Chaplin
Better off silent
This is a good deal for the Lakers ONLY if it enables them to re-sign both Lamar and Ariza. If not, than it is simply a salary dump with a downgrade in talent (although the move really has no effect on wether the Lakers can win the championship or not, IMO). Even with that, Vlad had overstayed his welcome in LA, and the coaching staff was sick of dealing with him.
Don't get me wrong, Vlad can definetly play and is one of the better shooters in the league, but he is also reportably unprofessional and was a player that wasn't dependable on or off the court. Some would say that his trade could be considered 'addition by subtraction'.
I think that is really what everyone is saying here. Talent-wise, I don't see how anyone can think that this is a good trade for the Lakers. This does one thing, free up money. If that is their goal (which I believe it is), then they have succeeded. Both teams win in the trade--the Bobcats win on the court, the Lakers win off it.