Bulls, Lakers talking daily about Kobe

[MapleLeaf]

From espn.com

The Kobe Bryant-to-Chicago trade talks are very real, and they've been real for a while.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls have been having daily discussions about Bryant trade possibilities for at least the past week, with Bryant's no-trade clause throwing a unique wrench into the situation, according to sources.

The Lakers are asking for a package built around Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, which is more than Chicago is willing to surrender. Also, Bryant would not want to play in Chicago if the Bulls surrendered all four of those players, believing there would not be enough talent left to compete for a championship, and he would veto that trade even if the Bulls and Lakers were both in favor of it.

Further complicating matters is the division within the upper echelon of the Lakers front office, a house divided between the competing desires of owner Jerry Buss, his son, Jim, daughter Jeanie (and her boyfriend, coach Phil Jackson) and general manager Mitch Kupchak. According to sources, one faction seems more determined than ever to part with Bryant, while others still are hanging onto the belief that Bryant can still be persuaded to stay in Los Angeles.

Bryant sat out the Lakers' final exhibition game Friday night in Las Vegas after injuring his right wrist in the Lakers' previous game. It has become an accepted fact around the Lakers that Bryant still wishes to be traded, and two sources with direct knowledge of the ongoing trade discussions said Bryant's preferred -- and most likely -- destination remains Chicago.

So while the NBA's only no-trade clause gives Bryant a substantial amount of leverage in determining his future, it also is hampering the Lakers in their efforts to get something approaching fair value for arguably the best player in the league. One source said the Bulls' supposed opposition to including Deng in any deal had been overstated in recent media reports.

A source told ESPN.com that the likelihood of a Bryant trade before opening night seemed higher a few days ago than it does now, and a deal going down sometime before the end of November now seemed more likely. But the situation remained fluid, and with other teams trying to lobby the Bryant camp to get on the list of his acceptable destinations, the trade possibilities surrounding Bryant only figured to increase in the days leading up to Tuesday night's start of the NBA season.

 

[Mexi]

a deal going down sometime before the end of November now seemed more likely.

i sure do hope so

 

[playmaker7]

i sure do hope so

I sure don't. I want the Lakers to be good.

 

[Grandy28]

I sure don't. I want the Lakers to be good.

Ben Gordon and Loul Deng can get 20 points per game a piece if the main guys. Thomas and Noah can help in the front court.

 

[playmaker7]

Ben Gordon and Loul Deng can get 20 points per game a piece if the main guys. Thomas and Noah can help in the front court.

I hate Joakim Noah so much.

Kobe is better than Gordon and Deng on steroids <_<

 

[Mexi]

i dont understand why you hate Noah. He plays with so much passion and enthusiasm
Lakers wouldnt get Deng and Gordon

and PM7, i've been a Laker fan my whole life. I want them to win too. But i'm sick of seeing us lose year after year. LA is a CHAMPIONSHIP CITY.

 

[RipCity32]

I think the only way Kobe will ever be sucessful again is if he isn't in an enviroment where he has to score 81 a game lol. Plus seem like a good spot for him, but I don't want Kobe in the East. Stay in LA.

 

[playmaker7]

i dont understand why you hate Noah. He plays with so much passion and enthusiasm
Lakers wouldnt get Deng and Gordon

and PM7, i've been a Laker fan my whole life. I want them to win too. But i'm sick of seeing us lose year after year. LA is a CHAMPIONSHIP CITY.

I hate Noah. Plain and simple. Just like I hate Tim Duncan.

You're acting like if Kobe gets traded they're gonna win a championship like now or soon. I don't think they will. Kobe is one of the best players of ALL TIME. Without him, they'll decline slowly.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I sure don't. I want the Lakers to be good.

So you have a choice.

A) Keep Kobe and stall the development of the team until 2009 and continue to finish in 7th place.
or
B ) Trade Kobe for future superstars Gordon, Deng, and Thomas and have a bright future ahead of you.

Seriously, I don't think it's even an option. I mean it's not like you're breaking up a championship caliber team...

 

[Whisper]

Another one of those rare times where I agree with CC.

 

[Mexi]

So you have a choice.

A) Keep Kobe and stall the development of the team until 2009 and continue to finish in 7th place.
or
B ) Trade Kobe for future superstars Gordon, Deng, and Thomas and have a bright future ahead of you.

Seriously, I don't think it's even an option. I mean it's not like you're breaking up a championship caliber team...

thats exactly my stance
we have nice youn players already too in Bynum/Turiaf/Farmar/Crittenton

 

[playmaker7]

So you have a choice.

A) Keep Kobe and stall the development of the team until 2009 and continue to finish in 7th place.
or
B ) Trade Kobe for future superstars Gordon, Deng, and Thomas and have a bright future ahead of you.

Seriously, I don't think it's even an option. I mean it's not like you're breaking up a championship caliber team...

Wheres the build around Kobe and continue to make the playoffs choice?

 

[Mexi]

we've been trying that since Shaq left and it obviously hasnt been working

 

[playmaker7]

we've been trying that since Shaq left and it obviously hasnt been working

Who have they brought in since Shaq left to compliment Kobe? I don't see anyone cuz Odom is injured every other Friday...

 

[Whisper]

EXACTLY brew. What the hell has management done ever since Shaq left to compliment Kobe? NOTHING. What the hell makes you think they're going to do it anytime soon?

 

[playmaker7]

EXACTLY brew. What the hell has management done ever since Shaq left to compliment Kobe? NOTHING. What the hell makes you think they're going to do it anytime soon?

Because they're getting close to losing one of the best of all time...now is the time to make changes.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Wheres the build around Kobe and continue to make the playoffs choice?

It's not a choice. No matter what you do now, Kobe would opt out of his contract after 2008-09. He wants to win, and Laker management has done nothing to try to get him another ring.

Knowing Kupchak, he'll probably keep Kobe until 2009 when he'll leave and they'll get nothing in return. Seriously, salvage the franchise and trade him for potential studs. There's nothing wrong with one down year...

 

[playmaker7]

It's not a choice. No matter what you do now, Kobe would opt out of his contract after 2008-09. He wants to win, and Laker management has done nothing to try to get him another ring.

Knowing Kupchak, he'll probably keep Kobe until 2009 when he'll leave and they'll get nothing in return. Seriously, salvage the franchise and trade him for potential studs. There's nothing wrong with one down year...

You said no matter what you do right? If they had got KG then I bet he'd want to stay. Actually, I guarantee he'd want to stay.

Also, you can't see into the future. You don't know what will go down. Kobe could decide to resign. We don't know what will happen. Lets let the NBA play out.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

But the point is you didn't KG because you didn't have enough pieces to pull a trade for him. Or all the other players that you tried to get to complement Kobe.

You honestly think Kobe might resign? The only chance Kobe has of resigning is if he gets traded first to the Bulls or somewhere and then gets deep in the playoffs....

 

[DJT]

Bulls probably won't trade Deng. The Lakers are asking for too much, what they aren't realizing is they won't get the same value as their giving.