Funny he pushed and pushed and got Shaq traded so he can have the team on his shoulders and now he wants changes again. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2007/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=LakersFuture When his season ended in the early hours of Thursday morning, Kobe Bryant squeezed off a couple more shots. At his own team. Wearing a white blazer and a look of exasperation, Bryant plopped down behind an NBA TV microphone and tersely spelled out what he hopes to see from his Los Angeles Lakers bosses between now and October. "Do something," Bryant told reporters in Phoenix, "and do it now." Something significant on the trade front, in other words, with the Lakers lacking the salary-cap flexibility to chase a marquee free agent like Chauncey Billups. "Especially for me, it's beyond frustration, three years and still being at ground zero," Bryant continued. "So this summer's a big summer." It'll be a biggie whether you're sympathetic to Bryant's plight or not, because few teams in the league are likely to be as active this offseason as the Lakers. After they exited the playoffs in five games this time, only occasionally troubling a Phoenix team it took to seven games in the 2006 playoffs, NBA front-office sources say L.A. is expected to make every one of its players available -- except Bryant -- in an attempt to craft a mix that can return the franchise to the Western Conference elite for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal's departure in 2004. Here's your first look at what that means for a variety of Lakers:
Too bad he isn't getting anything this offseason. He traded a Cadillac Escalade for a Hyundai Santa Fe and now he wants his money back. Shaq was his only chance at winning and now he is done.
dude. the lakers dont have any good draft picks. The TWolves are waiting for a great deal for the KG. the Lakers dont have the right cards.
call me crazy but I think the lakers should have pulled the trigger on that jason kidd deal and unloaded Bynum. Im sorry but if Kuame freakin brown beats you out for playing time I dont care how much "potential" you have your garbage and have no heart.
Well, they're not exactly at ground zero. They got into the playoffs, which is pretty good for the couple seasons after trading away Shaq. Not that Kobe should be satisfied with another 1-and-done season. But, he seems to be asking a lot of a franchise he destroyed. Personally, I'd advise the Lakers to shop Kobe and see if they can get a new base to build on. I think they'll be stuck in mediocrity with him.
The only possible trade I see is Mike Bibby + Ron Artest for Odom + Bynum +1st round pick Sacramento unloads the headcase and gets decent guys in return and I bright young kid who can play center. Los Angeles gets a playmaker other than Kobe and take a risk with Artest if PJ can figure him out and keep him on a tight leash. Anyway if I were the Lakers I'd pull the trigger cause they are gonna have to take a risk at some point cause a KG or J Oneal is out of the question. They just do away with the triangle offense and go small ball like Golden State.
Man, the thought of Kobe and KG together scares me. It could be the Jordan and Pipen's bulls all over again.
We have seen it plenty of times where Superstars demand a trade. If KG wants to win now his best chance is Kobe or Lebron. He better start demanding after putting up with McHale's stupidity for so many years. We saw AI shipped for pennies so why not KG. And a few 1st rounders would really help catch that franchise up and rebuild after what happened a few years ago.
Aside from the fact that Kobe is once again asking a lot from a management that already shaped a whole team for him, there is another issue that I see her: Lakers as a whole (alone with their fans), have too much pride. I don't understand why they're so unwilling to part with Bynum. Yea, he's a young big man, but are you really going to wait 3 more years until he plays consistently above average? And hearing a few quotes from the Lakers, it seems like they're sure they're only one player away from being elite. Just wow. I'm not convinced adding a superstar at this point will get them past the first round. Not with the lineup they're throwing out there. They're trash. I don't even think the Suns played their best AT ALL in that first round series, and they still got embarrassed. I see a lot of complaints about the Lakers suffering through injuries. And they didn't even have it as bad as us. Too many excuses I believe.
For anyone criticizing Kobe... just remember how the final couple years of McGrady in Orlando was. I can understand the frustration for each of them.
McGrady didnt intentionally runoff his best teammate. Excuse me as I feel absolutely ZERO pity for Kobe Bryant.
Kobe has about a 0.0000001% chance of doing jack squat in the playoffs for the next 5 years if he stays in L.A. Can you say Western Conference? If he gets KG its like a T-Mac & Yao duo minus any decent teammates and the years together. I just can't see anything working out for him..they'd have no support with a big trade, their cap kills them.
Sorry but KG is worth more than just picks especially since hasn't demanded a trade. Teams like Phoenix could offer Marion + 4th pick (Hawks) and make the Lakers irrelvent. Even Chicago could package a better deal than L.A. No way KG goes for cheap picks. The guy has never quit on his team like many other player even T-Mac lost hope in Orlando and made his value drop by demanding a trade.
