Where does Kobe Go?

[Ripper 0]

And Gordon isn't the Bulls best player. He is their best offensive player. Two different things.

[Guest]

It is foolish to say that you would not trade Gordon for Bryant. That is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

 

I'd trade anyone but LeBron for Kobe without thinking twice. Even Oden or Durant.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The only players I wouldn't trade for Kobe are Dirk, Nash, Kidd, Lebron and Duncan. Maybe Garnett and Wade too, but that's about it.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yeah I'm jumping on the bandwagon of Gordon being expendable. I'd be ok with Hinrich/Gordon + picks going for Kobe. That's just about it.

[Guest George's Box]

I think Hinrich and Deng would need to stay, because otherwise you're gutting the whole core for one guy and that's pretty pointless. Gordon would have to go, though, because where would you put him? I like him a lot, but come on, you gotta move somebody really good to land Kobe.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah I agree with Czech here. It doesn't make any sense to move a whole frontcourt or a young core for Kobe, because you're not getting either of those things back.

 

I strongly doubt Portland should be in these talks, also. Oden is a once in a lifetime type of talent, a dominant big which is hard to come by. Whoever trades for Kobe has to move some mix of forwards and guards.

 

If the Heat were REALLY insane, they'd go and trade Wade and a couple other players for Kobe. Imagine that. Shaq and Kobe reunited.

[Matt Young 0]

Oh, Gordon for Kobe is fine, but as I said before, no more than one of those 3 should go. And I definitely wouldn't say Gordon is "expendable". I'd say only trade him as a last resort.

[Guest George's Box]

Which players do you intend to trade, then?

 

This is a fun topic. I'm glad it came up. It gives us Bulls fans something to talk about, now that much like Boston, our franchise was irreparably devastated by getting the 9th pick in the draft.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I didn't mean both Hinrich and Gordon. I meant one or the other. Sorry for not clarifying. See, if they were inclined to, they could trade Hinrich and put Gordon at point guard, since he has played that position before (I think), and while you sacrifice a good defender in the spot, you gain a more consistent scorer (not by much though).

 

As for the package I'd send to Los Angeles in exchange for Kobe, I'd go no more than this: Hinrich OR Gordon plus Nocioni plus Tyrus Thomas plus the pick.

[Brett Favre 0]

If your name isn't Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Steve Nash, there's no reason why you shouldn't be traded for Kobe.

[Guest George's Box]

So then Ben Gordon, the expiring contracts of Chris Duhon and P.J. Brown, and what else? Optimally, we should have

 

C Ben Gordon

PF Tyrus Thomas

SF Luol Deng

SG Kobe Bryant

PG Kirk Hinrich

6 Thabo Sefolosha

 

I don't know what else needs to be dumped into this. Now if the Lakers are currently over the salary cap, wouldn't a trade only need to be enough to put them AT the cap? The NBA's take on the salary cap is byzantine and stupid. I mean, the concept of a salary cap is inherently stupid, but the NBA makes it worse.

[Guest]

No way.

 

The Lakers are going to ask for the team's best player, best young player, and picks.

 

We have the highest ticket prices in the league, so they have to be justified. That's why Kobe will have to wait to opt out unless we get an Oden-esque offer.

 

The Bulls could give us Hinrich (the only must), Gordon and Brown. That's a discussion starter.

[Guest George's Box]

No Hinrich. Gordon, Brown, Nocioni, #9 pick?

[CanadianChris 0]

Simmons had a good article today about which trades for Kobe are most feasible, using ESPN.com's Trade Machine. I'd love to see the Kobe-to-Phoenix scenario come about, even though it never will.

[Brett Favre 0]

No Hinrich. Gordon, Brown, Nocioni, #9 pick?

 

Try Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Thomas, and the 9th pick. And Brown for salary purposes.

 

For the record, ESPN ripped off the trade machine from realgm.net. Just annoys me that they get credit for something they didn't even create.

[Guest]

That's probably good enough, but I figure that the Lakers (more importantly, Phil Jackson) are/is going to want to get the point guard that they have desired for so long.

 

These people thinking that the Lakers are just going to take trash for Kobe (seen it all over the web) are dead wrong. The Lakers would be just as well served to let the guy sit and mope and then opt out in 09 while getting some success out of him for now.

 

I mean shit, why the fuck would the Lakers trade Kobe without getting Joe Johnson. On what planet.

 

After his last interview I really don't think that the Lakers are going to trade him, and they'll just clean out the front office instead. My .02. It seems like a ploy by Kobe to get the Lakers to do what it takes to win.

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

There will be no trash dump for Kobe. If the Lakers do end up trading him its going to be for either that teams best player, or their best young player a lottery pick and an expiring contract.

 

I'm going to guess they would opt for the latter since they would probably be willing to go into somewhat of a rebuilding mode (maybe). I still think boston giving the 5 pick Jefferson and/or green and some cap fodder would be a solid deal.

[Fökai 0]

No Hinrich. Gordon, Brown, Nocioni, #9 pick?

 

Try Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Thomas, and the 9th pick. And Brown for salary purposes.

Duhon, Gordon, Nocioni, Brown and the 9th pick would be enough. Or swap the Duhon/Nocioni combo for Deng. I just feel that's the most that Paxson will offer.

 

Yes, Thomas is expendable, but you can't move him AND the #9 pick. The Bulls' 4/5 options off the bench are awful.

[Brett Favre 0]

Then he won't get him. Duhon is garbage. Nocioni isn't that good. You're probably going to need at least two young studs plus that 9th pick and Tyrus Thomas as well.

 

Hinrich, Kobe, Thabo, maybe Sweetney and Ben Wallace is enough for them.

[Guest George's Box]

Gordon/Nocioni/Brown/Duhon/9th works for me. That still keeps The Vaunted Bulls Core essentially intact, and nets us Kobe Bryant. Oh, and that Bill Simmons article is a pipe dream. Noooo way Phoenix gets Kobe and Garnett. Bill must be spending too much time drinking with his buddies Dump and Switchblade trying to forget the pain of getting the fifth pick in the draft.

 

Duhon is passable off the bench. Skiles hates him, so that affects things, I feel.

[Timmy8271 0]

Kobe's not going anywhere. The Lakers would be idiotic to do it and unless it's to Miami or Chicago, Kobe won't win.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

ESPN said I could trade Brevin Knight, Othella Harrington, and Sean May for Kobe Bryant. Don't think that will happen.

[Guest]

Peter Vescey just said that it was almost certain that the Lakers were going to trade for Jermaine O'Neal once the trade window opens before draft day.

 

If so, Phil Jackson just saved the franchise with his phone calls to the office and to Kobe earlier. The Zen Master has talked sense into everyone. If true, that is.

 

Happened on NBA TV...

 

We should turn this into the NBA Offseason thread because this is what it will be anyway.

[Brett Favre 0]

It seems that Kobe backed off his trade demands.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Kobe isn't going to get a Herschel Walker type trade scenario with the Bulls. The Bulls aren't dumb enough to give up a lot. If the Bulls lay out a combo of Hinrich OR Gordon, Nocioni, Brown, Thomas and the pick, and the Lakers turn it down, guess what? The GM hangs up. Kobe is not worth anymore than that. So if the Lakers want to continue with a disgruntled Kobe Bryant who opts out after two years and get nothing in return, so be it. The Bulls aren't going to mortgage their future on Kobe Bryant.

[Guest]

Who's turning that trade down.

 

That trade will have us playing in June while the Bulls will be done before the end of May.

 

Shit, Hinrich, Evans, Odom, Kwame and Bynum starting with our #19, a #9 pick, Nocioni, Tyrus and Brown off the bench. That's quality. Hell, we could put those picks together with Odom and get a a really good player and this team would be set for a long time.

[cabbageboy 0]

I don't think the Lakers have the guts to do this move, and Kobe will likely end up playing out his contract in L.A. before going free agent. I'd be greatly amused to see him in Miami, but with him and Wade I don't know how they would possibly share the ball.

 

I don't get the mention of Phoenix at all or why they would put Stoudamire or Marion on the trading block. Geez, these guys were really the best team this year and by all rights should have at least had a game 7 vs. the Spurs at home. Phoenix owes it to themselves to give it one more year with their current lineup, maybe add a couple of guys to the bench. The last time the Suns got desperate and started trading valuable guys was 1995 when they shockingly sent Dan Majerle to the Cavs for Hot Rod Williams. That isn't to say trading for Kobe is anywhere near that idiotic trade, but do they really need the headaches and diva act from Kobe?

[Guest]

Magic has stepped in.

 

He said that if his minority part in ownership has any say, he will not allow the Lakers to continue going on like this and he will not allow the Lakers to trade Kobe. He also said that Kobe is right and they need to get help in, which is what I think Kobe was trying to get accomplished all along.

 

Thank goodness. Now the Lakers have no support from the city if they let this get any more out of hand and they'll lose boatloads of ticketholders. Something that the Buss family will not let happen.

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

Magic has stepped in.

 

He said that if his minority part in ownership has any say, he will not allow the Lakers to continue going on like this and he will not allow the Lakers to trade Kobe. He also said that Kobe is right and they need to get help in, which is what I think Kobe was trying to get accomplished all along.

 

Thank goodness. Now the Lakers have no support from the city if they let this get any more out of hand and they'll lose boatloads of ticketholders. Something that the Buss family will not let happen.

 

Nice to see Magic still has a pulse instead of just grinning all day on TNT. I wonder if Magic wants to pony up the cash to bring in some new players and pay that luxury tax penalty.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Magic with another assist.