If this rumor is true, then Kupchak just beat Paxson to be the dumbest GM of the decade! http://www.spursreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12387
If this rumor is true then Clips have to 'dump' some salary. Wilcox and Ely don't 'do it' for me. Brand anyone?
I wouldn't judge it so harshly.... Lakers, Clippers Await Bryant Decision link to story Kobe Bryant wasn't tipping his hand Tuesday night as the clock ticked down on the final hours of the NBA's two-week moratorium on trades and free agent signings. Eager to learn his choice but uncertain when that decision might come, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers awaited word from Bryant or one of his agents. Shortly after the moratorium ended at 12:01 a.m. EDT, a Lakers spokesman said he had no news to report. Both clubs made formal presentations to the free agent guard on Monday night. The end of the moratorium came just two hours after the league released the new salary cap of $43.87 million for the 2004-05 season an increase of just $30,000 from last season's figure. Bryant is eligible to receive a starting salary equal to 105 percent of his 2003-04 salary of $13.5 million, but the Clippers have only $11.65 million of cap room meaning they would have to trade at least one other player in the next few days to get far enough under the cap to offer Bryant a maximum deal. Several lesser free agents also were awaiting salary cap calculations to determine the amount of the average salary, which will be the starting salary in 2004-05 for any of them who receive the full midlevel exception from a team already over the salary cap. It came in at $4.9 million. While Bryant made everyone in Los Angeles wait, and while his agent, Rob Pelinka, again did not return several phone messages, the process of trading Shaquille O'Neal was being set in motion. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat were expected to complete a deal Wednesday sending O'Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick. A few free agents were expected to sign offer sheets after the moratorium expired at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, while others most notably Steve Nash going from Dallas to Phoenix would finally be allowed to sign the deals they agreed to during the first two weeks of this month. Among the top free agents whose plans were not yet known were Rasheed Wallace of the NBA champion Detroit Pistons, Erick Dampier of the Golden State Warriors, Karl Malone of the Los Angeles Lakers, Vlade Divac of Sacramento, Derek Fisher of the Lakers, Darius Miles of Portland and Kenyon Martin of New Jersey. Martin was weighing whether to sign an offer sheet with Atlanta or Denver after sign-and-trade discussions between the Nuggets and Nets broke down. Malone, puzzled by the breakup of the Lakers, was being courted by the Spurs. "Without a doubt I'm serious (about the Spurs)," Malone told the San Antonio Express-News. "I've had serious dialogue with them, and more than once. I've talked to Coach (Gregg) Popovich two or three times and (general manager) R.C. (Buford) one or two times. They call about every other day. I've had great dialogue with them." Malone, however, said he will not make a decision on next season until he knows whether he can perform at 100 percent of his capability. He recently underwent surgery on his left knee, which he sprained twice last season. The Utah Jazz were waiting to see whether Carlos Boozer would accept their six-year, $68 million offer sheet. The Cleveland Cavaliers believed they had an understanding with Boozer when they did not pick up the third-year option on his contract, but Boozer denied any agreement was in place and accepted $27 million more than Cleveland could pay him. "For (the Cavaliers) taking shots at my character is incredibly wrong, and I don't understand that," Boozer told The Plain Dealer for a story Tuesday. "I thought I had a great relationship with them. Maybe they're trying to save face or trying to make up stuff and kill my character. And if that's the road they want to take, that's OK." Among the free agents who reportedly agreed to deals during the moratorium were: _ Miami guard Rafer Alston going to Toronto for $28 million over five years. _ Seattle guard Brent Barry joining San Antonio for four years and $23 million. _ Boston center Mark Blount staying with the Celtics for $42 million over six years. _ San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen staying with the Spurs for $12 million over three years. _ Denver center Marcus Camby agreeing to return to the Nuggets. _ Golden State forward Brian Cardinal joining the Memphis Grizzlies for $38 million over six years. _ Dallas guard Marquis Daniels staying with the Mavericks for six years and $38 million. _ Denver center Michael Doleac joining Miami for four years and $12 million. _ Warriors center Adonal Foyle re-signing with Golden State for six years and $42 million. _ Manu Ginobili agreeing to stay in San Antonio for six years and $52 million. _ Troy Hudson opting to stay in Minnesota for five years and $31 million. _ Stephen Jackson of the Hawks set to go to the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal for Al Harrington. _ Antonio McDyess leaving Phoenix to join the Pistons for four years and $23 million. _ Pistons forward Mehmet Okur joining the Jazz for six years and $50 million. _ Clippers guard Quentin Richardson expected to receive a $48 million offer sheet from Phoenix. _ Milwaukee Bucks forward Brian Skinner rejoining one if his former teams, Philadelphia, for five years and $25 million. _ Washington center Etan Thomas joining the Bucks for $38 million for six years. _ Spurs swingman Hedo Turkoglu signing an offer sheet with the Orlando Magic for six years and $38 million.
They've just updated that article that IROC posted with some very interesting information. Now why, at this late a juncture, would the Clippers be working at a feverish pace in order to clear cap room to sign Kobe unless they believe they have more than a legitamite shot at signing him? No gm (not even Elgin Baylor) would dump players like that unless it's a calculated risk. Its entirely possible that the Clippers would do this just to keep the door open and that Bryant has yet to decide. However, to me, this suggests that Bryant may truly be leaning towards the Clipppers.
Crap, I started a dupe thread on this - should have read all the way down... Sorry Clutch! Anyway - despite these rumors, I find it hard to believe that Kobe would subject himself to lottery hell - the only other Clip players worth a damn are Brand & Maggete, and I don't see that as better than a lineup of: PG: Payton SG: Kobe SF/PF: Butler/Odom PF/C: Grant-Divac
I'd take the Clippers over the Lakers in a heartbeat. Kobe, Brand, Maggette is a formidable team. Don't forget their other bigs, either. Chris Kaman and Chris Wilcox are solid. And they have Marko Jaric at the point, and they just drafted the best high school point guard prospect Shaun Livingston (6'7"). I would take that team over the anemic Lakers any day. The Lakers are basically down to Kobe, Odom (who had a habit of getting high last time he played for an LA team) and Butler (probably on a par with Q Rich). Grant is old and rickety. Luke Walton is the great white hype. Deavan George is a big fat contract. Gary Payton is bolting (which may be better for the Lakers, actually). This squad doesn't even make the playoffs.
In fact, the only reason Kobe sticks with the Lakers (if he does) is because of greed. He wants that extra $30 million. Heck, I'd want that cushion, too, if I had to buy my wife a $4 million ring each time I cheated on her. It's got nothing to do with "loyalty" to Jerry Buss who allegedly thinks of him as a "son". Because Kobe is loyal only to Kobe (not even to his wife). But loyalty to himself may force Kobe to go to the Clippers. He wants to be a legend who resurrects the Clippers and becomes the Clippers. Even if he wins more championships, he'll have to share the Laker banner with other Laker greats like Magic and Kareem and West and Mikan, and god forbid, Shaq. He'll have the banner of the Clippers all to himself, though. Too bad he won't win any championships there.
Come to think of it, why would Kobe go to Lakers? Lakers are truely a sorry-ass team after trading Shaq. Odom is the best they got, plus Butler. The rest are all role players signed to complement Shaq, not Kobe. On the other hand, Clippers got Elton Brand, Magette, Kaman, Jaric, which is a very solid lineup. They are just young (so is Kobe) and need more experience to get better as a team. The contract difference between Lakers and Clippers are minumum, not including the extra year Lakers can offer. But Kobe is just 25. 6 years later he will be just 31, still at his prime. So there shouldn't be any problem for him to get a max contract 6 years later. Besides, he already got all the money in the world he ever needs, including cheating his wife once a year.
#1 cause they can pay him more money #2 cause he may not want real teamates that he would have to share the glory with. (then again playing 1 on 5 there may not be any glory)
The way I see it, either way, Kobe is going to be on a bad team next year. He's gonna have two other good players on his team and that's it. C'mon people, Chris Kaman, Wilcox, and Jaric??? That's the best argument u got for the Clips. They'rel garbage, the only thing they got going for them is their youth and the potential not to be garbage later on.
Actually, the best argument for the Clips is Brand/Maggette. They are better than any second and third options the Lakers would have. Two huge strikes against the Clips, though: Money and Sterling.
Maggette, Brand, Livingston is not a bad surrounding group at all. Kaman and Wilcox are lotto picks, and Jaric's a solid role player. Related to Jaric- Jim Gray mentioned today the Clippers may move one more player to clear room for Kobe. I'd speculate it could be him. The question for the Clippers will be, if they convince Kobe to sign, what will their depth chart look like? They can only sign minimum players to fill out their roster. Kaman/Josh Moore Brand/Wilcox Maggette Kobe/(Jaric?) Livingston/Chalmers They'll need AT LEAST 3 more players at the minimum to fill out their roster.
