04:06 PM ET  06.27 | This is it, ladies and gentlemen. Mitch Kupchak has all but assured all Laker fans that this is the end of the Lakers, not only contending, but making the playoffs. He is failing to get a deal done to appease Kobe (and, yes, he does deserve some semblance of a team to play around him), and isn't going to be able to mend things as it is. He failed to get the deal done for Boozer a couple of years ago; failed to get the deal done for Kidd at the deadline; and is now failing to get a deal done involving Garnett (thus, further proving thier disgruntled star correct). He was also fleeced by the Wizards and gave up a great young talent in Caron Butler (who was also, reportedly, pretty good friends with Kobe) for a the biggest draft bust this side of Michael Olowokandi. How can he make this right? Jermaine O'Neal? Hardly. O'Neal goes west now, the Lakers will be giving up too much. Kupchak actually looked smart in not giving up Bynum and Odom for O'Neal, who isn't NEAR the player that Garnett is. The Garnett deal is the one that the Lakers wanted. The one the fans wanted. Hell, even Glen Taylor and Jerry Buss tried to get this done. Did you hear anything about Taylor and Suns owner Robert Sarver talking via the phone about taking care of Garnett beyond this season? No. This lays at the feet of Mitch Kupchak. And now, he is going to be the GM that shipped out Shaq and Kobe. The league's most dominant player and it's best player, three seasons apart. My only hope is that none of these trades go through, and Jerry West sees all of this and becomes angered by the distruction of his once proud franchise. I think I'll take my chances with the state lottery ticket that I bought today instead. I figure it only fitting, because the lottery is exactly where my favorite team is heading.