Let's See What We've Got

It’s time to stop protecting Andrew Bynum- let’s throw him into the fire and see what we’ve got. By now everyone knows that last season the Lakers’ belief in Bymun’s potential as a franchise center led them to pass up the opportunity to acquire Jason Kidd, drawing the ire of Kobe Bryant and contributing, at least in part, to his desire to leave the Lakers. The Lakers’ front office made an executive decision and now the team has to live with it- but let’s start living with it already! Bynum is entering his third year, he’s visibly bigger and stronger than last year, he showed some flashes of his potential last season and had a very impressive preseason this year (He wasn’t terrible in his 19 minutes on Tuesday night either- just 4 points, but 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and NO turnovers). What more are we waiting for? Name Andrew Bynum the starting center, start giving him some serious minutes and let’s see what the kid can do. Not that it was a conscious decision at the time, but dynamic duo of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss indirectly chose Andrew Bynum over Kobe Bryant last season. Time to start living with that decision.

Note: Apparently Bynum was late in arriving at the arena on Tuesday night, understandably leading Phil Jackson to bench him for a good portion of the game as punishment. However, let’s hope we’re not in for a season’s worth of 19-minute outings for Andrew Bynum.

Derek Fisher Looking Like the Lakers' MVP

For all the talk about his mental and emotional impact on the Lakers, Derek Fisher’s on-court contribution could be even bigger in 2007-08. Entering the season, Fisher’s return to the Lakers was supposed to be as much as a mentor to the team’s young players and stabilizing influence in the locker room as a full-time point guard, but after his 17-point, 4-steal, 1 turnover performance on Tuesday night, it looks like his acquisition could pay its biggest dividends in the form of his on-court production. With Jordan Farmar not quite ready to take over the full compliment of responsibilities that go with the position and 2007 first-round selection Javaris Crittenton still in need of quite a bit of seasoning before he can become a regular contributor, the Lakers may look to Derek Fisher to play 35+ minutes a night and score 12-15 points per game.

What Does Kobe Know That We Don't?

Until the last 2 minutes of the Lakers' season opener against the Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant played like he had one foot out the door. To be clear, this is not to insinuate that Kobe “mailed it in” and didn’t give maximum effort on Tuesday night, rather that he seemed somehow detached from the rest of the Lakers, as they did not all share a common fate or common goals. It started in with Kobe getting booed by fans at Staples Center during introductions (on opening night??? Things are not right in LakerLand!), and lasted until the Lakers’ frantic fourth quarter comeback, when all seemed right again. In the interest of both the Lakers’ and their fans, the Kobe situation needs to be figured, and soon. While the Lakers’ most business savvy move would not be to trade Kobe right now, after just one game it’s obvious that the relationship between Kobe and Lakers has deteriorated to the point where the team may not have much choice.

As If There Wasn't Enough To Think About In LakerLand

This just in:

http://www.tmz.com/2007/10/31/laker-lamar-odom-crashes-injures-woman/

The thoughts and prayers of everyone in LakerLand go out to the woman who was injured in the accident. Wishing her a speedy recovery!

The Season Opener

Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers still had Kobe Bryant, but not lamar Odom, as they tipped off the 2007-08 season with a 95-93 loss at Staple Center against the Houston Rockets. After leading for much of the first half, the Lakers were outplayed in the third quarter, trailing by as man as 14 points. Trailing by 12 points with nine minutes remaining, the Lakers looked to be fading fast and on the verge of getting blown out in their home opener. Despite stemming the tide over the next 7:30, a bucket by Yao Ming with 1:36 remaining had the Lakers trailing by the same twelve point margin, 92-80.

At that point, thanks to some outstanding defense by the Lakers, along with some poor execution by the Rockets, the Lakers launched what was shaping up to be a miraculous comeback. After a 3-point play from Kobe Bryant made the score 92-83, Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar executed a beautiful trap on Tracy McGrady, with Farmar coming away with the ball and kicking it ahead to Kobe on the right wing. Kobe buried a 3-pointer to pull the Lakers to within 6 points with more than 1:25 remaining. The Rockets turned the ball over again on their trip down the court, as Derek Fisher stripped the ball from Yao Ming. Fisher got the ball ahead to Farmar, whose layup cut the Rockets’ lead to just four points. With 35 seconds remaining, Jordan Farmar fouled Houston’s Mike James, putting the career 80% free throw shooter on the line for two shots. Rather than ice the game, James missed both free throws to continue the Rockets’ implosion. The rebound went to Kobe Bryant, who made a driving layup at the other end, makingt he score 92-90. Following a time out, the Lakers capped off the rally by forcing Rafer Alston into yet another Houston turnover in the corner. After Derek Fisher’s steal with 22 seconds left, Kobe brought the ball up the court and found Fisher on the right wing for the game tying (if only his foot hadn’t been on the 3-point line, but behind it!) jump shot from Derek Fisher! 92-92!!!

Sadly, this is where the night peaked for the Lakers. With 13 seconds remaining, Tracy McGrady brought the ball up the floor for the Rockets and found Shane Battier a few feet behind the 3-point line on the right wing. With the clock winding down and a hand in his face, Battier put up a high, arcing 3-point attempt that found its mark- Rockets lead, 95-92 with 2.5 seconds left. After a timeout, Battier took an intentional foul on Kobe Bryant before he could attempt a game-tying 3-pointer (an effective, obvious but seldom-used strategy- seriously, why don’t more teams do this?) with 1.5 seconds remaining. After making his first free throw, Kobe intentionally (and beautifully) missed the second attempt, managed to get his own rebound, but had his shot blocked from behind by Rafer Alston as time expired.

The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant (surprise!), who scored 45 points, although he made just 13 of 32 field goal attempts and 18 of his career-high 27 free throw attempts. Kobe also added 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals to his stat line. Derek Fisher was also a huge contributor for the Lakers, scoring 17 points on 6-9 from the field and getting 4 steals. For the Rockets, other than the obvious hero Shane Battier, the team’s superstar duo of Tracy McGrady (30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and Yao Ming (25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots) was the driving force behind the victory.

This Date In Laker History

October 28, 1973- As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA journeyman big man and shot-blocking specialist Elmore Smith blocks 17 shots in a 111-98 home win against the Portland Trailblazers- an NBA single-game record which still stands today.

Smith led the league in blocked shots in 1974 and 1975. Smith's 4.85 blocks per game in 1973-74, the first season blocked shots were officially recorded in the NBA, is the third highest in league history.

In addition to the Lakers, Smith's NBA career, which lasted from 1971-1979, saw him play for the Buffalo Braves, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. As a rookie, Smith averaged 17.3 ppg and 15.2 rpg and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Team. A solid contributor, Smith averaged a double-double (13.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg) over the course of his career.

However, more significant than any of his on-court contributions to the Lakers, Smith was also part of the four-player package (Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Myers were the others) sent to the Milwauee Bucks after the 1974-75 season in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Hey, Who Are Those Guys With Kobe?

Enough about Kobe Bryant! Well… at least for today. With all talk about the Lakers this offseason focused on Kobe’s future, it’s easy to forget about all the other players on roster. While Kobe is obviously still the focal point of this team, the supporting cast’s ability to make plays will ultimately determine just how far this team goes.

So just how good are these guys? A breakdown of the non-Kobe Bryant Lakers roster:

In The Backcourt

• Jordan Farmar- Last season’s first-round pick had minimal impact as rookie (15 min/gm, 4.4 ppg, 1.9 apg), but Farmar is a solid floor leader who’s played extremely well in the preseason, averaging 9.5 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in just 19 minutes per game. Preseason stats, though generally worthless, can be useful in identifying the emergence of second and third-year players. If his preseason play is for real and Farmar can play at this level for 25 minutes a night, he’ll be a big part of this team.

• Derek Fisher- His veteran presence on and off the floor, championship experience, as well as his relationship with Kobe Bryant will prove invaluable to the Lakers. Toss in the fact that he still has some game (10 ppg, 3.3 apg in 2006-07), and Fisher could be one of team’s most valuable players in 2007-08.

• Sasha Vujacic- After three seasons with the team, Vujacic hasn’t managed to develop into anything more than an occasional contributor. What’s worse, it’s unclear exactly what type of player he is- he’s not a pure point guard or a pure shooting guard, and his all-around game isn’t not good enough for him to be a combo-guard. This is probably his last season with the Lakers.

• Javaris Crittenton- Crittenton, the #19 overall pick in the draft, didn’t exactly fill a need on the roster, but he’s an exceptional athlete that could grow into a star. He definitely needs more experience and improved consistency on his jump shot, but Crittenton has a chance to be a contributor for the Lakers as the season goes on.

• Coby Karl- Despite the similarity in their first names, if “Coby” gets anyhere close to as many minutes for the Lakers as “Kobe”, the season is a lost cause.

In The Frontcourt

• Lamar Odom- Odom is the Lakers’ #2 option on offense and an almost ideal basketball player. He’s tall, unselfish and incredibly skilled. At his best, Odom’s stat lines are similar to those that Magic Johnson would produce in his prime- unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have kept him from ever fulfilling his potential for more than a few games at time. Other than Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom is the Lakers’ most attractive trade target and is frequently mentioned in trade rumors. Ideally, the Lakers will be able to acquire a third quality player to team with him and Kobe, but the reality is that Odom may have to be dealt in order to bring another star to Los Angeles.

• Luke Walton- Walton is NBA rarity and a real asset to the Lakers- the quintessential intelligent role player signed to a reasonable long-term contract. There won’t be many (or any) games where he carries the team, but he can be counted on to play composed, mistake-free ball and chip in 12, 5 and 5 (points, rebounds and assists).

• Ronny Turiaf- One of the most energetic and likable players in the NBA, Ronny Turiaf is reminiscent of Kurt Rambis, only with more talent. As the Lakers’ only true power forward, Turiaf will be counted on to come off the bench and guard some of the West’s best big men and to hit the board (particularly the offensive glass).

• Brian Cook- There’s a lot to like about Cook. He’s a good outside shooter, capable of putting up 25 or 30 points on a given night, he normally plays within himself and he has a very reasonable contract. The biggest problem with Brian Cook is that he’s REALLY one-dimensional- not much versatility on offense and little-to-no defense or rebounding. With that said, his value as a spot-up shooter is justified by his cap-friendly contract.

• Maurice Evans- The most underrated member of the Lakers. Evans is an explosive athlete whose effort level is off the charts. He can make on both ends of the floor and, on any given, he blow up for 30 points on any given. Expect an outstanding season from him in this, his contract year. The Lakers will be smart to keep him.

• Vladimir Radmanovic- An off-season mistake from a year ago. Radmanovic is a serviceable offensive option, but his game is almost a mirror image of Brian Cook’s, at 160-170% of the salary. Radmanovic’s outside shooting range, which extends beyond the 3-point line, could make him an attractive target at the trade deadline for a contending team in need of outside shooting. That is, if the 3 years and more than $19 million left on his contract after this year doesn’t scare away potential suitors.

In The Middle

• Andrew Bynum- He may be most famous for his indirect role in almost trading for Jason Kidd and for being the object of Jim Buss’ man-crush, but the fact is that Andrew Bynum looks like he’s going to be a pretty good NBA big man. At only 19 years old (his birthday is tomorrow; Happy birthday, Andrew!), he’s just learning the NBA game and has already shown the ability to play effectively against NBA competition. At 11.8 ppg, he’s the Lakers’ #2 scorer in the preseason and by far the team’s top rebounder, averaging 8 per game. Who know how good Andrew Bynum is going to be, but at least it looks like he’s going to be pretty good!

• Kwame Brown- A big body in the paint who should chip in about 9 points and 6 rebounds a game- not bad of a #1 overall pick in his 7th year, huh? Actually, Kwame should be traded by the deadline, as his $9 million deal expires at season’s end. This cannot come soon enough. Hopefully he can produce 5-8 good games for the Lakers this season. How is this guy not better than he is?

• Chris Mihm- Although missed all of last season with an ankle injury and entering this season as the Lakers’ 3rd option at center, Chris Mihm is a more-then-serviceable center. In 2005-06, when he was healthy, he averaged more than 10 points, 6 rebounds and a blocked shot per game. He seems to be close to 100% now, averaging 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in less than 13 minutes per game in the preseason. Despite the talk of Chris Mihm be the odd man out at center, his contribution this season will likely exceed expectations.

The 2007-08 Lakers are a team that is shrouded in question marks. Will Kobe Bryant finish the season as a Laker? Can the front office make any moves to get him some help? (More on this here) Will any of the team’s young players elevate their game to new heights? If so, who?

This Laker team could win anywhere from 25 to 50 games this season (40-45 is a likely estimate), but one thing is clear: there is a collection of young talent here that, given the opportunity, could mature into a solid NBA team in the not-too-distant future.

Appeasing Kobe

With the NBA season about to tip off and Kobe Bryant still a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, it may be worthwhile to examine a new question facing the team’s front office- what can be done to appease Kobe and build a contender in Los Angeles?

Admittedly, I did log some time on ESPN.com’s NBA Trade Machine while developing this article, but my intension with this article is not to propose specific deals, but to identify the Lakers’ tradable assets, salary cap situation, areas of need and players from around the league that would fit in well in Los Angeles alongside Kobe (rather than in place of him).

First, the pertinent cap info (based on all contracts currently on the books). The 2007-08 Lakers’ payroll comes in just a shade over $70 million, which is about $15 million over the $55.5 million (about) cap for this season. With Kwame Brown and Maurice Evans contracts set to expire after this season, the team’s 2008-09 cap number drops to just over $51 million, at least $4 million under the cap. After next season, Lamar Odom’s huge cap number ($13.5M this year, $14.6M next year) falls off the books as well, dropping the team’s 2009-10 payroll to just under $38 million (61% of which is accounted for by Kobe Bryant’s salary). Based on these numbers, the Lakers are not capped out going forward, and even have some flexibility under the salary cap after next season.

Now that we know the salary cap is not working against the Lakers in their quest to return to contention in the Western Conference, let’s take a look at the team’s non-Kobe trade bait:

• Kwame Brown- This has nothing to do with actually playing the game of basketball. Kwame, who is quickly earning the title of “Worst #1 Overall Pick in NBA History” (seriously, Kent Benson and LaRue Martin even have better numbers!), has contract that pays him $9.075M this year (who agreed to pay Kwame Brown $9M?!?!?!), thus making him a valuable asset to a team looking for cap relief.

• Lamar Odom- Odom’s is a versatile and unselfish player whose talent has never been called into question. Unfortunately, consistently playing with passion is an area where Lamar could stand to improve quite a bit. Odom’s huge contract is more suited for a player who is his team’s #1 or #2 option. Sadly, Odom’s personality seems better suited to be a team’s third option. Ideally the Lakers will be able to add another star to the roster without having to move Odom, but his amazing talent and $14M+ contract (which expires after next season) will make him a pretty coveted player on the trade market.

• Andrew Bynum- Yeah… about that… Bynum is young, talented (but raw) and a bargain by NBA standards ($2.1M this year, $2.8M next). It’s hard to say whether we can actually consider Bynum among the Lakers’ tradable assets, considering Jim Buss’ infatuation with him led to the Lakers passing up an opportunity to acquire Jason Kidd for fear of giving up Bynum.

• Brian Cook- Though he’s pretty one-dimensional, dollar-for-dollar ($3.5M each of the next three years; the third is a player option) Cook has to be considered one of the NBA’s better outside-shooting big men. His shooting ability, along with his youth, could make him a contributor on a contending team.

• Vladimir Radmanovic- Another outside shooting big man. Radmanovic has a richer contract than Cook ($24M remaining over the next four years), but he is a more effective rebounder and a legitimate 3-point threat.

With a salary cap situation that is anything but bleak and a lineup of assets that could draw some serious interest from a variety of teams around the league, it is conceivable that the Lakers could address their single biggest need, a strong inside complement to Kobe Bryant, without having to mortgage the entire roster, opening the door for them to maybe crack the top half of the Western Conference. It should be noted that if they could address this need without having to part with Lamar Odom, they would have to be considered a legitimate contender to win the West.

Given the flexibility of the Lakers’ roster and their ability to participate in talks for a variety of very talented players, it is entirely possible that the Lakers could swing a deal that will settle Kobe’s concerns about the team’s future and return them to upper tiers of the NBA. (I realize that I just allowed for the possibility of Mitch Kupchak, the least inspiring man in the NBA, making a bold transaction that actually helps the team. Please, just let me dream!)

Looking up and down NBA rosters, there are plenty of talented frontcourt players that, for one reason or another, could be available on the trade market. So who’s out there?

• Josh Smith- Smith has developed into one of the league’s top shot blockers (2.9 bpg), a very effective rebounder (8.6 rpg; 2.3 off. rpg) and is an absolute terror in the open court. However, the Hawks don’t seem too eager to give him a contract extension (he’ll probably command $8-10M/year), and may look to deal him this season.

• Andres Biedrins- Another young, emerging frontcourt player in search of a contract extension. Like the Hawks with Smith, the Golden State Warriors are taking their time in deciding Biedrins’ future with the team. With Baron Davis and Mickael Pietrus in line to receive extensions before him, Biedrins solid offensive game, along with his shot-blocking (1.9 bpg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg, 3.1 off. rpg) could very likely be available.

• Jermaine O’Neal- The obvious one. He and Kobe have been lobbying for the opportunity to link up in L.A. for months. J.O.’s game has not slipped too far from the level it was at when he was considered an MVP candidate. Although he is foul (3.4/game) and turnover prone (2.9/game), O’Neal is still threat on offense (19.4 ppg, 77% FT), on the boards (9.6 rpg, 2.2 off. rpg), and a beast in the lane on defense (2.6 bpg). Once the Pacers’ denial about being in a rebuilding phase wears off, O’Neal will be available via a trade.

• Shawn Marion- Marion is the least likely member of this group to wind up on the Lakers, but it should be noted that when he made his trade request, he mentioned his desire to play with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. As intriguing as that pairing would be in L.A., it is not likely that the Suns would willingly loosen the stranglehold they’ve got on the Pacific Division, especially by helping the Lakers.

• Brad Miller- May be just the kind of big man the Lakers need- solid on the boards, 20-foot range on his jump shot, and an outstanding passer from the high post. With a youth movement/rebuilding era about to begin in Sacramento, the Kings may actively shop Miller (and the 3 years, $34M remaining on his contract) around the league.

• Ron Artest- When he’s right in the head, Artest is one of the NBA’s best, and an ideal fit in Los Angeles. With the Kings looking to get younger and end this era in the team’s history, Artest is unlikely to end the season in Sacramento. He would provide the Lakers with the inside scoring and defensive toughness that could take the team to the next level. Ok, I can’t resist! I have to suggest one deal! How about a Kwame Brown for Ron Artest swap? It’s a win-win proposition- the Lakers get to add a third quality player to their roster without sacrificing any on-court production, and the Kings get to jumpstart their rebuilding phase by dealing away the volatile Artest in exchange for a good-sized, expiring contract.

Could any of these players be moved in an effort to settle Kobe Bryant’s concerns about the Lakers’ commitment to winning? Absolutely! Will any of these players wind up suiting up for the Lakers in the near future? Possibly. But the one most important fact to take away from this is the fact that the Lakers are NOT capped out and do have the ability to bring in other quality players in an attempt to contend once again.

Seriously- Could Kobe Bryant Be Traded?

After taking a look at the events that led to Kobe Bryant demanding to be traded away from the Lakers, it’s important to examine another equally important question- would the Lakers actually trade Kobe Bryant? And if they did, what the best they could afford to get in exchange?

Given Kobe’s trade request and Jerry Buss’ willingness to listen to offers for his superstar, it’s easy to hastily assume that the Lakers (and Jerry Buss) will accommodate Kobe’s request for a trade. Not to go all Lee Corso on you but, NOT SO FAST, MY FRIEND! It’s important to keep in mind that Kobe is not the first Lakers’ superstar to request a trade! Early in the 1982 season, at odds with Paul Westhead’s coaching style as well as fellow point guard Norm Nixon, Magic Johnson requested a trade away from the organization (yeah, that’s the same Magic Johnson who played his entire career with the Lakers and has since become the face of the organization) . How did that play out? Well… inside of a week, Paul Westhead was fired and replaced by Pat Riley. Less than two years later, Norm Nixon was traded to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for rookie shooting guard Byron Scott.

While Kobe’s issues with the organization differ slightly from Magic’s complaints in the early 1980s, their overall theme was the same- I want to win and I’ll do whatever it takes, but things need to change. Also worth noting is that Kobe may be even more vital to the organization now than Magic Johnson was back then. At least Magic had the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (at the tail-end of his prime), Jamaal Wilkes, Michael Cooper and Bob McAdoo, not to mention the yet-to-be-traded Norm Nixon. Minus Kobe, these Lakers don’t have nearly the talent of the team from 25 years ago. Kobe Bryant is the only thing keeping the modern-day Lakers relevant, both commercially as well as competitively. It’s easily to only think of the impact Kobe has on the Lakers’ win-loss column, but the impact of his jersey sales, television revenue and ticket sales on the team’s bank account is every bit as important. Plus, unless he’s willing to sit out a significant number of games in order to force a trade (PR suicide that avid poker-player and business savvy owner Jerry Buss will gladly allow Kobe to commit), the universally feared opt-out in Bryant’s contract cannot be exercised until July 2009- that’s a lot of time for things to change.

Who knows? Maybe the Lakers’ young players will mature into a top-flight supporting cast. Maybe the Lakers will succeed in bringing in another star to line up alongside Kobe. Maybe the Lakers will decide that this era is over and invite Kobe to opt-out and blow town. Who knows? With Kobe Bryant’s public trade demand hurting his value on this open market and the Lakers not yet forced to make a move, and Kobe out of ways to force the organization’s hand, the one certainty is that patience will be the order of the day.

Should the Lakers do the unexpected and trade Kobe Bryant, where would he go and what could they reasonably expect to receive in exchange? Not nearly enough. As Kobe’s contract contained the NBA’s only full no-trade clause, allowing him to dictate where he will and will not play, the primary potential trade partners for the Lakers are the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns.

The most common rumored destination for Kobe Bryant (and his top choice) is Chicago, in exchange for a combination of Ben Gordon/Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, P.J. Brown (cap relief) and a draft pick. Although the players mentioned in this trade rumor have plenty of talent and potential, there is NO justifiable reason for the Lakers to accept such an offer. Why give up a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in his prime to acquire half (give or take) of the core of a team that can’t even get over the hump in the J.V. Conference? If the Bulls haven’t managed to win the Eastern Conference yet, what would give anyone the impression that three of their good (not great) players, combined with Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum, could contend in the West?

Assuming the lakers can resist the allure of becoming the Bulls of the Western Conference (only less competitive), that leaves Dallas and Phoenix as the only other possible destinations for Kobe. With Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban stating that he would not trade Dirk Nowitzki to acquire Kobe Bryant, Dallas does not have the combination of talent or star power to make a compelling offer to the Lakers for Kobe. This leaves the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers’ Pacific Division rivals and an extremely unattractive option from the Lakers’ perspective, but the team capable of putting together the best package of Kobe’s three choices. Although the idea of trading Kobe is something of a worst-cast scenario, a package of either Amare Stoudemire or Shawn Marion (far more likely), along with Leandro Barbosa and Marcus Banks is one that would have to be considered.

With all of that said, the fact remains that the Lakers are unlikely to deal Kobe Bryant this season because a) it is nearly impossible to get full value in return for him and b) they don’t have to trade him. At this point the upper hand belongs to the Lakers. The team has two years to survey the market and assess as many offers as possible, and all the while Kobe, who is FAR to smart to sit out a season in an attempt to force a trade, will have to be in full “audition mode” for the rest of league for the next two seasons, meaning the Lakers will be getting his very best effort on the court (not that he doesn’t give his best on regular basis anyway). Frankly, the smart play on the part of the Lakers will be to force Kobe Bryant to play this season and at least the first half of the 2008-09 season with the team before making a decision. If at that point Kobe Bryant is still the NBA’s greatest player, there will undoubtedly be great demand for his services. If he begins to show signs of slowing down, the Lakers will still hold the advantage, because the team can then dare any other NBA team to give a 31 year-old, not-as-dominant-as-he-once-was Kobe a $110+ million contract (which he will demand) if he chooses to opt-out of his contract- or he will elect to serve out the last two years of his contract (2009-10 & 2010-11) and earn nearly $48 million.

To answer the original question- could Kobe Bryant be traded? Sure, he could. But he probably won’t. Kobe does not have nearly as much leverage as he believes he does and you can bet that a savvy businessman like Jerry Buss knows this. The Lakers best move is to force Kobe to play for them in his “contract year” which could last the next two seasons.

How The Lakers Got Here

Will Kobe Bryant be traded?

There’s no doubt that until the issue of Kobe’s future with the Lakers is resolved, this will be the biggest question surrounding the 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers. In looking to assign responsibility for the breakdown in the relationship between the league’s best player and his front office, it’s easy to be simplistic and resort to using absolutes to point the finger at the various players in this bizarre game. But it’s not a black-and-white issue. For more than three years trouble has been brewing, with several members of the Lakers’ organization adding to an increasing frustrating situation, culminating (for now) in one of the greatest players in franchise history demanding to be traded away from the only that he’s ever played for. So is the foundation of the dispute in Lakerland personal or professional? Actually, it’s both.

Not only has the front office failed to produce a championship contender in the post-Shaq, a series of personal agendas and conflicts have created an air of distrust throughout the Laker organization. What happened? How did we get here? Well…

The trouble with the Lakers can be traced back to June 2005. Fresh off an embarrassing NBA Finals loss against the underdog Detroit Pistons, the Lakers, whose “4 Hall of Famers” lineup (Kobe, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton) fell three wins short of its ultimate goal, were entering a period of transition. In the days following the end of the season, with Phil Jackson on his way out of town, the relationship between Shaq and Kobe now beyond repair and the local media screaming for change, general manger Mitch Kupchak and the new Lakers front office kicked off their legacy of personnel mismanagement.

In late June 2004, it became obvious that the organization would have to make a difficult decision. Shaquille O’Neal’s desire for a huge-money contract extension, combined with Phil Jackson’s exit, the advancing age of the rest of the Lakers’ core and the inability of Shaq and Kobe to coexist any longer led Mitch Kupchak to acknowledge that trading Shaq was indeed a possibility- thus alienating the team’s star center and surrendered any leverage the Lakers may have had in trying to deal him. Then, on July 14, 2004, the Lakers traded Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat for a package of two talented young forwards (Lamar Odom and Caron Butler), power forward Brian Grant and a future first round draft pick. Obviously it would have been very difficult (impossible?) to receive equal value for Shaq, but Kupchak’s inability to add a legitimate star to the roster in the deal was an early signal of the tough times that were to come.

The following day, after briefly (and publicly) flirting with the idea of leaving the Lakers as a free agent, Kobe Bryant signed a seven-year, $136 million contract, feeding the public perception that the team’s only reason for trading Shaquille O’Neal was to appease Kobe. This not entirely true. The fact is that while Kobe Bryant was probably not heartbroken to see Shaquille O’Neal shipped out of L.A., Jerry Buss’ desire to avoid a) paying the NBA’s luxury tax and b) paying Shaq about $30 million a year into his 30s were the primary drivers behind the deal.

The 2004-05 season was a difficult one that saw the Kobe-led Lakers struggle to a 34-48 finish and just the second trip in franchise history to the NBA Draft Lottery. On draft day, Mitch Kupchak and new wing man Jim Buss (a far cry from the days of Jerry West and Jerry Buss teaming up in the front office), son of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, selected Andrew Bynum, a 17 year-old center from St. Joseph’s High School in New Jersey with 10^th pick in NBA Draft. Though he’s blessed with NBA size and has shown flashes of potential, a teenage center is hardly an ideal addition to a team looking to quickly return to contention (as had been promised to Kobe Bryant prior to his re-signing). This is especially true considering the fact that more polished, experienced players like Sean May, Danny Granger and Hakim Warrick still on the board.

However, the 2004-05 season was not without its bright spots. The newly acquired Lamar Odom (15.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.7 apg) and Caron Butler (15.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 spg; and the only member of the 2004-05 Lakers that was NOT deathly afraid of Kobe Bryant) put together very strong all-round seasons. Despite the risky selection of Bynum in the draft, the combination of Bryant, Odom and Butler, signaled the possibility of a rapid return to contention for the Lakers- then disaster struck! While it could be argued that the Lakers had to trade Shaquille O’Neal, the decision to trade Caron Butler to the Washington Wizards for Michael Jordan’s ill-fated #1 overall selection, perpetual underachiever Kwame Brown (who received a 3-year, $24 million contract extension upon arrival) will never be justified. It’s not clear which of the Keystone Cops in the front office signed off on this deal, but this trade could prove to be more damaging to the Lakers than the Shaquille O’Neal trade.

Following the return of Phil Jackson, the Lakers have progressed, making consecutive appearances in playoffs, even pushing the heavily-favored Phoenix Suns to the brink of elimination in 2005-06. However, at no point during this period have they contended for either a conference, or NBA, championship. The issue of finding a consistent floor leader to play alongside Kobe Bryant was nearly resolved before the 2007 trade deadline when the Lakers had the opportunity to acquire Jason Kidd from the New Jersey Nets. Inexplicably, the Lakers passed on the opportunity to team the league’s top offensive weapon with its top playmaker because Jim Buss, the West Coast equivalent of Hank Steinbrenner, was unwilling to part to part with “his guy” Andrew Bynum in exchange for the opportunity to once again be relevant in the Western Conference. It was this episode, combined with the Lakers’ lackluster playoff showing against the Suns and the realization that his front office was willing to risk the remaining years of his prime over personal agendas that led to Kobe Bryant’s trade request and.

So… that, in about a thousand words (I should have just used a picture!) is a breakdown of the managerial decisions that hampered the Lakers’ rebuilding effort of the past three years. While the petulance of Kobe Bryant and the arrogance of Jerry Buss to humor him in his game of chicken have not done much to help the situation in Lakerland, it’s the inability of the Lakers’ front office to devise a coherent plan for building a contending team around Kobe that has landed one of the NBA’s great franchises is disarray.

Tomorrow- could Kobe Bryant actually be traded? If so, what will the market bear?

Welcome to the LakerLand!

Welcome to the LakerLand! As we look ahead to the upcoming NBA regular season, there is little doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most successful and iconic organizations in NBA history, will likely be an ongoing source of drama- both on and off the floor. Obviously, Kobe Bryant’s future with the Lakers (or not) is the most significant storyline surrounding this team, and this matter will definitely receive its fair share of attention. However, rather than devoting every article to recycling the same old sound bites and unsubstantiated rumors, I will also be focused on providing some insight to the Lakers’ on-court performance, as this is still an intriguing young team, with the planet’s best player, capable of beating any team on any given night (sadly, they are more than capable of losing to any team on any given night as well!).

With all of the uncertainty in Lakerland, below are a few of the most important questions surrounding this team heading into the new season. Every day this week, I will examine one of these issues and attempt to understand what lies ahead for the Los Angeles Lakers:

• How did we get here? What exactly took place that led to the deterioration in Kobe Bryant’s relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers?

• Would the Lakers actually trade Kobe Bryant? If so, what could they expect in return?

• What moves, if any, could the Lakers’ front office make to improve this team and appease Kobe Bryant?

• Other than Kobe Bryant, just how much actual talent is there on the 2007-08 Lakers’ roster?

• As currently assembled, what style of play best suits the 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers?

• Realistically, what can we expect from the Los Angeles Lakers in the upcoming season?

I am excited for the start of another season for the Los Angeles Lakers. As is always the case with this team, there will be plenty to talk about, and I’m proud to be bringing my takes on the Lakers to you. Tomorrow, I’ll be jumping into the Lakers’ beat with both feet with my comprehensive recap of the deterioration of the relationship between Kobe Bryant and the Lakers’ front office.