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This will happen. It's a good deal and Buss knows it--he is just trying to package his mistake he made two years ago--Kwame Brown.

Lakers should not give up both Odom and Bynum....O'Neal is not worth it. One of them and draft choice or K. Brown, but not both.

What would be hilarious if they actually made this deal...and Bryant left anyway...realizing they still havent gotten any better...Odom ten times the player O'Neal is when healthy...

And that is the key, WHEN Odom is healthy. You have to take a look at it from the Pacers point of view also. In trade talks, both sides "leak" to the media the deal they want to try and pressure the other team into giving in. I like Dean's idea in that the Pacers get one of them, and I would make sure that the one of them is Bynum (I think he is a lot more value then Odom does right now) and he is only 19. My only question is will the contracts work out in that situation?

Bynum has done absolutely NOTHING! Kobe Bryant can't wait for Bynum to grow up.....ship him out unless you think Oden needs to beat up on him! O'Neal is 10 times the player he is and will help take pressure of Kobe and he's only 28...like Kobe! The Lakers overvalue Bynum because of his potential and the last time i checked he wasn't averaging more than 4pts!

Murphy and O'Neal would be an ABSOLUTE steal for the lakers!

Here is the problem with Odom.......He's not CONSISTENT and DOESN'T demand a double team. Kobe needs a player who demands a double team like himself and ODOM is not that player.....he's a journeyman who's about to be on another journey!

Bottom LIne............Kobe want's to win yesterday! O'Neal and Murphy give him that chance.........now if they could just fix that Point Guard problem!

Last year, the Lakers lost to Phx in 7 when relatively healthy. This year, they lost in 5 when not so healthy. Though Bynum is young, it was the same team...that lost in the 1st round. Seeing as how Phx lost to Dallas and San Antonio in consecutive playoffs...and how LA can't beat any of these teams, why in the world would you keep what you have? The point is the Lakers are what they are as currently constructed...a lower-tiered seed that'll get bounced in the first round so we have to hear ridiculous notions about how much LeBron did with the Cavs (in the east mind you) and how little Kobe did with his 'teammates'(?) Make the move because coaches aren't silly enough to keep true studs off the floor. Kwame Brown is so bad that Bynum should have that job by now. I don't care how old he is or is not. True studs aren't kept off the floor especially behind Kwame Brown!!!

Better if the Lakers hold out until Indiana realizes that Odom is already
equal trade for O'Neal.

Yes the Lakers can throw in the draft pick and maybe some other player, but,... Bynum should be held for another trade for possibly Kidd.

It is a risk however,.. because if other teams snatch all the pieces we need before we get there,.., we could end up with nothing, which will end up with us losing Kobe.

The biggest concern for me is O'Neal's shoulder problems. If he is 100% healthy, I say the Lakers should make this deal. The Lakers should be pursuing able vets to compliment Kobe, not getting players two and three years away. You only get a player like Bryant about once a generation, you have to try to win as many rings as possible. If they get Jermaine's presence and scoring inside, adding another player that can shoot, so Kobe can kick it out after penetrating, now you would have the three-headed monster that Phil Jackson craves. They should also kick the tires about Ron Artest. This guy is a great defender and can add scoring, Artest, O'Neal and Bryant make the Lakers a top-four team in the tough western conference.

O'Neal is 10x the player Odom is... there is NBA life outside LA - hmmm I wonder the last time a Laker fan watched more than 2 Pacer games a year???

O'Neal would make the Lakers title contenders.

Odom would pave the way for the #1 pick in 2008.

I do not really like Troy Murphy I have seen him play with the Warriors and he is way over paid and hardly plays defense. Sure he can sure shoot the threes but the money you pay for that guy is not even worth it. The trade for Odom and Oneal is a fair trade. However, I like how Odom played defense and his rebounding as well. The only thing I hate about Odom is inconsistency. As for Oneal, he is injury prone and look at how many games he missed the last three years. Well, if Kobe wants Oneal then get Oneal. The value of Odom and Oneal is equally the same. As for Troy Murphy, Do not trade for him.... Murphy is a Salary Cap casualty and he only plays when he wants too and Zero defense from him.

I hope they do NOT make this trade. Larry Bird is laying his pimp hand down on Kupchak.

I don't really like the deal, because O'Neal is not consistent himself and has lots of injuries. But the main reason i don't like it, is because i think kg is the one player they need (but will never get, i like to hope however, silly!).
So just do the deal as long as the lakers don't have to take tinsley with his enormous contract which would destroy all the other options for la. odom and bynum for jo and murphy, is better than nothing.
the bigger problem ist to get a pg with good defensive skills and a steady shot. if they could keep walton the team would be fine. not really contenders, but if the chemistry works and they have a bit of luck, maybe they could get somewhere

I don't see why everyone thinks this will be such a drastic move for the Lakers. Jermaine is a good player... but will replace Odom with him make that much of an impact? Not really, they still need a point guard... and will have to do much more than add one player to become a contender in the West.

I actually like the deal...it seems pretty even for both sides. With that said I hope it doesnt happen because I am a Knicks fan (pray for me)...who is still holding on to that one small glimmer of hope that Kobe becomes a Knick. Now back to the deal....in my opinion Odom hasnt reached his potential, coming out of URI people saw him as a triple double threat everynight, averaging 20-plus points....which he has never done. When you factor in Bynum's potential and what he could be this deal is even...but the current day skills productivity of the players involved, I think O'Neal and Murphy are the better pair.

Now...if the Lakers make this deal and still somehow get J.Kidd then they will be a force to be reckoned with and my dreams of having Kobe become a Knick will perish!

So, if the Lakers are hamstrung by bad contracts and only able to make this major deal happen, seemingly, what do you want them to do? KG's not coming to LA; Chauncey and Bibby look like they're too expensive; what's offered doesn't fit with what the Blazers are looking to do in terms of Zach Randolph. On the other hand, the 7th seed and a 1st round knock out doesn't seem acceptible. What, exactly, do you want them to do? Clearly, David Stern has nothing to do with big market fixes. The Spurs are a dynasty, and Oden and Durant will be playing in the Pacific Northwest...you're not just gonna find some dummy.

iuespn13 ,...

O'Neal is NOT 10 times Odom or even 1x.

Check the Stats then come back and try again...
Not only do the numbers match closely but Odom can make shots from
anywhere on the court including 3's.

Lastly the personality aspect,.. that is obviously a problem that Indiana is trying to send way across the country to cure themselves of, while Odom would bring humility and patience to Indiana.

Stupid Lakers fans. All this talk about KG, Kidd, etc etc for some bums. Now they are giving up 2/3 of all of their tradeable assets for O'neal? He'll get dominated in the West.

Where's all the crazy talk now Laker fans? Exactly.

Odom's career numbers: 18.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.0 bpg. Can guard the 2, 3 or 4 position. Played in 510 of 574 (88.9%) possible games (not including playoffs). 2007-8 salary $13,524,000.

O'Neal's career numbers: 14.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.9 bpg. Can guard the 4. Played in 683 of 820 (83.3%) possible games (not including playoffs). 2007-8 salary $19,710,000.

Seems like a lot to give up to gain 0.9 blocks per game.

Guess what? It's not about how good a player is, but which skills he's got.
J.O'Neal is a much better fit with Kobe than Odom is; that's all the Lakers need to figure out. Besides, Jermaine actually defends and Odom doesn't.
The Lakers aren't pulling the trigger only because they want to use Bynum in a deal that would get them a PG. Period.