In Kobe’s mind, he’s already gone. He can see the Lakers’ logo in his rear-view mirror. He gave the organization a rousing “Ta ta!” a long time ago. There’s a new day on the horizon, with new teammates and a new coach, as well as sales of his new jersey.
He wants the post office to forward his mail. He’ll retain the services of some good moving men. He’ll notify the cable TV people, the bottled water guy and the landscapers. He’ll hire four more bodyguards to protect Vanessa’s ring.
There’s just one problem: Where will he go?
As the 2007-08 NBA season prepares for liftoff, Kobe Bryant is in limbo. He is already firmly committed to being an ex-Laker, but the pesky details – which team wants him, and at what price – have yet to be ironed out. That could happen within the next 10 minutes, or it may take another month or two.
Despite recent reports, the Lakers are not on the brink of a deal, because they’ve been getting chump-change offers. Naturally, that’s part of the negotiating process. A team like the New York Knicks might call, and the exchange will go something like this:
Knicks: “We’ll give you Stephon Marbury for Kobe Bryant, straight up.”
Lakers: “&%$#!@”
Then the clubs will use that considerable space between the insulting offer and the expletive reply as negotiating room.
But trade talks can intensify overnight. A dopey proposal can transform into an attractive possibility almost as quickly as Kobe can turn on old friends. That’s why the league and its observers should brace for the seismic event that is a Kobe Bryant trade.
Here are five possible destinations for Bryant. Keep in mind that any proposed transaction is complicated by the no-trade clause in his contract, the only one in the NBA. Even though he’s dying to scram, he’ll nix a deal if he’s not entirely pleased with the team he’s headed to, or the city, or the coach, or the climate, or the choices of entrée on the team plane. He’s a picky dude:";
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This is the ideal place for Kobe Bryant. It’s a big American city with a fan base that has an insatiable desire for sports heroes. It’s also in the Eastern Conference, which would please both Bryant and the Lakers. Bryant feels if he’s put on a team in the East with modest talent, he can elevate that team to the NBA Finals. And the Lakers would only have to deal with him twice a year, and never in the playoffs (unless they both got to the Finals, har-dee-har-har).
The issue is which players would return to L.A. The Lakers want Luol Deng, plus probably two other youngsters among Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas and perhaps Andres Nocioni. But there’s a delicate balance here, because Kobe doesn’t want to go to the Bulls if the Bulls have to decimate their roster to get him. Then he wouldn’t have anybody else left to not pass to. The Lakers are talking to the Bulls, among other clubs, but Chicago would have to loosen its attachment to some of its so-called untouchables in order to make this deal happen. Bulls GM John Paxson tried to throw water on the idea that he's trying to trade for Kobe, but the rumors are still out there.";
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Kobe has indicated that the Mavs would be one of the teams he would consider going to, but owner Mark Cuban has almost put the kibosh on such a transaction already by stating publicly that he has no intention of trading away Dirk Nowitzki. That had been a stumbling block when the Lakers were shopping Shaquille O’Neal.
You have to wonder just why Cuban opens his mouth sometimes. If he thinks Nowitzki is an untouchable, then why address the situation at all? Is he saying, “We will not trade Dirk, but we might consider parting with DeSagana Diop and Devean George in exchange for Kobe”? There’s an outside chance Cuban will put his personal loyalties to Dirk aside and realize that if he wants to win a title he’ll need a tough-minded superstar who thrives in pressure situations. Unless he does relinquish Nowitzki to the Lakers, this won’t happen, because that’s the only way the Lakers could tolerate trading Bryant within the Western Conference.";
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I must say at the outset that this is one of the more unlikely destinations for Kobe. The only reason it is being listed here is because Bryant would sever an artery – somebody else’s, of course, not his – to play there. If he and his reps push the Lakers hard enough, then Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers will have to at least inquire and discuss possibilities with Steve Kerr and the Suns.
Shawn Marion wants out of Phoenix because he wants a contract extension, yet he’s Kobe’s friend and would love to play alongside Kobe. The Suns will not trade Steve Nash, but they could put together a package of players headed by Amare Stoudemire that might also include a player or players among Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Marcus Banks.
Many in the Suns organization undoubtedly would consider all this speculation as supreme silliness, because they added Grant Hill and are confident that the team they have now can compete for the Western Conference crown. But for an acceptable price, having Kobe in a Suns uniform might be pretty tempting.";
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This is another Eastern Conference power where Kobe will at least be able to sniff the Finals. The problem is that the Pistons are splendid as a group. They have a unique chemistry that works well, given their parts. They are comprised of castoffs and guys who were not highly thought of coming out of college.
But individually they’re less than enthralling, and therefore the Pistons may not have enough tradeable assets with which to entice the Lakers and allow the Lakers to save face after they deal away their franchise player.
Rodney Stuckey is an intriguing - albeit injured - rookie, and Tayshaun Prince is a valuable defender, rebounder and scorer. But beyond that, the pickings are slim. The Pistons would probably not include Chauncey Billups in a package, and the Lakers wouldn’t want Rasheed Wallace. Richard Hamilton? Maybe.
Overall, the Pistons are an outside possibility, but they have to be considered because, after all, Bryant wants a shot at a title, and he’s finicky about where he’ll go. He’d probably go here if it all could be worked out.";
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This makes sense for Kobe because he wants to play alongside his buddy Jason Kidd. The Nets would have to send Vince Carter to the Lakers. That would help Lakers owner Jerry Buss keep the Staples Center filled with a marquee attraction. While Kidd and Kobe would love to play together, it’s debatable whether the Nets would pull the trigger. Inexplicably, they like their team, especially the trio of Kidd, Carter and Richard Jefferson.
When healthy, they’re competitive, but they’re not an elite club. Kobe could help lift them to that level, moreso than Carter. One slight problem is that Carter just signed a four-year contract worth $62 million; the Nets wouldn’t hand out a deal like that unless they love the guy and wanted to commit to him. But perhaps someone will intercede and remind the Nets that it’s time to alter their dynamic. Kobe would definitely do that, and he’d be able to perform in the New York metropolitan area, one of the few stages that could successfully accommodate his ego.";
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According to a couple of reports, the Washington Wizards have entered the fray, and have Gilbert Arenas to dangle as bait.
Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune, who is also our NBA expert, has quoted an unnamed GM calling the Wizards a \"dark horse\" to acquire Kobe.
Arenas hails from Los Angeles, and has talked of opting out of his contract after this season.
Marc Stein of ESPN has called the Wizards' interest \"genuine\", saying it was more than a rumor.
Bryant, however, does have that no-trade clause, and has not mentioned an interest in going to Washington."; spt_NBA_Kobe_destination[i++] = new Array("","WHICH IS YOUR PICK?","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NBA_Kobe_destination[i++] = new Array("spt_071028_Kobe_destination","Vote","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data