibility of him going toxic, and I think they'll be a big "Pass" on the Kobe Train.

 

Bulls: I suppose, but I think they are close to what they need to be. They had it on the Pistons for two games, and almost pulled it to within 7. I'm not sure they are going to want to sacrifice a bunch of players who did pretty well and got a lot of good playoff experience.

 

Nets: I can see this one, actually. I think out of the three teams here, the Nets are stagnating while the Suns are peaking and the Bulls are rising. That's still kinda costly, but Ripper does make a good point on that lineup. I just wonder if Frank can get the most out of what could be a really good starting 5.

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

But who is going to trade for him?

 

Suns: No way. You can make a fairly reasonable claim that they were robbed of a Finals berth this year by an antiquated rule, and even then they almost pulled it out. Putting Kobe into Nash's distribution system might screw things up if Kobe feels like holding onto it. Combined with the possibility of him going toxic, and I think they'll be a big "Pass" on the Kobe Train.

 

Bulls: I suppose, but I think they are close to what they need to be. They had it on the Pistons for two games, and almost pulled it to within 7. I'm not sure they are going to want to sacrifice a bunch of players who did pretty well and got a lot of good playoff experience.

 

Nets: I can see this one, actually. I think out of the three teams here, the Nets are stagnating while the Suns are peaking and the Bulls are rising. That's still kinda costly, but Ripper does make a good point on that lineup. I just wonder if Frank can get the most out of what could be a really good starting 5.

 

I dont know if you can count on Nachbar (a career journeyman before this year) and Krstic (recovering from major knee surgery) to make up a solid starting 5. Mikki Moore is also the quintessential journeyman having a break out year. What are the chances he repeats that.