Inmates Running the Asylum???

[Wurider05]

As an GM or owner of a team how could you let an employee hamstring you. Kobe has a no trade cause in his contract. Kobe wants to be traded but he is stipulating that he doesn't want to go to a team that will gut its talent to acquire him but at the same time the Lakers want to get fair or close to fair value for him. I see him manuevering to go to New York because they are the only ones with the contracts and players to do it. LA can't win. No man is bigger than the team. Jordan has been retired for several years and last time I checked Chicago still had a team there. Say what you want to about Billy Knight but he isn't stupid enough to get into this kind of situation. With that being said I can appreciate having a team with a good solid starting five instead of a superstar and a bunch of role players (like Detroit). That is why in this draft we need to draft the BPA with the third pick. You can never have enough talent on your team. That way if JS or JJ pulls a Kobe then you can replace his ass and keep the machine rolling. Alot of you feel like we need five all-stars in our starting lineup but that isn't true.

[sick_five]

You know what's funny? Kobe got what he asked for when Shaq left. Now he is still not happy. He's the kind of guy who wants his cake and eat it too...

You want help Kobe??? Really??? You had it and run it out of town!!!

[jezmund]

I agree, Lakers are in a tough spot. Hopefully Chicago is unwilling to give what Lakers want and New York obviously doesn't have any valuable assets, IMO.

Would you rather have:

Ben Gordon

Luol Geng

#9 pick

filler

or

Marvin Williams

Salim Stoudamire

#3 pick

Speedy Claxton

Lorenzen Wright

If I'm the Lakers, I want the #3 pick. Gordon is a combo guard and will be asking for big money here in a year or two. Luol Deng will be geting $10+M this year or next. They get Al Horford with 4 years left on his deal as a rookie to line up next to Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum in the frontcourt or they can again move the pick - maybe Golden States ups their ante to JRich / #18 / Ellis for #3 / Radmonovic / Farmar / Evans (I know, I know). That deal is BS I know and if it were an option I'd rather just do it for the Hawks.

Monta Ellis / Speedy Claxton / Sasha Vujacic

Jason Richardson / Nick Young (#18)

Marvin Williams / Luke Walton

Lamar Odom / Josh McRoberts (#19)

Andrew Bynum / Ronny Turiaf / Lorenzen Wright

Yeah, that isn't going to happen.