How Rumored Dwyane Wade-Kobe Bryant Pairing Could Work for Los Angeles Lakers
Admit it, NBA fans. The thought of a potential Dwyane Wade-Kobe Bryant pairing for the 2015-16 Los Angeles Lakers is, at the very least, intriguing.
Yes, both historically prolific scorers are in the final stretch of their careers, the point where both Father Time and the injury bug loom as constant threats to their current production. And yes, the two parties would only come together if Plan A options don't pan out.
In a perfect world, the Lakers, who only have $35 million committed to next season's payroll, would use their financial flexibility to acquire younger players who don't have Wade's injury history. And Wade, who holds a $16.1 million player option for 2015-16, wouldn't leave the only NBA home he's ever known.
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But free agency is rarely a period of best-case scenarios. For Wade, ominous clouds of uncertainty are already hanging over his potential journey to the open market.
In May, multiple sources told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that "there's a significant difference" in what Wade and the Heat feel he should be paid in the coming seasons. A Wade associate has been telling people that the scoring guard "would welcome" a new deal with an average annual salary of $20 million, per Jackson.
But Miami's initial offer to Wade was believed to be less than $10 million per year, as Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick tweeted.
With that canyon-sized split between them, the thought of a South Beach staple like Wade leaving Miami isn't nearly as outlandish as it may have originally sounded.
The Lakers should be keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
League sources told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that mutual interest exists between Wade and the Lakers:
Sources also told Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com that the Lakers "would have interest in speaking with [Wade]," though he is reportedly only one of several potential targets for L.A.
There are numerous obstacles to clear and avenues to explore before these two sides could come together. But assuming this Wade-Bryant relationship eventually comes together, how might it work?
From an on-court standpoint, both have the talent to fit well alongside one another.
"Wade can play 2-guard and Bryant shifts to 3," CBS Sports' Matt Moore wrote. "It's not great from a defensive standpoint given where they both are physically, but there would be nights where they'd turn back the clock and dominate games."
Production isn't a problem for Wade when he's able to suit up. Last season, he averaged 21.5 points on 47 percent shooting, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. To put those figures in context, only three players matched each of those marks in 2014-15: Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Blake Griffin.
Injuries have proved to be the only thing capable of stopping Wade, who has missed 48 games over the past two seasons. Injuries have been even more of an issue for Bryant, who made just 41 appearances the past two years while dealing with a torn Achilles, a fracture in his left knee and a torn rotator cuff.
Before the injuries hit, though, Bryant was still a dominant force inside the lines. In 2012-13, he tallied 27.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. Since the 2000-01 season, only five players have averaged at least 27 points, 6.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds over an entire season: Bryant, Wade, James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
If the Lakers could keep Wade and Bryant healthy—and that's an enormous if—they could have two No. 1 options to throw at opposing defenses in late-game situations. Wade had the third-highest fourth-quarter scoring average this past season (6.9 points), and Bryant ranked second in the category during the 2012-13 campaign (8.2).
Having a pair of proven, productive closers could work wonders for what could be an otherwise youthful Lakers team. Not to mention one looking to rebuild and field a much more competitive group than it has the past two seasons.
Young guys like Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and the Lakers' selection with the No. 2 pick in Thursday's draft—assuming they keep the selection—wouldn't feel the pressure to perform when the stakes are highest. More importantly, they could have the chance to build confidence when crunch-time shots come their way if defenses sell out on stopping Wade and Bryant.
Clarkson, in particular, has plenty to gain from this experience. Assuming Wade and Bryant hold the two wing spots, L.A.'s floor-general-in-training could ease himself into a playmaker's role. For their careers, Wade and Bryant have averaged a combined 10.7 assists per game. The 23-year-old Clarkson could pick his spots as a scorer with the veterans handling the bulk of the facilitating duties.
Injuries are obviously the major concern with Wade and Bryant, but floor spacing doesn't rank too far behind.
Wade rarely strays outside the three-point arc. When he does, the results are underwhelming at best (career 28.9 three-point percentage).
Bryant is much more willing to fire away from distance, but he's only a 33.4 percent shooter from long range in his career—and his single-season accuracy rate hasn't been that high since 2008-09. Last season, he launched 5.3 long-range shots per game but hit just 29.3 percent.
The graphic below shows the shooting zones both where Bryant and Wade have attempted their career shots and how they have fared in each area.
That's a lot of mid-range work and point-blank shots. If the Lakers can't put other three-point threats around these two, defenses will crowd the interior. That is because Clarkson shot just 31.4 percent from deep as a rookie, Randle wasn't a jump-shooter at Kentucky and Jahlil Okafor (if he ends up with the Lakers) isn't much of a threat outside the paint.
But it's possible the Lakers could still field a functional offense. NBA defenses are programmed to force players off the three-point line and outside of the paint. In other words, they're looking to run opponents directly into the areas where Wade and Bryant do some of their best work.
Living and dying off mid-range jumpers is a dangerous path in today's game and one that offers zero margin for error. But if a team is willing to take that risk, the Lakers might be the one to do it. They would not only have two mid-range maestros in Bryant and Wade, but they'd also have one of the few coaches who welcomes that shot in Byron Scott.
Inevitably, a conversation involving a potential new teammate of Bryant has to examine the psychological side of the pairing. As former Lakers center Dwight Howard can attest, the Black Mamba's hyper-competitive style isn't for everyone.
While it's impossible to get inside a player's mind, there are reasons to believe Bryant and Wade could make it work.
For one, Wade respects Bryant's body of work. At All-Star media day in 2013, Wade dubbed Bryant "the greatest player in our era," via Lakers Nation's Daniel Buerge.
More recently, Wade said he doesn't subscribe to the theory that Bryant's best days are definitely behind him.
"Kobe has found ways to be effective after so many years in the league. So never count him out in bouncing back next year and doing it all over again," Wade said in March, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Not to mention, these two have worked well together before. USA Basketball teammates for multiple years, including the gold medal-winning group at the 2008 Olympics, Wade and Bryant have history.
"We've been close friends for a long time," Bryant said in March 2012, via ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "Myself, Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and him. We've been really, really close."
The Lakers can't give Wade a great on-court situation. But they could scratch a lot of his other itches, as Bleacher Report's Fred Katz noted:
"The Lakers have room to offer the max on a short-term contract, allowing Wade to team up with Kobe Bryant in what would be a slightly more promising transition year before loads of cap space opens up during the summer of 2016. They're in or by Hollywood, where Wade's wife, actress Gabrielle Union, could bring it on.
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The aging effects are real, and the health histories for Wade and Bryant are frightening. But there is a ton of talent between them, along with genius-level hoops minds, mutual respect and two of the richest resumes in the business.
It probably wouldn't be the NBA's most successful pairing, but it could be a fascinating one. If the basketball gods bring Wade and Bryant together, fans would get to see two transcendent talents fighting against age, injury woes and seemingly insurmountable odds.
At the very least, that's a battle worth watching.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.
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