Scenarios may tempt Lakers to deal Kobe
Inside Bay Area
SO WHAT IF Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had a Phil Jackson-induced change of heart?
If I'm the Lakers, I'm still listening to the offers. His reverse pivot last week going from "I want out" to "I want to be a Laker for life" in the span of a few hours would not be enough to keep me from hearing what star-hungry NBA executives have to say.
Bryant brought up the "T" word, so the Lakers have a free pass to explore without worrying about offending their star.
No doubt, it's easier to add complementary pieces, especially when you already have a player like Bryant, than it is to start from scratch. But the Lakers are in a unique situation.
The fact remains that Los Angeles is over the salary cap and can't get the help it needs in free agency. Nor do the Lakers have the pieces other than young center Andrew Bynum, a jaw-dropping prospect whom they really don't want to move to get adequate help on the trade market.
And they're far from being bad enough to get a high draft pick.
The Lakers have three options: 1) trade Bynum for immediate help, 2) persuade Minnesota or Indiana to give up its star forward (Kevin Garnett or Jermaine O'Neal, respectively) for good-but-not-great forward Lamar Odom and a few scrubs or 3) take the most valuable asset they have, Bryant, and flip the entire roster in one stroke of the pen.
It makes sense to entertain offers for Bryant. You might get a deal that's too good to pass up.
Sure, the Lakers would have to trade Bryant to a major-market team that can win; Bryant is too big of a fish to play in a small pond, and he would have to feel he'd be going to a contender in order for him to waive his no-trade clause. But it's possible. Check out these enticing trade possibilities:
TO CHICAGO: Other than Hollywood, there's no better place for Bryant than the house Michael Jordan built.
What about Bryant for forward Luol Deng, shooting guard Ben Gordon and center Ben Wallace (and a future first-rounder, if necessary)? The Lakers would be silly not to consider that. Deng is the truth, Gordon is a perennial scorer and Wallace is the perfect center for a defensive-minded coach.
Bryant would have much more talent around him with Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich and forwards Tyrus Thomas and Andres Nocioni, along with this year's No.9 pick. More importantly, the Bulls would get back into the national spotlight and get rid of Wallace's huge contact.
TO NEW YORK: You know commissioner David Stern would love for Bryant to land in Manhattan. The Knicks have a bottomless pit for a wallet, which means they can absorb unwanted contracts.
The Lakers could send Bryant and forward Vladimir Radmanovic to New York. In exchange, the Knicks could package guard Jamal Crawford (I'd take him over Stephon Marbury) and swingman Quentin Richardson along with promising young forwards David Lee and Channing Frye. The Knicks can throw in the $2 million or so in cash necessary to make the numbers match.
The Lakers get four good players, including two of the better young forwards in the league. They also get to dump Ramanovic's contract, which has four years left for $25 million. The Knicks get the marquee player they need, and Bryant still has Marbury and Eddy Curry surrounding him.
TO BOSTON: Wouldn't Bryant look weird in Celtics green? Not to Boston. The Lakers would have to think long and hard if the Celtics offered All-Star swingman Paul Pierce (an L.A. native), electrifying young swingman Gerald Green and shooting guard Tony Allen, along with this year's No.5 pick in the draft. The Lakers would then send Bryant and the No.19 selection to Boston.
Restoring Boston to greatness is the perfect aphrodisiac for glory-seeking Bryant, who would have forward Al Jefferson, sharp-shooter Wally Szczerbiak and the Celtics' point guard of the future, Rajon Rondo, to work with. Plus, center Theo Ratliff's expiring $11.6 million contract could help.
TO ATLANTA: The Hawks have some talent to maneuver with, and Bryant can do for the Hawks what Michael Vick did for the Falcons.
Los Angeles may be enticed by forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams, posts Zaza Pachulia and Lorenzen Wright and guard Tyronn Lue. Of course, the Hawks would throw in the No.11 pick or the No.3 pick, or both.
The Lakers would land two high-potential forwards in Smith and Williams and a serviceable big man in Pachulia. The Hawks would get a face for their franchise, keep All-Star guard Joe Johnson and still have cap room for free-agent help, such as All-Star forward Rashard Lewis.
TO DALLAS: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban might cry like Ben Stiller at the end of "There's Something About Mary," but he might eventually agree to send forward Dirk Nowitzki, point guard Devin Harris and defensive guard Greg Buckner to the Lakers for Bryant and Radmanovic.
The Lakers would get an MVP and a legit starting point guard, and they'd get to dump Radmanovic. The Mavericks would get a real front-line star to pair with forward Josh Howard, point guard Jason Terry and center Dasagana Diop. It's a win-win.
Scenarios may tempt Lakers to deal Kobe
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