With all the rumors swirling around the NBA, & the ones that will soon be swirling around, I thought I'd try a different approach to improving our team. Instead of using Francis (Even though, I still believe he'll be traded) as trade bait, maybe we should be focusing on using the TE, or better yet, try something like I'm about to propose. Both McGrady & Kobe are reportedly going to explore their options in free agency. With their goals being to get the most money they can & landing on a team that meets their personal agendas (ie...Kobe wants to be the man & McGrady wants to play with better talent). The problem with a resigned Kobe for McGrady trade, is that Kobe will become a BYC player the minute he signs his name on the new contract. Thus, the Rocket's TE will become very valuable to both the Lakers & Magic. Let's do some trading, shall we? You'll need to read my explaination afterwards, for this trade to make sense. Houston sends Cato/Taylor to Orlando. Orlando sends McGrady to the Lakers. Orlando sends Gooden/Hill/next year's #1 pick/Washington's #1 pick to Houston. The Lakers send Kobe to Orlando. The Lakers send this year's #1 pick (#23-#29) to Houston. Now, for the explainations. Both Orlando & the Lakers would swap star players, who's personal agendas (ie...Kobe wants to be the man & McGrady wants to play with better talent) would seem to fit the other team's makeup better, & they'd be locked up for several years. Orlando would get rid of Hill's albatross contract, while picking up a defensive center that should become a monster in the East & a strong offensive force in Taylor (6th man) to back up Howard. They'd also get to keep their Lottery pick this year. There's been reports that Howard & Gooden are creating a conflict at PF & that Orlando is inclined to keep Howard over Gooden. According to RealGM, Washington's #1 pick has certain conditions attached: 1st round pick from Washington. Any team's pick. No option. Due between 2004 and 2007. Top-20 protected in '04, Top-13 protected in '05, Top-3 protected in '06, unprotected in '07. (August 1, 2001: Magic trade rights to C Brendan Haywood to Washington Wizards for G Laron Profit and a future first-round draft choice) The Lakers getting McGrady, should diffuse the conflict that had developed, & continued to grow, between Shaq & Kobe. McGrady is hungry for a Championship & might be more receptive to the idea of being #2 behind Shaq. They've also got some other young talent in Walton, George, Rush, Cook, Medvedenko, & Sampson that'll be coming into their own in the next couple of years. This trade makes a lot of sense for the Lakers. Houston would only do this deal, IF Hill agrees to opt out of his contract at the end of next year, for a preagreed upon buyout package. Otherwise, no deal! If he agrees, Houston moves two of it's largest contracts in exchange for one contract (Hill) that will come off the books after next year. Both Cato & Taylor (true backups in the West) should flourish in the East. Drew Gooden is having to play behind Howard & appears to be ready to bust out. Thus, we'd have a young PF to pair with Yao & pick up three #1 picks (albeit, late 1st round picks), without having to trade Francis. We'd still have to pick up some depth through free agency & the draft. Our new lineup would be: C: Yao/FA (Camby, Doleac, Okur, Foyle, Medvedenko, Keon Clark, etc.) PF: Gooden/Spoon/Padgett SF: JJ/Nachbar SG: Mobley/Piatkowski PG: Francis/FA (Rafer Alston, Damon Jones, Brevin Knight, Ward) How's that for a trade to improve the team, without taking away any key components that can't be replaced with cheaper replacements? After that trade, we could trade Francis for a starting SF (move JJ to SG & Mobley to 6th man) & a solid pass first PG. Sorry, I couldn't resist suggesting trading Francis.
And Kobe wants to sign with the worst team in the NBA because...? #1 on Kobe's list is winning, he will not go to Orlando.
I'd obviously take that trade. Getting rid of Cato and Taylor would be the best thing for the Rockets, and getting a pick in the process would just be the icing on the cake.
I disagree! If winning were #1 on his list, then why would he even entertain the notion of testing free agency? It can't be the money, because no one can pay him as much as the Lakers. It can't be because he's on a losing team, since they've won 3 of the last 4 Championships & are in contention for a 4th as we speak. With Orlando, he'll be the star, with Howard, Cato, Garrity (assuming he recovers), & Lue as the role playing starters. They'd also have a guaranteed top 5 pick & most likely, a top 3 pick with a shot at the #1 overall pick. With that team, Howard & Garrity can score as the #2 & #3 options, Cato plays tough interior defense, & Lue is a good distributor & defensive PG. If, as I believe, he wants to prove to the world that he's the best, then that's a good platform to start with. You want to try another reason?
It is about championships. The key is, he wants to be THE MAN not the man along with Shaq! He will go to a team that has one other star player that is willing to take a back seat to Kobe! But that team has to have players that complement Shaq! It has to be a big city.(i.e. Suns, Mavs, Rockets , Bobcats if they get the right players, Knicks(Marbury +...))
What's with the "ball hog" comment? He took less shots than McGrady, Howard, & Stevenson, & he finished just ahead of Lue. That's a ball hog? Any player with offensive skills that's worth his salt, is going to want the ball in his hands.
Why would you say such a horrible thing? Be careful what you wish for! The real question is, why would Kobe do it? If T-Mac can't win there, how much mpre can Kobe win? Then again, you're strengthening them with Cato/Taylor... But I'm still pretty sure Kobe wants a solid sidekick, a Pippen-type..
Pssst, Sane. Orlando will still have a top 5 pick in this year's draft, & most likely a top 3 pick. If they can't find a player that wows them, they should be able to trade the pick for a solid player on another team. As for McGrady's inability to win this year, Orlando lost one of it's major offensive threats when Garrity went down for the year. The guy's a career 42% fg shooter & a 41% 3pt shooter. At 6'9" 238 lbs., Garrity would've added more height, better ball handling (less than 1 TO per game for his career), & an outside shooting threat that would've forced teams to shift someone off of McGrady. As for the question "why would Kobe do it?", the answer would have to be, to satisfy his ego.
Did you see Kobe after Game 6 last year? The guy was in tears. He wants to win first and foremost, even if that means staying with the Lakers and playing another 5 years with Shaq.
He didn't sign the extension because he wants to test free agency, he said that. But he will not go to a losing team, he knows that to be considered the best he has to win. He won't win with the scrubs in Orlando. If he leaves LA, it will be a for a team that is already or with his addition becomes a contender, Orlando doesn't apply.
from what i seen he is a ball hog, and also commentators even said it once. And doesent he come off the bench? So mabye thats why his shot attempts are less.
But you just said that he won't leave LA in your previous post. Then why would he test free agency? As I stated in a previous post, he can't get more money from any other team, the Lakers have won 3 of the last 4 Championships, & they're in contention for a 4th title. Why would he test free agency, if he was all about winning? It can't get any better than that.
Don't put words into my mouth, reread my post. He'll consider leaving if he gets a better chance to win elsewhere. The Lakers are going to look alot different next year, and he wants to make sure LA gives him the best chance of winning championships. He said this in the offseason.
A very interesting, very well thought out proposal. A lot of "If"s, and as such hard to comment on it with any kind of certainty, but this is a very intelligent approach, IMO. I also think that Gooden has got serious upside.
I didn't put words in your mouth. You just went back & edited your post. Here's what you originally said: Okay, now that that's cleared up, how are the Lakers going to look a lot different next year? Is Shaq planning on retiring? Payton & Malone might decide to go elsewhere, but didn't the Lakers win those 3 Championships with Kobe, Shaq, Fox, Fisher, & Grant/Horry (@ PF)? Well, Fox might not play again, but his replacements (George & Walton) look more than adequate. Horry's already gone, Grant is older than dirt & isn't even on the playoff roster. If Payton & Malone leave, surely the Lakers will be able to pick up a FA PF to fill the position of a role player. That doesn't look like a lot of difference to me. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. I think Kobe is testing free agency because of his ego's desire to show the world that he can carry a team & doesn't need Shaq to help him with it. You, on the other hand, believe that Kobe is not going to leave LA for any reason. However, if he should leave LA, it won't be to a team with a bunch of scrubs like Orlando, but instead, to a team with another star that wouldn't mind playing second fiddle to Kobe. You got any stars in mind that'd fit that criteria? How about Dallas? I hear their owner is trying to buy every star he can.
I didn't say he won't leave LA, I said he wouldn't leave LA to play in Orlando. Come on, read the entire sentence next time. The difference in the Lakers next year is Payton and Malone will likely be gone, and Phil Jackson has said that this will probably be his last season. Is that team better than another team plus Kobe? That's why he's going to test free agency. Melo in Denver and Amare/Marion in Phoenix immediately come to mind.
Oh yeah, forgot about the pick. Well then I guess it depends on Kobe's preferrences. Personally, I don't think he'd go to Orlando. Their team is in shambles, so is this organization, the management, everything. He wants to win on a team where he's the star, I agree, but he's not stupid - he knows what he can and can't do. I think that after your trade, Orlando would be able to compete for a #3 or #4, but there's no way they'd beat the West: Cato Howard/MoT Garritty/Deng? Kobe/Stevenson Lue/Gaines If Deng turns out to be a raw Grant Hill, then this would be a good idea. But is Kobe willing to bank on a rookie? Like I said, he wants to be The Man on HIS team, but he wants to win as well. Do you really think Kobe doesn't know from watching Iverson, T-Mac and Pierce that a SG alone can't win? He'll look for a team that can surround him with 4 efficient role players who will maximize his abilities, and with one sidekick who is a star, but not as good as Kobe himself. I'm thinking Memphis, Denver, Boston (they have 3 picks), Philly, and the Jazz (seriosly doubt he'd go to Utah though). Those teams can compensate the Lakers very well, and still have a cpable team once they're through with that. I think Orlando could easily fit into that description, but it's a riskier prospect banking on Luol Deng rather than Carmelo, Paul Pierce, Pau Gasol, or Andrei Kirilenko. Philly don't really have a star, but Dalembert, KT, Big Dog, and Eric Snow would be a great supporting cast for him, they would really fit well around him and it's his hometown.
