Lakers Trade Rumors: Kobe Bryant Can't Afford to Lose Andrew Bynum

Kobe Bryant absolutely cannot afford to lose Andrew Bynum if he hopes to have any future success with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Some trade rumors have been out there about a possible trade of Bynum to the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard, but Kobe Bryant can't afford to let that happen.

Bynum has become a huge part of this Lakers squad in the last few seasons and has improved his game the most this season. He’s averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds while shooting an impressive 57 percent from the field. Those are franchise center numbers.

Without Bynum, the Lakers would not be anywhere near as good. He combines the offensive skill of a guy like his teammate Pau Gasol with the strength and toughness that a team would want a defensive center to have.

He’s arguably the most well-rounded center in the game, and he’d be even better if he was on a team that gave him more shots.

That’s something that will happen as Kobe Bryant gets older and his skills decline. That’s why Bryant can’t afford to be without him—because Bynum is the only current Laker that could be good enough to be the No. 1 option when Bryant can’t be.

I Trust You, Man

After deferring a clutch shot to Bynum at the end of the Lakers’ game against the Boston on Sunday, Bryant made a point to tell the media that he was the one who called the play for Bynum to get that ball and that he trusted Bynum in that situation.

He also implied that he was impressed with how much Bynum had improved as a player, which is important considering how he has criticized the center in the past.

Bryant likes to take those clutch shots, and it is very meaningful that he deferred this one to Bynum. The only other guy on the team that he might trust that much is Derek Fisher, and even that is a maybe.

There needs to be at least one other guy on this team that Bryant trusts in those situations other than himself. If everyone knows the ball is going to Kobe, they will key in on him, and he’ll get easier to stop in those situations as he gets older.

Now opponents must worry about Bynum killing them in the clutch, too. It makes the Lakers more balanced and takes the pressure off Bryant.

Teams Win with Towers

It’s the truth. Teams that have solid big men win big in the NBA. It is a must for any team to have.

Bryant knows that all too well. His team went down the tubes after Shaquille O’Neal was traded to Miami in 2004, and it didn’t get back to championship level until it acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008.

Bryant needs a big man to balance him out if he’s going to win and win big. His career has shown that distinctly.

Andrew Bynum is the guy for that job moving forward. Bryant clearly trusts him, and Bynum is still improving. He has a chance to be the best player on the team in a few years.

Kobe needs a big man long-term to win. Gasol will probably be traded at some point, and Bynum is better anyway. Bryant needs big-man Bynum to win.

Youth

In this conversation, it cannot be stressed enough that Andrew Bynum is only 24 years old. More than likely, he has at least another eight seasons of really good production from his position. He will probably still be able to contribute even after that.

On a team like the Lakers that is closer to old than it is young, every bit of youth you can get helps. Bynum, considering his size, position and skills, is ridiculously valuable because of his youth. It’s his youth that pushes his value from great into one-of-a-kind.

As I’ve written before, Bryant needs youth around him so that the team doesn't fall by the wayside along with his aging skills. Bynum can be a big part of that.

By the time Bynum is 28, Bryant will be 37. Bynum can help Bryant continue to win even after Bryant gets too old to carry the workload alone.

We all know that Kobe Bryant wants championships. To continue to win those, he needs Andrew Bynum to continue to improve and play well on his team.

If Bynum is a Laker-for-life like Bryant, look out. They might not be done winning for awhile.