Kobe Wants Out

[Lascar78]

I know this should go in around the league, but FWIW Kobe was just talking to Stephen A Smith on ESPN radio and said that he wants out of LA for sure. SAS asked if there was anything the lakers could do at this point to change his mind, and he said no. He's 100% done in LA.

With that being said, Kobe won't be coming here, so please don't respond with 300 Kobe to Atlanta trades.

[Lascar78]

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Bryant asks for trade; says Buss mastermined trading O'Neal

The story lines that have engulfed the Los Angeles Lakers in the last week hit a crescendo Wednesday when Kobe Bryant said he would welcome a trade.

"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"

Bryant, interviewed by Stephen A. Smith, was asked if there was anything the Lakers could do to change his mind?

"No," Bryan said. "I just want them to do the right thing."

Earlier in the day, Bryant said team owner Jerry Buss masterminded the trade of Shaquille O'Neal -- and Shaq later confirming Kobe's account.

The issues between Bryant and the Lakers have reached a boil, beginning with Bryant voicing his displeasure with the club's direction, his suggestion that Jerry West should return to fix things, West's statement that he has no intention of undermining GM/good friend Mitch Kupchak, and, unrelated but bizarre in its timing, Buss' arrest early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Bryant was left "beyond furious" by a report in Tuesday's Los Angeles Times that read, "as a Lakers insider notes, it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from Shaquille O'Neal that got them in this mess."

Kobe Bryant on ESPN Radio

Kobe Bryant talks about the past, present and future of the Lakers while addressing reports that he may want to be traded.

Listen

O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat after the 2003-04 season, and the long-held belief has been that the deteriorating relationship between O'Neal and Bryant was a factor in O'Neal's departure.

In response to the Times' story, Bryant, interviewed by Smith for a Philadelphia Inquirer column, said Buss "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season.

"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here [in Los Angeles] across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant told Smith. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in hell. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait.

"This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [shaq], period.' "

"Dr. Buss said that," Bryant told Smith. "And I haven't said anything for years because I've always felt like folks were just looking to create controversy. Now I know. I realize what extent [the Lakers] will go to, to cover themselves."

Reached afterward, O'Neal told Smith that be believed his former teammate beyond reproach.

"I believe Kobe 100 percent," O'Neal said when reached in Los Angeles. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent.

"I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn't [tell me]. He never said a damn word to me."

Buss was unavailable for comment Tuesday, as was Kupchak. Buss, 74, was booked early Tuesday for investigation of drunken driving and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or above.

The Lakers missed the playoffs in the first season after O'Neal was dealt for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a first-round pick, and have been eliminated in the first round the last two seasons. O'Neal and the Heat won the NBA championship last season.

"Sure, Shaq and I had our issues," Bryant told Smith. "So what! We always did and we won three titles. That doesn't change what was told to me. It doesn't change the fact I never, ever, said to get rid of him."

While Bryant re-signed for $136 million for seven years the day after O'Neal was traded, he has pushed for trades -- he wanted Carlos Boozer, then Jason Kidd, then Ron Artest -- that the Lakers were unable to pull off. Meanwhile, Odom has undergone shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for training camp in October, Kwame Brown has undergone reconstructive surgery on his left ankle and might not be ready for the start of camp.

And now Bryant, who reportedly has made it clear to the Lakers that he may see fit to terminate his contract in two years, told Smith he wouldn't continue to wait for Buss to build the roster around him.

"Promises made to make this team better have not been kept," Bryant told Smith. "So where does that leave me?"

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[Johnnybravo4]

Maybe or maybe not, but you have to admit that there are few teams that have the assets that we have to trade for Kobe.

[mrhonline]

I don't know, the Hawks have enough in expiring contracts, young players, and draft picks to make a real run.

Give them the #3, Lue, Wright, AJ, Shelden, and Childress. Three young players and a ton of cap space in the future is as good as any team in the league can offer.

Draft Law with the #11.

Law/Bryant/JJ/Smith/Zaza plus vet FA's that Kobe attracts is a real contender in the EC.

[exodus]

I repeat, Kobe has a no trade clause. He can't be traded somewhere he doesn't want to go.

[gsuteke]

He said he'd play on Pluto. that's a direct quote.

he makes 17.7 million right now. June 30 it goes up to 19.5

The Hawks don't have the contracts.

[gsuteke]

This deal makes sense.

S&T Rashard Lewis and package it with the #2 for Bryant.

[mrhonline]

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he makes 17.7 million right now. June 30 it goes up to 19.5

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That's why you trade the #3 to the Lakers on draft night.

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The Hawks don't have the contracts.

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Yes they do. We normally say this because we don't want to part with the young forwards or Zaza. But for Bryant, you give them anyone but JJ.

[Diesel]

More than Likely, Kobe would like to be in either NY or Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, Philly doesn't have the bait to get it done.

Unless: Iguadala, #12, #21, Dalembert for Kobe can get the deal done.

[gsuteke]

the Hawks are 1 year away from being able to make this deal I think.

when is Smoove's contract up? 1 year or two?

[AHF]

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More than Likely, Kobe would like to be in either NY or Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, Philly doesn't have the bait to get it done.

Unless: Iguadala, #12, #21, Dalembert for Kobe can get the deal done.

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How do you figure NY has the bait to get it done? I don't think they do.

Philly would be a very interesting target for Kobe for mulitple reasons. Iggy would be an essential part of the deal (along with more like you proposed) and could be an effective replacement for Kobe. Obviously, Kobe has history in Philly. Very interesting thought.

[pimp]

Aa i said in another thread , Kobe has a no-trade clause, and would not allow himself to be traded to the Hswks.

And even if he did, there is noway you can trade for him without giving up some combination of JJ. Jsmith or Marvin

plus a pick.

They wont take #3 + our scrubs

[Johnnybravo4]

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I repeat, Kobe has a no trade clause. He can't be traded somewhere he doesn't want to go.

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Nothing would be bigger for an ego like Kobe than to turn around the Hawks franchise. In any event the supporting cast that would be left after any Philly and NY trade would be no better than the Lakers right now. You would also have to deal with the NY and Philly media every night.

[gsuteke]

We'd still have the same problems with Kobe without a legit PG.

[jezmund]

If they are rebuilding, I think we could put together one of the better packages.

#3/Chill/Marvin/Zaza/Claxton for Kobe/#40 works salary wise I think.

Grab BPA at #11 (Crittenton, Law, JWright, Noah or Green)

AJ / Lue

Kobe /

Johnson /

Smith / Shelden / Jones

(FA) / Wright

Obviously we would need a PG/Big/BU Wing but I'm sure we could get a veteran FA big, draft a PG and pick up a young wing with the #40.

Lakers would have:

Claxton / Farmar / Parker

Chill / Evans / Vujacic

Marvin / Walton

Odom / Turiaf / Brown

Bynum / Pachulia

+ #3, #19 which in their position I'd go PG and SG or PG and PF/C. They could take a deal from Portland and get Jack and #5 in a 3-way with Boston.

Jack / Brewer / Marvin / Odom / Bynum isn't a bad start to rebuilding.

[Diesel]

Star players love to migrate to NY because it's a huge Market. Better advertising deals.

When you look at NY, they have loaded up with a lot of players as NY teams do... However, I can easily see them trading for JO and having enough to trade for Kobe.

[DavidSomerset]

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[vdunkndunk]

Here' my thought process and best offer. I wouldn't give up Joe Johnson and the 3 pick to get Kobe, because then we're the exact same team we were last season except Kobe may score a few more points a game.

So with the idea of holding on to Joe and the 3 pick, because I think Joe and Kobe together would be great, here's what I'd do: Give them Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, the 11 pick, plus Speedy Claxton, Lorenzon Wright, and Anthony Johnson for salary purposes.

That works under on the RealGM trade checker and leaves us with the following team:

Mike Conely

Joe Johnson

Kobe Bryant

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia

Bench: Lue, Salim, Childress, Solomon

Or...since with Kobe and Joe we wouldn't need a PG all that much, we could go big and have Lue bring the ball up the court, through it to Kobe or Joe, and then stretch the D with his shooting.

Tyronn Lue

Joe Johnson

Kobe Bryant

Al Horford, Yi Jianlin or Brendan Wright

Zaza Pachulia

Bench: Salim, Childress, Shelden, Solomon

[Packfill]

Memphis?

Gasol, #4 pick and change for Kobe.

[DavidSomerset]

#3, Marvin, Childress, Speedy, Lorenzen for Kobe?

Man we would be AMAZING if we then took law at 11!!!

Law/AJ

Kobe/Salim

JJ/ FA

Smoove/Shelden

Zaza/ FA

That is a VERY good team right there...Tons better than the Lakers this past year, IMO.