Something I don't understand about Kobe wanting to be traded

[dudeguykid]

Originally Posted by Brunch@Five

Kobe signed the contract under the premise that Buss promised to try hard to built a contender. Buss didn't do that, he basically cheated on Kobe.

Business is business. Kobes agent should of advised him to go elsewhere.
Obviusly Buss knew if Kobe and Shaq both left and the Lakers plunged into a complete rebuilding faze ticket sales would decrease. So he had to do everything in his power to stop that from happening. Just having Kobe alone fills Staples Center; at enormous ticket prices also.

He should understand that the NBA is a business and even though the Buss family is already filthy rich, its the nature of rich people to become even more rich. Hopefully Kobe will be able to get out of LA soon and move on and focus on playing basketball.

[John Starks]

If I am going ot blame the LAL org, its that when they decided to break it down following the Det series, they didn't get near enough for their assets.

The Shaq trade was alright - not great. It may have been the best offer on the table - 2 All-star types, both young-ish, and Grant's huge contract. I would want a truer big, not sure one was avail.

But, they also should'vebeen able to trade Malone and his tiny contract for somethign from a contender. Couldn't send him to Char for P.J. Brown or something?

Also got nothing for Payton.

Should've been thinking more like the 99(?) Marlins. Had all this talent and splurged it all for minor leaguers - -then those minor leaguers (mostly big armed minor leaguers) won them a title 5 years later.

Gotta trade all those assets for draft picks and big time prospects.

They didn't get near enough. Everythign sincethen, they get a pass.

[SomeBunghole]

I don't know why so many people expected the Lakers to immediately surround Kobe with superstars.

Kobe, of course, is now leading the pack in criticizing the organization, but I don't think he's being very realistic. For one thing, I don't think that either Kobe or Lakers fans realize that the other 29 teams in the league exist for reasons other than to help out the Lakers.

In 2004, when the Lakers blew up the team, what assets did they have but Shaq and Kobe? Payton and Malone signed one year deals, you can't trade free agents. Grant and Fox retired. They got what they could for Shaq, and what else is left? How exactly were the Lakers going to acquire superstars? They were still good enough to win 35-45 games, so a high draft pick was not in the cards. This also meant that no one really wanted their picks. They had no assets to trade, except maybe Derek Fisher and Devean George. And you could hardly expect to get All-Stars in exchange for those two. Free-agency? I can't count on the fingers of one hand the number of high-profile unrestricted free agents in the past 4 years. And all them dudes wanted the MAX or close to it, anyway.