Where does Kobe Go?

[Guest George's Box]

I'd rather have the Bulls keep Ben Gordon and Luol Deng. Don't need Kobe's soap-opera B.S. stinking up Chicago.

Well, what do you want: an emotionally fragile superstar who can win a 7th world championship for the Bulls, or a bunch of supporting players getting bounced from the first and second rounds for the next several years until our window closes? The team has no centerpiece like the Cavaliers, and isn't as all-around talented as the Pistons. How do you suppose the Bulls are going to do anything with all of these guys without a bona fide star on the team? I think we've seen the ceiling for this particular assortment of players. Like I said before, if and only if the Bulls can land Kobe Bryant without gutting the team and defeating the purpose of building up a strong supporting cast, then you gotta go for it, "soap opera BS" be damned, or else we just watch the 48-win Bulls lose to the 41-win Nets every April for another four years.

 

Oh, and I believe Hibachi is a free agent now, Gabe, so I don't know how that affects things. I can't see Kobe Bryant on "The Wiz," though.

[TheSSNintendo 0]

Well, now that someone spelled it out for me, it doesn't seem that bad.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Oh, and I believe Hibachi is a free agent now, Gabe, so I don't know how that affects things. I can't see Kobe Bryant on "The Wiz," though.

Hibachi has said he'll opt out of his contract for the 2008-2009 season, so it doesn't change much for the upcoming season. It does, however, put a phenomenal player on the board for '08, unless the Wizards just work a max extension with him before then (which they probably should do).

[Ripper 0]

Well, according to ESPN, Kobe Narrowed his choices to go play in New York, Chicago or Phoenix.

 

I have to say again, Marion and Barbosa, Atlanta's unprotected first rounder and the 2 first rounders they have this year for Bryant...that is probably the best deal you could put together out there right now for the Lakers that works under the cap.

 

You would have to almost gut Chicago and New York doesn't really have anything to offer. Plus, I would argue that Barbosa and Marion are better than any player or players that CHicago has.

[Fökai 0]

What the Knicks have to offer to make a trade has to be Marbury, Lee, Frye and Nate while taking Kwame and Turiaf along with Kobe. Nate and Turiaf are there to make the salaries match.

 

Two things:

1. I don't think that the Knicks will give up THAT much for Kobe.

2. Kobe agreeing to be a traded to a Knick team that completely gutted? No way.

[Guest]

Well, according to ESPN, Kobe Narrowed his choices to go play in New York, Chicago or Phoenix.

 

I have to say again, Marion and Barbosa, Atlanta's unprotected first rounder and the 2 first rounders they have this year for Bryant...that is probably the best deal you could put together out there right now for the Lakers that works under the cap.

 

You would have to almost gut Chicago and New York doesn't really have anything to offer. Plus, I would argue that Barbosa and Marion are better than any player or players that CHicago has.

I don't want anything from New York. That stuff from Phoenix would work very well, and not leave us too bad off to boot. Trading Kobe looks bad because the Lakers won't have a superstar, but in all actuality...that is not the case.

[Ripper 0]

With Marion and Barbosa, you get back two guys that will put up 20 + a game, one of the best defenders in the league, and one of the best rebounders. Odem would have to be the playmaker though because Barbosa is a scorer, not a point. plus 3 first round draft picks would be pretty nice and there will be guys in the 20's this year that would help the team.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

I actually think we might see a 3rd team get pulled into the deal, maybe someone willing to ship a "bigger" player, a la gasol or somebody else, to LA in exchange for Chicago or NY's "not quite enough for Kobe" offers.

[Brett Favre 0]

There's a rumor that KG got dealt to Phoenix. It's probably not true, but if it is, there's also a chance that Amare got dealt to Chicago in a 3 way trade. If it's not announced in these two days it's fake.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Several eastern conference gm's are saying that McFail is listening to offers for KG.

 

One of the rumors was KG to Boston for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliffe, and the 5th overall pick.

[Guest George's Box]

No point in trading Garnett to the Celtics; the organization folded because they got the #5 draft pick.

[Guest George's Box]

http://www.thekobevideo.com/

 

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[Guest Vitamin X]

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[Guest George's Box]

???

[Failed Bridge 0]

Several eastern conference gm's are saying that McFail is listening to offers for KG.

 

One of the rumors was KG to Boston for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliffe, and the 5th overall pick.

Can't give up Al Jefferson. That package is way too much for KG alone.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Dude, you're not going to get Kevin freaking Garnett without giving up a starter. A rookie, a decent young player, and garbage is an absurd deal. You're telling me you wouldn't be happy with Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Wally, West, Gomes, and some scrubs? That's a solid Eastern Conference playoff team easily if Doc Rivers doesn't shit all over himself (a stretch, I know).

[Ripper 0]

Al Jefferson is at the tip of dominance and he is alot younger. You can build around him. you should only bring in Garnett if you think you can win a championship with him within the next few years. I give him to 35 before he starts his decline (I am being nice).

 

Although in that proposed trade, the only player that has any trade value is Jefferson. Which is why i don't see what Boston could really give up to Minny to bring in Garnett.

[cabbageboy 0]

Chicago makes the most sense to me for Kobe, if he's going to be traded at all. I know the glamorous NYC aspect might make the Knicks alluring, but even Kobe has to realize what a disaster that franchise is. Phoenix would be an awesome fit for Kobe (imagine Nash at PG with Kobe as the main scorer, and Stoudamire too), but I seriously doubt the Lakers would be dumb enough to trade him to another team in the division and have him torch the Lakers several times a year.

 

Chicago makes sense though. He could live out his Jordan wannabe fantasies, the Bulls are at least semi decent, and it moves him out of the western conference.

[Ripper 0]

The bulls would suck if they made the trade though, mostly because most of their guys are still on their rookie contracts like Deng and Gordon, so even though they have the talent, they don't have the salaries.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

The bulls would suck if they made the trade though, mostly because most of their guys are still on their rookie contracts like Deng and Gordon, so even though they have the talent, they don't have the salaries.

 

Um, I don't understand this comment. The Bulls would suck because their players don't have big contracts?

[Ripper 0]

Yes. The salaries have to match so they would have to give up ALOT of players to match Kobe's maxed out contract. Thus making the team suck because they had to give up everyone to match the salaries.

[Gert T 0]

Yep, Ben Wallace is the only guy making over 5 million I believe (PJ makes 8 million, but cannot be traded in after the trade deadline each year).

[Da Maintenance Man 0]

Yes. The salaries have to match so they would have to give up ALOT of players to match Kobe's maxed out contract. Thus making the team suck because they had to give up everyone to match the salaries.

 

Which is why I'm against Kobe coming to Chicago. With all the guys we'd have to give up, we'd become the new Lakers. Also, why piss away 3 solid years of playoff experience and break up our nucleus? Kobe is not necessarily the answer here. A good low post player should be the primary objective here, in my opinion.

[Guest George's Box]

why piss away 3 solid years of playoff experience and break up our nucleus?

Because this is as far as they're going to go with the Pistons and Cavaliers in our division.

 

A good low post player should be the primary objective here, in my opinion.

Our dynasty's low post presences were Purdue and Cartwright, so winning can be done without that particular aspect, but not with our particular roster. I'd rather have Kobe and Deng as the star players.

 

In closing, I just want to say that the NBA's trade/cap system is retarded. Not retarded in a good way, like when the Black Eyed Peas got retarded in there, but just really really stupid.

[Guest]

Rumor going around is that the Lakers want Deng, Gordon, Nocioni, and the #9 pick. Seems like they had this planned out for a while.

[Ripper 0]

Also, the bulls have another year to try and win a championship with their current roster anyway, because with Hinrich getting his extension, Nocioni and the extensions that Gordon and Deng will be commanding, you are going to lose ONE of them at least and more likely two. You can trade them now for Kobe and get him for a few years, or you can hope to resign all of them. And I challenge someone to point out a guy in that group that couldn't get at least 8-9 mil a year from another team at least(Deng and Gordon will most likely get more on the open market).

 

With the proposed trade, you have a pretty craptacular team there. I would rather see them give up Thomas and Nocioni, Browns expiring contract, and Deng OR Gordon(okay...Gordon). Then you would still have a team.

 

But i doubt the Lakers would take that.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

why piss away 3 solid years of playoff experience and break up our nucleus?

Because this is as far as they're going to go with the Pistons and Cavaliers in our division.

 

Are you serious? I think next season the Bulls, Kobe or not, will have a great shot to take the division. Pistons are winding down and Cavaliers are good but right now, they're still just Lebron and nothing much else.

[humanoid92 0]

Here's what I came up with. It's not perfect; these fantasy trade proposals never are, but I tried to be as realistic as possible. This is a three team deal with the Lakers, Bulls, and Suns. The contracts work out pretty well. All three are over the cap already, and the discrepency between what each team gives up and gets back is no more than 2-3 million dollars.

 

First off, I don't think the Lakers would deal Kobe within their conference. So he goes to Chicago.

 

The Bulls get: Kobe Bryant, Ronny Turiaf, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Banks

The Bulls give up: Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Chris Duhon, #9 pick

 

Justification: You're going to have to give up a lot to get Kobe, so you lose two of your young guns in Gordon (who plays the same position as Kobe anyway) and Ty Thomas and your first round pick. Ben Wallace is by far their biggest contract. In order for the money to work out, they'd have to get rid of him to afford Kobe. And a lot of people feel the Wallace signing was a bad deal anyway, so this helps them get out of that. This allows them to add Kobe without sacrificing their core. They keep two of their big three, Hinrich and Deng. They are going to be hurting for big men by giving up both Wallace and Thomas, but between Kurt Thomas, PJ Brown, and Turiaf, they should be able to patch together something. They sacrifice depth at big man, but they get Kobe, which should make them the instant favorite in the Eastern Conference. (LeBron doesn't exactly have anyone the caliber of Hinrich and Deng to play with.)

 

Chicago's new roster: Kobe, Deng, Hinrich, Nocioni, K. Thomas, PJ Brown, Sefolosha, Turiaf, Banks, Sweetney, A. Griffin, Khryapa, etc.

 

The Suns get: Ben Gordon, Vladimir Radmonovic, Chris Duhon, Brian Cook, #19 pick

The Suns give up: Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Banks, #24 pick, #29 pick

 

Justification: Phoenix improves their depth, which has been a problem. D'Antoni uses a short rotation, but it's imperative that they get a back up point guard for Nash, so he can rest more during the regular season and be fresh for a deep run in the playoffs. Duhon provides that. They also get rid of Marcus Banks' awful contract. Phoenix gets to keep their core, as the big three stay put. They give up Barbosa and Bell, two of their top six, but get back Ben Gordon, who can also run the back-up point, and I think would be a perfect fit to play in the backcourt with Nash. Gordon can definitely fill any scoring void left by Barbosa and Bell. Gordon is perfect in the run and gun (UConn loved to push the ball and he thrived there) and this is a situation where he doesn't have to be the top scorer. Gordon would thrive in Phoenix. Bell's defense will be missed, but this allows Boris Diaw to move back into a starting role. Radmonovic is a guy that's useless in LA but would fit well in Phoenix's offense. Gordon, Radmonovic, and James Jones are three shooters to surround with Nash. With the addition of Radmonovic and Duhon to the bench to go along with Jones, suddenly the Suns are eight deep instead of seven. Also, they give up two draft picks to move up a little and get a player that might have a chance to help them this year at #19. Barbosa and Bell is a lot to give up, but they need some more depth, and when Ben Gordon is the fourth best player on your team, you're in good shape.

 

Phoenix's new roster: Nash, Amare, Marion, Gordon, Diaw, Duhon, Radmonovic, J. Jones, Cook, #19 pick, Piatkowski

 

That brings us to the Lakers. What would they get back to justify giving up Kobe?

 

The Lakers get: Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, #9 pick, #24 pick, #29 pick

The Lakers give up: Kobe Bryant, Brian Cook, Ronny Turiaf, Vladimir Radmonovic, #19 pick

 

Justification: They're not going to get another star of equal value for Kobe, so they need to get a handful of good players. Barbosa and Tyrus Thomas are two solid young players with high ceilings, and neither make much money right now. This gives them a young core of Barbosa, Thomas, Bynum, Farmar, Kwame and Walton to build around, with veterans like Odom, Bell, and Ben Wallace. Wallace is there simply because they need to replace Kobe's contract. Nobody has the star power of Kobe, but Wallace is at least a charismatic guy that fans seem to like, and has the reputation of being a "winner," even if he's starting to get washed up. Wallace is also a decent trading chip to have for a future deal, as a contender would probably give up expiring contracts to put them over the top. So that's how LA can free up money in the future, which would be impossible to do with Kobe around. Barbosa and Odom would have to take on the scoring load, but that shouldn't be a problem; both are capable of being 20 PPG guys. The Lakers also get rid of Radmonovic's bad contract, and Turiaf and Cook, who never really fit on that team. And they get three first-rounders, including the #9, in a deep draft. They may not be getting a huge star back, but it shakes up their roster and gives them a ton of young players to develop. And with a top four of Odom, Barbosa, Bell, and Wallace, they'd probably remain nearly as competitive as they are now in the meantime. Considering Radmonovic, Cook, and Turiaf aren't huge factors to begin with, you're basically getting four starters (including two potential stars) and three first round picks in exchange for Kobe. Their new roster is pretty deep:

 

LA's new roster: B. Wallace, T. Thomas, Odom, Bell, Barbosa, Bynum, Kwame, Walton, Farmar, #9 pick, Smush, Vujacic, Evans, #24 pick, #29 pick

[Guest George's Box]

why piss away 3 solid years of playoff experience and break up our nucleus?

Because this is as far as they're going to go with the Pistons and Cavaliers in our division.

 

Are you serious? I think next season the Bulls, Kobe or not, will have a great shot to take the division. Pistons are winding down and Cavaliers are good but right now, they're still just Lebron and nothing much else.

It doesn't matter if they're LeBron and nothing else, because LeBron and nothing else = 50 wins and a Finals berth whilst the Likable Hard Workers = 49 wins and a second-round exit. I'm not convinced that this current lineup can ever get over the hump. Paxson was wise not to gut the team for Pau Gasol, because I don't think he's such a big deal anyway, but at some point he has to deal some of these guys to land the big fish or else they'll hard-work their way into being upset by the Nets. But whatever, it doesn't matter what I think, because first of all, I don't know shit about basketball compared to Ripper, and second of all, you'll just argue against anything I ever say here, ever, no matter what my stance is on any given argument. If I think the Bears should have an open competition for quarterback this summer, you'll say they shouldn't. If I think the Bulls should get Kobe, you'll say they won't. If I tell Star Ocean 3 to shut up, you'll tell me not to tell him to shut up. If I say that Luol Deng is from the Sudan, you'll try to argue that he's a pasty white kid from North Dakota. It's a lot of wasted effort on both of our parts, since the outcome is the same and it never leads to any worthwhile discussion.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Dude, you're not going to get Kevin freaking Garnett without giving up a starter. A rookie, a decent young player, and garbage is an absurd deal. You're telling me you wouldn't be happy with Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Wally, West, Gomes, and some scrubs? That's a solid Eastern Conference playoff team easily if Doc Rivers doesn't shit all over himself (a stretch, I know).

Al Jefferson is going to be puting up PPG and RPG numbers on par with Garnett's in like two years and will be doing so for alot longer. Not to mention Garnett can opt out of his current contract soon. Al Jefferson is too high a price to pay when you could only get one or two years of KG(and adding him alone doesn't place them on the brink of a title). Jefferson, Pierce, and Rondo are the only untouchables on the Celts now.