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At this point I don't think it matters. I'm almost 100% positive he's going to bail when the year is done or maybe the Lakers will trade him away if it looks like the playoffs are out of reach at the trade deadline. Getting something for him would obviously be better than him just walking away with no compensation.
How would Kobe respond to being "lame ducked" for the last year of his contract with the Lakers?
Because that would mean next years team would probably be:
Kobe
Nash
Pau (untradeable maybe....they could amnesty him though to avoid lux tax.)
MWP
Crappy bench
Whatever they get from faciliating a Dwight sign and trade....maybe a mediocre 1st round pick?
That's a clear lottery team....but hey, Kobe is #5 on the scoring list and can just chase his way up it.
He should pass Wilt and MJ here pretty soon but then it's a longer haul to catch Malone and then Kareem.
I didn't realize the Lakers were actually 12th in the standings right now? And they need like a 10 game swing to actually put themselves in contention for the 8th spot, with those currently in that position faltering along the way. The Lakers not making the playoffs is a genuine possibility, but there's still lots of Basketball left in the season.
I didn't realize the Lakers were actually 12th in the standings right now? And they need like a 10 game swing to actually put themselves in contention for the 8th spot, with those currently in that position faltering along the way. The Lakers not making the playoffs is a genuine possibility, but there's still lots of Basketball left in the season.
I give them maybe a 10% chance of making the playoffs at this point.
The losses are rapidly piling up with the injuries and they don't have the luxury of playing in the east where .500 would get them in.
As I mentioned earlier, 4-7 in thier remaining January games is very possible if Dwight isn't back soon and at that point they'd be pretty much in an impossible hole.
How would Kobe respond to being "lame ducked" for the last year of his contract with the Lakers?
Because that would mean next years team would probably be:
Kobe
Nash
Pau (untradeable maybe....they could amnesty him though to avoid lux tax.)
MWP
Crappy bench
Whatever they get from faciliating a Dwight sign and trade....maybe a mediocre 1st round pick?
That's a clear lottery team....but hey, Kobe is #5 on the scoring list and can just chase his way up it.
He should pass Wilt and MJ here pretty soon but then it's a longer haul to catch Malone and then Kareem.
There is still a demand for Pau if he comes back healthy and in time. If Howard is traded you'll have teams drooling of signing him to a long term deal. Most teams think that his issue is based on where he is playing now and not based on declining skills. They could easily get another center in return and a good pick at a minimum. Trust me, a team that is a center away from being dominant, heading into the playoffs might jump at the chance of trading for him. Now the question is, how stubborn are the Lakers and are they under the misconception that he will sign long term there?
There is still a demand for Pau if he comes back healthy and in time. If Howard is traded you'll have teams drooling of signing him to a long term deal. Most teams think that his issue is based on where he is playing now and not based on declining skills. They could easily get another center in return and a good pick at a minimum. Trust me, a team that is a center away from being dominant, heading into the playoffs might jump at the chance of trading for him. Now the question is, how stubborn are the Lakers and are they under the misconception that he will sign long term there?
Good points.
With regards to Pau, it's widely discussed that he's going to be hard to trade with his salary, age etc.
The Lakers best bet with him would be a team looking for a fast rebuild that would just pick him up because his contract expires next year and it would help them clear cap faster than some of their other contracts. However, that might be the position the Lakers is in and so that's an unattractive trade for them.
The luxury tax gets EXTREMELY serious starting next year. Pau's 20mil is a big big issue. At this point, I could even see the Lakers using their "gilbert arenas" on him if they go full-rebuild. (I can't remember what it's really called, amnesty or something like that and I'm too tired to look it up. )
so the lakers have won 2 in a row fairly handily. common theme in both wins, kobe took less then 20 shots in each game, they got the ball to howard more. oh and both opponents suck......
so the lakers have won 2 in a row fairly handily. common theme in both wins, kobe took less then 20 shots in each game, they got the ball to howard more. oh and both opponents suck......
Yep, they will need to finish the month *strong* to climb back into the playoff hunt. Dwight came back sooner than I thought he would so there is a glimmer of hope.
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