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.