The Lakers shouldn't trade Kobe Bryant.
When you trade away the best player in the world, you can't get equal value.
In addition, Kobe draws a bigger crowd than any NBA player, so from a business standpoint a trade doesn't make much sense.
Unfortunately, the Lakers have to trade Kobe Bryant.
Make no mistake—Kobe wants out, as his not-so-subtle press conferences have indicated.
If the Lakers want to get anything close to a fair deal, they need to complete a trade sooner rather than later. Sure, they can hold onto Kobe for two more years until his contract runs out—but do they really want to let the best scorer of his generation walk for nothing?
Of course not—and with Kevin Garnett poised to wrap up his career in New England, there don't seem to be any viable sidekicks with whom to team Bryant in LA.
So trade Kobe they must, and if the Lakers learned anything from the Timberwolves debacle, they'll trade him ASAP...to avoid ending up with a slew of unproven players in exchange for their superstar.
That said, I'm not convinced Kobe has played his last game in a Lakers' uniform.
Trades in the NBA take time, and Kobe is smart enough not to just sit on the bench until his demands are met. He'll play hard, play well—and do his best to end up on a team that doesn't suck.
Potential suitors include the Suns, the Knicks, and the Pistons. The problem with all of those teams is that they can't offer anyone to even remotely match Kobe's popularity and talent.
The Mavericks might make sense if there were really looking to move Dirk, but that seems highly unlikely. And then, of course, there are the Bulls.
Much as I want to buck the conventional wisdom of the last 36 hours, I must say that Chicago seems to be the best possible suitor for Bryant, given the team's slew of young talent and Bryant's desire to play there.
The Bulls should take any reasonable offer, up to and including a package that includes Ben Gordon and Luol Deng.
Listen, Deng is a nice player. Nice—and as of right now, nothing more.
At 21, Deng has tons of room for growth, but the Bulls have been growing for a decade. It's time to start winning.
There are those who say a Kobe-for-Deng-and-Gordon trade is unreasonable. I'd like to know what games they're watching.
Sure, Gordon can score (as can Tony Delk and Bobby Jackson), but when you factor in what he gives up on defense—both in terms of size and ability—he only accounts for 12 or so positive points.
Deng lovers are suffering from Swollen Value Syndrome, an ailment common among fans who haven't seen true contenders for seven-plus years. Many Bulls fans are actually reluctant to give up Deng because of what he might do down the road.
Yes. Luol Deng over Kobe Bryant.
This is like turning down the lead role in the new Marty Scorsese movie because the TV show your uncle Herb is putting together on his Mac might really take off.
Getting equal value would require Deng to turn into the best scorer of his generation, which no one believes will ever happen. There isn't even a guarantee that Deng will ever be a top-10 player in the NBA.
It just doesn't make sense to hold onto him.
If the Chicago brass believes this Bulls team can win a title this year, they should keep it together. But their lack of a go-to scorer and a reliable back-to-the-basket big man makes that highly unlikely.
None of this is to say that a trade is imminent. The money is complicated. Any deal not involving a third team almost certainly requires Deng and/or Gordon to agree to a sign-and-trade.
The only alternative would involve Ben Wallace heading to LA, which the Lakers wouldn't accept (unless it was Deng, Gordon, and Wallace).
Kobe on a Deng-and-Gordon-less team doesn't by any means pencil the Bulls into the Finals. However, it makes the team more exciting, brings in more money, and gives them a chance to really compete for a ring.
What more could Bulls fans ask for?
Listening to talk radio on the way to work this morning, I heard several Chicago fans arguing against Kobe coming to the Bulls. Their main point seemed to be that they've stuck with this team and watched it grow—and they want to see how far it can go.
I appreciate that sentiment, but part of the reason to grow a team is so you can have players to use in a blockbuster trade.
The Bulls may have a chance to acquire the best player of the post-Jordan era, with at least two years of outstanding basketball left in him.
Sorry, but that sounds a whole lot better than hanging on to Luol Deng, Potential All-Star.
Personally, I'd love to see Danny Ainge make a call to Dr. Buss and try to convince him that a Pierce-Rondo package is a good value.
'Cause you know, come the end of the NFL season, those Boston fans aren't going to be used to losing games.
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12 months ago
As a die-hard Bulls fan I'd love to make a deal that doesn't involve Deng but it has to happen. Gordon will never be a super-star in this league. While Deng will be a All-Star he will never put up the numbers that Kobe can. A lineup that consists of Kirk Hinrich, Kobe Bryant, Andres Nocioni, Joe Smith, and Ben Wallace is a Final calibar roster. They will still have a deep bench if they don't give up Noah or Thomas, hopefully it will just be two future draft picks. Paxon isn't known for making deals right away or any at all for that matter. But by the trading deadline this move will only happen if the Bulls are struggeling. If they are playing really well together and 1st-2nd best team in the East it will be highly unlikely that Paxon pulls the trigger. I hope he does though. Good article.
12 months ago
The Bulls have about a 0 chance of getting Kobe, but it was a nice try...lol...
Kobe is coming to Dallas where the real player are so the Mavs can go ahead and close the book on that chapter and win a title..
from 11 months ago
If Kobe comes to Dallas that means Dirk would have to leave Dallas for that to happen.
12 months ago
psht. uh how about there is no way in hell that Buss is that stupid to trade Kobe to a Western Conference opponent. and if you haven't heard there is no way that the Cuban will give up Dirk.
So a Jason Terry or Devin Harris/Josh Howard/others combo would be the deal. And if the Lakers accept that, they are seriously out of their minds. 0 chance at getting Kobe? I hope that you were joking around, otherwise you need to stop posting comments.
12 months ago
I don't think there is any way Kobe goes to Dallas. First of all, the obvious reason is that the Lakers don't want to face Kobe that many times a season. Secondly, the Lakers are not going to take a Josh Howard/Devin Harris combo for Kobe. There's no way. If this was two years from now and they were desperate, maybe. But they can't trade Kobe within the conference for non-household names. That said, I think I'd favor a Howard/Harris combo over a Gordon/Deng one, but when you factor in the Bulls giving draft picks and Noah or Ty Thomas and taking Kobe out of the West, the Lakers would have to make that deal. Also, I'm not sure the Lakers would take a Kobe/Dirk swap. Dirk is just a worse player in every way that matters, and LA won't consider him a superstar.
Aaron, I don't think the Bulls could hang onto both Thomas and Noah, but who knows. I definatly agree that Gordon won't be a superstar. His size just limits him so much at the 2-guard.
I also agree that it'd be real tough to make a February trade if the Bulls are doing well. The problem is that no matter how well they are doing, they will most likely still be lacking the ability to win a ring in today's NBA. I'm not a Bulls fan, but if I was, I'd almost want to hope the Bulls do poorly enough (like 4 or lower in the East) to justify the notion that their current roster has peaked and needs to shift.
12 months ago
Rey an of Chicago: Kobe going to the Windy City will be a good one for us Bulls fan, I agree to the fact that Kobe will add more scoring power and of course a scoring leader who can deliver on crutch time,which is very helpful to win games especially Boston already added KG and teams in the west are very high powered teams like Dallas,suns and Spurs. Our Bulls needs a change , because for me they still the Baby Bulls without winning a title. The Lakers will definitely be happy taking Gordon, Noah and Thomas. MEMO to Dr. Buss there is only one KObe BRyant ,you cannot get another one so accept the package of Gordon, Noah and Thomas ,and develop a young team just like what the Bulls did. to GM Paxson, it's time for a change we are tired of seeing this team exiting the second round of the playoffs. It's time for us to get a Jordanesque type to get us to the next level. and to Kobe , your the man,just have to prove your detractors that you can play Defense, go get your fourth ring in the United Center.
12 months ago
Regarding Rey's comments:
There is NO way the Lakers take Gordon, Thomas and Noah for Kobe. Gordon just isn't that valuable of a player.
Kobe, when he wants to be, is a fantastic defensive player. He paces himself at times, but he's very, very good.
12 months ago
Kobe Bryant is " the best player in the world"? Ok so if the scoring champ is now the best player in the world, where does that leave guys like Dirk, Nash, and amazingly talented yet unselfish players? Kobe is a great player, and he does happen to score alot, and yet after all the work he puts in for his team, he still doesnt get the MVP? You gotta look at it from that perspective, obviously scoring a heck of a lot of points, being whiny and wishy-washy over a trade deal, and refusing to show up for practice threee times in a row does not make "the greatest player in the world".
12 months ago
Ryan, The MVP means little though in terms of comparing players. It's just a vague award given for vague reasons.
Is Kobe the "best" player in the NBA right now? He's certainly the most talented in terms of all he can do on the court. He's always been egotistical and showoffish, and he's always been selfish---but not as much as his harshest critics have made him out to be. He also works his butt off in practice and in his conditioning, and holds his teammates to high standards.
The problem with Kobe is that the Laker's roster is very mismatched. Besides Luke Walton, they don't really have an intangibles guy in the triangle. Their other talented players are usually only talented in one-on-one situations (Like Lamar Odom on baseline clearouts, or Mo Evans), are soft (Odom again and Chris Mihm), are clumsy (Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum), are immature (Bynum and Vladimir Radmanovich), are marginally talented (Sasha Vujacic and Ronnie Turiaf), or are simply too young know all the intracacies of the game (Jordan Farmar, Andrew Bynum).
Kobe wants to win a championship right now and the ownership has basically traded away all of the valuable players from the early decade dynasty and they've surrounded Kobe with a youth movement.
Of course Kobe isn't going to go full speed ahead with playing for the future, and the roster isn't capable enough to go full speed ahead and capture a championship.
What's left is Kobe stuck trying to be a creator, which works some of the time, but if his teammates aren't making shots, the offense is ineffective. Plus all the energy spent creating leaves him too winded to play defense because he has to conserve energy.
The other option is that Kobe becomes a full blown scorer, which works some of the time. Of course, as his teammates become less and less involved, they become spectators to the game and become less and less effective in every role. And if an opponent is good enough to force Kobe into being a scorer, doubling him effectively, taking away easy passes, and hoping Kobe isn't making acrabatic shots, then once again, the Laker offense stagnates. And since Kobe is exerting so much energy scoring, he becomes too winded to play defense.
Kobe has Lamar Odom to score on baseline clearouts, and he has Walton and Mihm to move within the trianlge and find shots for themselves. That's all he has.
12 months ago
Ryan --
You are certainly allowed your opinion. However, I'd like to know who you think is a better player than Kobe. Being unselfish doesn't make you a good player. Steve Nash is a great player, and a great leader, but he obviously can't score close to the way Kobe does, and is surrounded by an immensely better supporting cast than Kobe is. He's not an elite defender, and he hasn't been to the Finals. Kobe is the best basketball player in the world. I didn't say he was the MVP. If you needed to play a game of 1-on-1, or were starting a team to win a game tomorrow, or whatever, Kobe is where you start. Nash makes players around him better, but sometimes that just means making a bad player passable. I can't find any legitimate reason to say that Nash is better than Kobe, much less the best basketball player.
Dirk is not an elite player. He's an awful defender, a sub-par passer, and is rarely dominant night in and night out. He's very, very good, but when I say elite, I mean Kobe, Lebron, Duncan...and not really anyone else.
Kobe is the best player for a lot of reasons, and yes, scoring is one of them. Being whiny (which Kobe isn't nearly as much as people want to believe he is), wishy-washy and not showing up for practive does nothing to take away Kobe's talent. He's arguably the best pure scorer ever, can get any shot he wants whenever he wants it, and is the most individually dominant player in the NBA today. He's the most talented player, and more importantly, gets the most out of his talent.
Again, please let us know who you think is better, and why.
12 months ago
What Erick said is right on as well. Kobe has nothing around him, and even the decent players that he does have don't suit his style of play.
12 months ago
I'd take Duncan over Kobe. Duncan is much more complete and does so much more to create shots for his teammates while being virtually unstoppable in his own right. Duncan never takes plays off on either end, lets his coaches coach and keeps him teammates happy, and he makes impossibly clutch plays time in and time out. He's egoless off the court and practices at the same level he plays which keeps his teammates sharp. The only real flaw in Duncan's game has been his free throw shooting. Duncan is hands down the best player in the game.
12 months ago
I'd love to see Kobe Bryant in a Celtics uniform, even though I've been a Laker fans since the day I started following the NBA. The only problem with this is the fact that Ray Allene and Kobe are not on good terms. Ray hates Kobe, and Kobe hates Ray.
12 months ago
I say that is a good deal that Kobe go to the Bulls or the Maverics ,wharever if Kobe go to the Maaverics or the Bulls he go to the finals and win a tittle.
11 months ago
stay in LA Kobe. Don't bring your problems to another team. Better yet RETIRE!!
11 months ago
Josiah,
I'm from Chicago.
No thanks on Kobe. Paxson is as dependable and predictable a general manager as he was a point guard. Nothing spectacular, just get better every year.
No, Paxson won't destroy the team he is building for Kobe. Anyone out west who thinks he would is jumping the gun. If the Chicago Bulls do badly this year, and they won't, Paxson will consider Kobe.
But if Paxson didn't jump at the chance to get Kevin Garnett, why should he jump at the chance to get Kobe?
Kobe's great, no doubt about it. But Paxson and Skiles are building an "A" team here with very good "B" players. It's a new model of team building in the NBA.
Chicago Bulls go to the Eastern Finals this year, NBA finals for the year 2009.
Sine Nomine from Chicago
11 months ago
Hey Sine Nomine:
Glad to hear from a Chicagoian, I am in the technical sense, though I'm not from here and have little affection for the local teams (although I don't harbor ill will toward any either.
I don't totally disagree with you; as I originally wrote, if the Bulls think they can win a ring with this team as is, then have at it.
Assuming the Bulls don't trade for Kobe, the team they have wil indeed do well this year, and win about 50 games, and probably a playoff series or two. I (obviously) just don't see them getting better than that. The Paxson comparasin is a good one: Yes, he got better every year, but at some point he peaked. If he had the talent of someone like Tim Thomas, he'd be a legend. But he was limited. I see this incarnation of the Bulls as indeed getting better every year, but again, without a true star to rely on, may have (or will this year) peaked. Deng's the only game-changer on the roster, and he's barely an All-Star right now. You defined Paxson as "Nothing spectacular, just get better every year." That's what I think the Bulls are.
"But if Paxson didn't jump at the chance to get Kevin Garnett, why should he jump at the chance to get Kobe?"
I think Paxson regrets every day NOT trading for KG. He could have had him for PJ Brown, Gordon and a pick. This trade is a little less obvious.
"But Paxson and Skiles are building an "A" team here with very good "B" players. It's a new model of team building in the NBA."
Hey, I respect that opinion. You may be totally right and laughing at us in '09. And the Pistons are a good example of this new brand of team building you speak of actually winning a title (although the enormous difference being the level of experience on those teams).
11 months ago
im da true kobe fan from chicago. as much as i hate to admit it if kobe really wants to win another ring he will demand a trade to dallas. dallas have the players bulls have the history. jterry is a much better player than dharris, if the lakers really wants much for kobe they will take jterry, jhoward, and maybe a draft pick thats about the best on the table so far unless the bulls an top that adding ben gordon, luol deng and captain kirk but that deal will make koe umcomfortable.
11 months ago
The LA Lakers is better off saling Kobe Bryant to the CH Bulls instead of trading him to the CH Bulls. Giving up 4 great players for the 2nd greatest NBA player of all time is kind of a risky chance of going to the playoffs and keeping the percentage above .500 because basketball is a team sport and you need great players to win games not one super great player to win games. I would love for Kobe Bryant come to Chicago without loosing Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. But that's not a fare trade what the Lakers have to offer 1 player for 4 players. And I know Kobe Bryant is defaintly not going to Dallas Mavericks because they are not going to give up Dirk Nowitzkey(what ever his last name is) for Kobe Bryant. If I was the Chicago Bulls GM I'll wait for his contract expires, wait until the Los Angeles Lakers release him or wait until he's on the free agent list to snag Kobe Bryant like they did with Ben Wallace when he used to play for the Detroit Pistons.
10 months ago
no body plays more well than Kobe Bryant, he actually is the best player in the NBA and there is no doubt and no questions about it, he is the best that's it. Gerald Joseph.
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