Kobe asks to be traded-Then takes it back-Wants out again

[Jackal]

After Kobe's bitching, the only person I wouldn't trade is Bynum. Mmm, maybe Walton too.

The rest can go fuck themselves. Buss included.

[Sauru]

but then again, despite all the Kobe fanboys and all the Kobe lovers out there, there will ALWAYS be Laker fans. I for one would go back to being a big-time Laker fan like I was in the 90's if Kobe (along with Kwame, Cook, Sasha, Mihm) were gone. I mean, what would people do? become Clippers fans? I don't think so. The clips would get a few fans but not many.

just look at the Celtics... they've sucked for a long time and they still have a great fan base.

damn right, and as long as the celtics are in the nba i will be a fan. at the same time, so long as the lakers are in the league i will hate them, and respect them when they have players worth respecting

[[Q]]

but then again, despite all the Kobe fanboys and all the Kobe lovers out there, there will ALWAYS be Laker fans. I for one would go back to being a big-time Laker fan like I was in the 90's if Kobe (along with Kwame, Cook, Sasha, Mihm) were gone. I mean, what would people do? become Clippers fans? I don't think so. The clips would get a few fans but not many.

just look at the Celtics... they've sucked for a long time and they still have a great fan base.

damn right, and as long as the celtics are in the nba i will be a fan. at the same time, so long as the lakers are in the league i will hate them, and respect them when they have players worth respecting

I will be a life-long Celtics (and Pistons) hater because of Larry Bird, McHale, Isiah Thomas, and Bill Laimbeer.
man I hate them all with a passion.

[sucram]

Through all the trade talk involving Kobe the last 30 days or so i had never once felt like it could really happen. I don't know what it is, but suddenly it all feels...'real'? I'm actually wanting to see him go to Chicago now. Would be very interesting too see. Shall we discuss what they could give up in return? Think they'd throw in big ben? They'd need to keep Hinrich and do whatever they can to hang on to Ben as well as some of the younger players. Does it seem a little weird to any of you that kobe would most likely be wearing 24 in Chicago? Despite the fact Tyrus already does. Just a thought.

[---]

I would much rather keep Deng/Gordon/Hinrich/Tyrus right now, but if Pax just gives up one of Gordon/Deng and possibly adds Tyrus too the deal it's hard not to accept the best player in the game. I just think theres not need to trade away this teams future when such a young core has already got to Bulls to arguably the top of the Eastern Conference.

Then again it would be amazing to see Kobe in a Bulls jersey. It's hard to turn that down. Chicago was the focal point of the league when Michael Jordan was a Bull and Chicago dominated the league. Having Kobe on this team would be as close to that feeling as Bulls fans can get nowadays.

If the deal makes the team better, I'm all for it. I'm just worried that the Bulls will take astep backward. It would be great to have the best player in the game, but the Lakers already have that and look at them.

[Jugs]

I'm not convinced yet that he will be gone. Way, way, way too hard to trade him.

[Andrew]

I don't there's many feasible Kobe to Chicago deals that wouldn't gut the entire team. Not even a package of Gordon/Hinrich/Deng/Thomas to Kobe would work under the salary cap and that would be leaving the Bulls pretty thin to say the least. As great a player as Kobe is and for all the talk of how he'd turn any team in the East into an instant contender, I don't think that would really place the Bulls in a significantly better position.

[frenchy]

Does anyone has an idea about the third team Kobe is supposed to be interested in ?

I saw that it could be the mavs.The deal could be like this:
Kobe + Turiaf vs Harris, Terry, Josh Howard & Buckner

I simulated it on espn to be sure it is possible and it seems to be ok
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/t ... 3~13~13~13

[---]

I remember reading somewhere that it was the Suns.

I trust Pax not to do anything drastic here and blow up the Bulls promising young core. I think Isiah Thomas would be willing to give up anyone (maybe except Eddy Curry) on that Knicks roster and wouldn't expect Andrew Bynum back. That's good news for Bulls fans that don't wanna see the team blown up.

Still, I am not convinced yet that Kobe will be traded.

[Cloudy]

All these news will just go away soon I guess, since every summer we get some LA soap opera.

[Andrew]

I trust Pax not to do anything drastic here and blow up the Bulls promising young core. I think Isiah Thomas would be willing to give up anyone (maybe except Eddy Curry) on that Knicks roster and wouldn't expect Andrew Bynum back. That's good news for Bulls fans that don't wanna see the team blown up.

Considering the Bulls would have to give up something in addition to Gordon, Hinrich, Deng and Thomas for a deal to work under the salary cap, I can't see it happening. Even if the Lakers were willing to settle for less, it's an unfeasible scenario.

Still, I am not convinced yet that Kobe will be traded.

Same here. Karl Malone talked about wanting a trade on more than one occasion and Charles Barkley spoke of retirement pretty much every offseason following the 1993/1994 campaign. Much is said in the heat of the moment and sometimes players continue to fume until they have a change of heart. Depending on what moves the Lakers make this offseason, this could all blow over by the time next season comes around.

[Sauru]

i also think kobe is staying put for the same reason jugs said. kobe is almost untradeable without completly gutting your team to get hime, which would just turn your team into the lakers. only a team with a load of high priced players with talent can get him, and even then i dont think the lakers would be getting what they would deserve.

[-Young Buck-]

Kobe Bryant narrows his list down to New York, Chicago and Phoenix

hoopshype.com

He could be moved to Phoenix easy, im not sure if Nash and Kobe could co-exist though. But it would be exciting to see Two MVP players on the same team.
Chicago would be another great fit for Kobe, as they need someone who can put points on the board for them consistantly.
New York, i have no idea why kobe would want to go to NY.

[Dro]

Third team is the Phoenix Suns baby!

Marion, Barbosa, Atlanta's 2008 first rounder for Kobe --- GIT 'ER DONE KERR!

[JT_55]

That would be a killer team. Nash, Kobe, Amare, and co. Too bad it doesn't look like it's going to work.

[Matt]

Kobe & Bell can be bestest buddies now!

[-Young Buck-]

That would be a killer team. Nash, Kobe, Amare, and co. Too bad it doesn't look like it's going to work.

why wouldnt it work? I would throw in banks instead of Barbosa.

[Martti.]

In the top scenarios i think it was :

Marion + Barbosa + Banks + Atlanta's pick = Kobe + Radmanovic.

[Dro]

That would be a killer team. Nash, Kobe, Amare, and co. Too bad it doesn't look like it's going to work.

why wouldnt it work? I would throw in banks instead of Barbosa.

Lakers would never take Banks and Marion...Banks is utterly useless.

[LakersRule24]

Nash + Kobe + Stoudemire = greatest offensive force in nba history

[Sauru]

Nash + Kobe + Stoudemire = greatest offensive force in nba history

maybe on paper, right now, but in reality i dont think so. i dont think nash and kobe would even work that well together to be honest. unless kobe is willing to stand there and let nash do what nash does and be over shadowed alot of the time, otherwise it wont work with them together. one will take the other out of thier game. as for the 3 being the best ever, like i said, maybe on paper, even then its a stretch. i remember people going on and on about shaq,kobe,malone,and payton. on paper amazing but what did they get from it?

[[Q]]

yes, Banks is utterly useless but he is a PG and the Lakers desperately need one right now.
Kobe wants the ball waayy too much to make any combination with Nash effective. Kobe's not your spot-up shooter type guy.

man, it would be a kick in the nuts to Laker bandwagoners if he went to the Suns

[grusom]

Woah, Kobe just posted this on his website, kb24.com:

The Truth: A new road ahead
Wassup y'all ...

Man, today is one of those surreal days for me and my family. When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere. But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING. That is plain and simply what it's all about. It's in my DNA. It's what pushes me to work as hard as I do. It's my daily passion and pursuit.

The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future. The Lakers are pursuing a longer-term plan that is different from what Dr. Buss shared with me at the time I re-signed as a free agent. I have seen that plan unfold for the last three years and watched great trade opportunities come and go, and have seen free agents passed on. That has led to the Lakers not winning a playoff series. All of that was frustrating in itself, but then, this week to have someone "inside" the Laker organization try to blame me in the media for us not being a contender right now -- that is what brought me to my current position today.

I want it to be clear that I still love, with all my heart, the Laker Legacy. From Mikan to West to Goodrich to Wilt to Kareem to Magic. That will never change. And the support my family and I have gotten from Lakers fans is undeniably the best. I will also always believe that.

But, now there is a new road ahead. I am gonna keep grindin and keep workin to get back to competing for Championships. Sometimes the trek up the mountain is tough. But, I know we'll get there.

Strength and Honor,
Kobe

- that sure looks like a trade demand to me.

[maes]

Woah, Kobe just posted this on his website, kb24.com:

He really isn't going to help LA get a good deal by continually telling the media he's ready to leave...nobody is going to pony up full value knowing this.

[Sauru]

Woah, Kobe just posted this on his website, kb24.com:

He really isn't going to help LA get a good deal by continually telling the media he's ready to leave...nobody is going to pony up full value knowing this.

thats actually smart of kobe to do though, its by no means honorable, but it is smart. the less the lakers get for him the better the team will be he is going to.