Kobe demands trade

[azirish]

Schadenfreud...

Easy for you to say...

 

[The_Matrix]

Update... Kobe just came on the Dan Patrick show. New statements: 1. If Jerry West came to the Lakers it would certainly help the situation. 2. "I just hope, hope, something can be done so that I can stay with this organization and city that I love."

Looks like he realized he overreacted and is going to back away from his words on the Stephen A Smith show.

 

[Team G]

There's no way they will trade him to anyone in the Western Conference, if he is ever traded. I wouldn't want to face him more than twice a year if I'm the Lakers.

 

[mribnik]

Maybe if Kobe doesn't get his way, he'll retire from basketball and give baseball a shot.

 

[HooverDam]

Wow this Kobe drama has made my day! LA obviously won't be able to get value for him, which means they'll be weakened, so as a Suns fan I'm all for that. Plus I always love blockbuster trades/signings in sports because it shakes things up and makes it interesting.

I think the Lakers will do everything they can to move him to the East obviously, which I think is great news for the league. With Oden and Durant coming to the Northwest the west is going to be even more loaded, so hopefully with Kobe going East that conference will have more than 3 interesting teams.

I'd love to see Kobe in Atlanta, which I think he would do, since its a big market and would get a ton of attention still. This deal works:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/featur...eams=1~13~13~13

I could see Atlanta also including their #3 pick, but they'd probably want to only give up the #11.

Kobe and Joe Johnson could be fun/interesting together.

 

[RingtheBell]

The guy is bitching about not being a contender and you think he will wave his no trade for the ATL? Riiiight.

 

[HooverDam]

The guy is bitching about not being a contender and you think he will wave his no trade for the ATL? Riiiight.

He just said on the Dan Patrick show that he would play for Atlanta.

Also, having Kobe, Joe Johnson, and the #3 pick, that team is a contender, especially in the East.

 

[asudevil83]

The guy is bitching about not being a contender and you think he will wave his no trade for the ATL? Riiiight.

there are TWO things that make Kobe want out:

1.) telling Kobe that they are retooling around him. they then go out and play like they are REBUILDING.

2.) deflecting the blame of shaq leaving from management to Kobe.

those two things together are the last straw for him.

IMO though, Kobe is just using the leverage of the media to get the Lakers to retool NOW. bring in West, get rid of Odem and Bynum for something that will help them win NOW.

 

[Dback Jon]

He just said on the Dan Patrick show that he would play for Atlanta.

Also, having Kobe, Joe Johnson, and the #3 pick, that team is a contender, especially in the East.

And royally screw us again.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The best part about these trade rumors is how everyone gets all excited and overvalues our own players. Three certainties around this trade and how it effects the Suns.

1) Nash is not going anywhere. I agree with you cheese that it should be considered (and i would do it) but D'Antoni knows where his bread is buttered. Plus while us fans are dreaming of Amare and Kobe together the Suns FO would be dreaming of a Nash/Bryant backcourt

2) Marion will not be part of the equation as he would have to be the # 1 piece and Phil Jackson and Mitch Kupchack are not trading the best player on the planet for Shawn freaking Marion no matter what you include otherwise. The Lakers need to get back a big piece that can be explained.

3) Any deal that involves the Suns would include Amare. Plain and simple. The team is tired of his antics and feel he is not as commited to winning as much as he is to making a name for himself. Ironically thats the exact problem with Kobe. I don't pretend to be a proponent of trading Amare but i have come to the conclusion the Suns want to do it and any trade for the best player we might have ever had BETTER only be for a KG or Bryant.

IMO the teams with the best chances in order are

Houston - For TMac which brings back a star player in his prime and gives Kobe the other star he craves in Yao

Phoenix - If the Suns are serious about trading Amare then they better get back a stud

Chicago - I don't see anyone on that team that brings back name value but Gorden, Wallace, Deng is pretty enticing in basketball terms.

Being that Amare is a BYC player it would have to be a three team trade. This is actually good news though because it could net the Suns back a much needed back up big in the deal.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Wait a minute - I just had an idea of a three team trade that makes sense all the way around. I am not sure of the salary implications so someone get on that STAT

Three team trade

Suns get Kobe Bean Bryant

Celtics get Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, #24

Lakers get Telfair expiring contract and Paul Pierce and 2008 ATL pick

With Paul Pierce being from LA the Lakers get back the star player they covet with home town ties AND get better for the future with the ATL pick. Pierce would be much more willing to grow with Bynum and he would get out of what is an inevitable losing situation with the Celtics not getting a top pick.

The Celtics would get rid of Pierce get back a respectable player in Marion and a young stud in Barbosa. Plus they would get back an additional first rounder. With # 5 they draft Corey Brewer and have a back court rotation of West/Barbosa/Brewer and are respectable up front with Marion and Jefferson. Plus Marion gets to prove he is the man.

And the Suns get Bryant WHILE keeping Amare and Nash.

Any takers???

 

[HooverDam]

^You forgot that the Lakers aren't trading Kobe to anyone in their conference, much less their division.

Another team Kobe could go to is New York. They have a lot of big contracts, and Im sure Kobe would love to be in the NYC spotlight and seen as the franchise savior.

Kobe for Starbury straight up works, but obviously LA isn't going to do that deal (also this should tell you how overpaid Stephon is).

So does Kobe for Steve Francis, but again, not going to happen.

Jamal Crawford and Eddie Curry for Kobe Bryant works. I know NY likes Curry a lot, but I think for a guy like Kobe, you have to pull the trigger. NY would probably have to send its first rounder (which is only 23, so not like its too big of a deal) as well.

For LA that gives them a:

C Curry
PF Odom
SF Walton
SG Jamal Crawford
PG Farmar

That replaces Kobe's scoring, and gives them a legit inside force while Bynum develops.

NYs line up could be:

C Frye
PF David Lee
SF Q Richardson
SG K Bryant
PG S Marbury

Its soft up front, but they'd have plenty of scoring thats for sure.

 

[Nashfan]

This makes no sense. We already know from the Lakers experience that having only Kobe doesn't win a title. I thought that was the goal. Why become the Lakers part deux? You need to keep Nash, Amare or both to have a shot.

Agree with your take. We cannot give up Nash or Amare, no matter what!!

 

[HooverDam]

Also, this works:
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/featur...50~2016~2797~2768~1017&teams=1~22~22~13~13~13

In that scenario, Portland would be getting Atlantas #3 pick. Oden and Conley together forever! (Imagine this carved into a large tree somewhere near Portland).

I actually think thats good for all teams involved.

Atlanta gets to have Kobe and Joe Johnson, thats awesome.

Portland gets two insane picks, gets rid of their overloaded front court problem, and gets Oden and Conley together.

LA gets a quality big man in Randolph, makes Kobe go East, gets Jack and Marvin Williams who are nothing to sneeze at.

Other than the fact that Kobe and JJ together screws the Suns pick, I really like this trade for the NBA.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Mitch Kupchak doesn't leave LA alive if he trades Kobe for Pierce/Telfair or Crawford/Curry.

I'll tell you one thing: Eastern Conference GM's are noticing what putting one legit top 10 superstar in that conference and surrounding him with a marginal supporting cast by Cleveland being two games from the Finals. Whoever Kobe goes to in the East is a top 4 team guaranteed. Pair him with a Dwight Howard or Chris Bosh (BC has a hard-on for Kobe) and you might be talking guarantted ECF if not further.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Kobe interview a few minutes ago makes things a little confusing. For one thing he starts the interview sounding as if he has already made up his mind. Then by mid interview sounds like he would be willing to stay if Lakers management makes the needed moves. Then by the end of the interview he basically states I can't trust Mitch and only Jerry Bus.

So it is unclear if he is saying that he will only stay if moves are made or if moves are made and Mitch is gone too. I am not sure Kobe knows.

 

[Cheesebeef]

here's what I think happens this summer and beyond:

This Summer:

85% chance Kobe goes NOWHERE. He'll get people fired and that'll be enough for the Lakers brass to think they've calmed him enough.

15% Kobe's traded - very unlikely as people will burn Staples to the ground, unless someone ponies up a deal they just can't pass up.

that being said, the Lakers are just screwed for next year. They're "tradable pieces" were Odom (just ridiculously inconsistent, injury prone, huge contract AND just had surgery), Kwame (pretty much useless player, injury prone, ankle surgery revealed injury was worse than they thought and he makes 8 million per year), Bynum (who knows what people think about this under-achiever). That's about it - there ain't anything there the Lakers can trade to get that much better.

Now, sure they could go for a huge risk like Ron Artest (one of Kobe's best friends) but there's NO WAY IN HELL the Maloofs make a deal (which would get them NOTHING) to HELP THEY'RE BIGGEST NEMESIS. KG? Yeah, right. Jermaine O'Neal - i HIGHLY doubt it.

And here's the biggest thing - who's gonna trip over themselves to take Laker CRAP in order to HELP the Yankees of the NBA. I could understand if there was something teams wanted, but there isn't. Teams also will understand that if Kobe's this livid NOW, how livid will he be after another year of a first round ass-kicking or worse yet, not even a playoff appearance at all - a very real possibility with GS having a full year with their players, the Sonics adding Durant and Oden going to Portlant? Now combine this with the fact that Kobe will only be ONE year away from his opt-out and no team in their right mind is going to help that team out.

So, what I see happening is Kobe's anger is mollified somewhat by a FO shakeup, the Lakers are STILL unable to pull off a deal to help them and by next summer, Kobe's as good as gone with the opt-out right around the corner, an for 50 cents on the dollar.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The Kobe interview a few minutes ago makes things a little confusing. For one thing he starts the interview sounding as if he has already made up his mind. Then by mid interview sounds like he would be willing to stay if Lakers management makes the needed moves. Then by the end of the interview he basically states I can't trust Mitch and only Jerry Bus.

So it is unclear if he is saying that he will only stay if moves are made or if moves are made and Mitch is gone too. I am not sure Kobe knows.

he's talking out of both sides of his mouth - it's in the douchebag HOF handbook.

that being said, I'd love to pair that douchebag with Amare (not that that will ever happen).

 

[D-Dogg]

I am not sure Kobe knows.

I agree.

 

[D-Dogg]

If the Lakers really become convinced that they have to trade Bryant, do you think they'd be happy with Boozer and Deron Williams? The Jazz did pretty well while Boozer was out, so he might be seen as expendable. Add Bryant and they start looking like a real threat.

Honestly, I have no idea what the Lakers want. They didn't want Boozer the first time around.

I don't think they'd want him to be traded in the West though, especially to a contender...

 

[Cheesebeef]

on Outside The Lines, Greg Anthony said Kobe will rescind his trade demand if the Laker "insider" who said the guff about Kobe getting Shaq traded is fired.

what a petulant little sh&t. Kobe v. Mom and Dad, Kobe v. Shaq, Kobe v. Teamates, Kobe v. Karl Malone, Kobe v. Phil, and now Kobe v. Insider. Has there ever been a drama queen like Kobe in the NBA?

 

[D-Dogg]

tex would be interesting - in phil jacksons book there was a decent amount of ink describing the disdain he had for kobe

Oh, I don't recall that. I recall a ton of ink on how much he didn't care for Shaq. He even said he would expose him when he retired.

Kobe and Tex go at each other from time to time, but there is mutual respect there. Lazenby documents this.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Honestly, I have no idea what the Lakers want. They didn't want Boozer the first time around.

I don't think they'd want him to be traded in the West though, especially to a contender...

the Boozer stuff is NONSENSE - unless you really think that ridiculous pipe-dream of Chris Mihm for Boozer that was reported by the reputable towel waver Haley was EVER a reality.

Baron Davis I'll give you, and probably Ron Artest when he was in Indy, but why anyone thinks the Lakers ever had a shot at Boozer is beyond me.

 

[D-Dogg]

on Outside The Lines, Greg Anthony said Kobe will rescind his trade demand if the Laker "insider" who said the guff about Kobe getting Shaq traded is fired.

what a petulant little sh&t. Kobe v. Mom and Dad, Kobe v. Shaq, Kobe v. Teamates, Kobe v. Karl Malone, Kobe v. Phil, and now Kobe v. Insider. Has there ever been a drama queen like Kobe in the NBA?

I don't see anything wrong with that...if there is someone in the FO that is saying incorrect statements about you to the media, especially if that someone is your GM or GMinNameOnly, do you really want to be around it?

That front office is very fractured and is currently infighting like hell. Just name Jeannie president already so Shadow Phil can run the team.

 

[D-Dogg]

the Boozer stuff is NONSENSE - unless you really think that ridiculous pipe-dream of Chris Mihm for Boozer that was reported by the reputable towel waver Haley was EVER a reality.

Baron Davis I'll give you, and probably Ron Artest when he was in Indy, but why anyone thinks the Lakers ever had a shot at Boozer is beyond me.

No, but Kobe said he was told they didn't want Boozer because he couldn't guard 4's. (True) So if they didn't want him then, why would they want him now?