Throwdowns > Closed

Ian Thomsen said 06/06, 02:27 PM
Where would he go? Though Kobe briefly demanded a trade last week, he surely understands the following laws of NBA nature: Only eight franchises have won championships over the past 27 years, and the Lakers -- with eight of those trophies in their case -- are the winningest of them; less than half of the teams are serious about trying to win in the future, which means he could easily wind up with an owner who cares more about using Kobe to sell tickets than to overtake San Antonio; and the Lakers remain one of those rare destinations capable of attracting stars, providing Bryant with the kind of hope he wouldn't realize in Denver or Salt Lake City. Most management teams would look at Bryant's $19.5 million salary in 2007-08 (to be further bloated by a 15 percent trade kicker) as an excuse to hold down costs elsewhere, but the Lakers have shown that they are willing to spend around Kobe in pursuit of a title. Here's the most practical reason for staying, though: Any rival team would have to gut its current roster in order to trade for Kobe, likely stranding him with less help and in a less desirable situation than he knows now. It's a good thing he changed his mind when he did.

Ian Thomsen said 06/07, 02:38 PM
A trade like that would leave Bryant in arguably worse shape, with no complementary All-Star and a front line of Thomas and Wallace that will heap more pressure on Bryant offensively. The real question is whether Bryant wants to leave; I don't think he does. When he demanded a trade for a few hours he was just putting his foot down and demanding action from the Lakers to win now. He got their attention and thus quickly recanted his demand, with the result that the front office is now seeking moves to supply Bryant with veteran help. My feeling is that they aren't necessarily far away from contention: They already have one of the best coaches in Phil Jackson, arguably the best player in Bryant and a playmaking star in Odom who can either complement the rest of the team or be packaged in a trade. It's going to require a few shrewd moves, but if the Lakers add three steady rotation players via the midlevel exception, a smart trade and a strong draft pick, they could quickly empower Bryant to become dangerous in the playoffs.

Ian Thomsen said 06/09, 10:22 AM
Bryant knows exactly who he's dealing with in L.A.: in the owner???s box, the front office and on the bench. Moving to another franchise needing to rebuild around him (after trading away key pieces to acquire him) would require him to spend valuable years building new relationships. Why pursue a new marriage when he's already with a rich team that aims to win championships and is willing to spend? That's hard to find today, and Bryant isn't taking it for granted -- which is why he reversed course on his trade demand. If the Lakers haven't made improvements over the next two years then Bryant may opt out and leave as a free agent, but right now I'm betting he's a Laker for life.