If you have disposable income, an insatiable appetite for Kobe
Bryant news, and exceedingly poor judgment, you apparently can pony up
a few bucks to purchase a video of Kobe venting about how he wants out
of Los Angeles.
Or, you can save your hard-earned dough for a No. 24 Knicks or Bulls
jersey and just take Kobe at his word all over the free media that he
wants to be traded. He has made that abundantly clear, and based upon
developments over the weekend - and more sure to come - it seems there
aren't too many more ways that Kobe can say to the Lakers, "Trade me."
The alleged Kobe video - those in the know who have seen it vouch that
it's him venting outside a Newport Beach, Calif., deli - is only the
latest bizarre turn in a story that is not going away.
It is not going away because Kobe doesn't want it to. And even from his
current perch in Barcelona, Spain, Kobe holds all the cards because he
is the only player in the league with a no-trade clause.
He is doing exactly what I thought he would do. He is carefully
escalating his trade request toward the next phase, known as a trade
demand.
His "road ahead" rant, posted May 30 on his Web site, www.kb24.com,
popped up again over the weekend. It's been getting reposted
periodically with a new date, and it fooled a lot of people Sunday,
when it was reported as fresh news.
That it wasn't technically new isn't the point. The fact is, Kobe keeps putting it out there, for all to see.
In it, Bryant wrote, "The Lakers and me just have two different visions
for the future." Kobe and his agent, Rob Pelinka, aren't elaborating
for now. Pelinka last surfaced Friday, when he told ESPN.com: "Kobe's
position remains unchanged. Kobe would like to be moved."
That's what Bryant told Lakers owner Jerry Buss when the two met Friday
in Barcelona. As anyone could've figured out, the top two teams on his
list are the Knicks and Bulls - though not necessarily in that order.
According to one report yesterday, Phoenix also is in play, although
the Lakers would want him out of the West.
Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas, who has rabbit ears for all
things Kobe, said yesterday on 1050 ESPN Radio that he's continuing to
monitor the situation.
"When a team is having problems with their players, you keep your eye
on that around the league," Thomas said. "But you're not necessarily
trying to instigate a fire."
The Lakers have maintained publicly that they have no intention of
trading Bryant. As of yesterday, there had been no discussions with the
Knicks or anyone else about doing so.
No surprise there. The desperation factor would only lower Kobe's trade
value, so they are going to stick to their story as long as they can.
But the concept of Bryant returning to L.A. after publicly ripping the
entire organization is "kind of nutty," said one person connected to
the Kobe saga. "It seems like there's so much under the bridge, how can
he come back?"
That's the question that will play out by the June 28 draft, if not sooner, if Kobe decides to push his agenda even harder.
You may not think the Knicks have much to offer the Lakers. One of the
latest theories is that he believes the Bulls would give him a better
chance to compete for a title than the Knicks. Not sure I agree, but
Kobe doesn't need to hear my argument. He can listen to Isiah make the
same one if and when this situation escalates to the point of no return.
If that happens, Isiah's captive audience will be an impressionable,
28-year-old, nine-time All-Star who wants to join him in the Hall of
Fame, win a few more rings, and write a legacy that includes being a
champion on the two biggest stages in basketball.
"As we've just seen in these playoffs with Cleveland going to the
Finals, we're really not that far away," Thomas said during the radio
broadcast yesterday.
I don't know about you, but I'd at least like to hear Kobe's rebuttal
when Isiah tells him the following: If LeBron James can get to the
Finals with Drew Gooden, who's going to stop you from doing the same
thing with Eddy Curry?
Kobe Bryant trade scenarios
1. Bulls. Bryant reportedly believes the Bulls are closer to contending
for a title than the Knicks. But would Chicago still be ready for a
title run after trading Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng or Chris
Duhon, Andres Nocioni (signed and traded at about $7 million per year)
and a No. 1 pick this year or in '08?
2. Knicks. Isiah Thomas' best offer wouldn't cut it if the Kobe derby
were wide open. But it's not. Kobe can dictate where he wants to go
because he has a no-trade clause. So if Bryant wants to go to New York,
the Knicks' best offer that includes young talent and an expiring
contract (that of Malik Rose, whose deal expires after 2008-09) and
works salary-wise is Jamal Crawford, Channing Frye, David Lee, Nate
Robinson and Rose, plus the No. 23 pick in next week's draft and/or a
future No. 1. You could take Crawford, Rose and Robinson out and
replace them with Stephon Marbury, whose contract would clear $22
million of cap space in 2009, a big free-agent year. The Lakers would
have to send back someone like Maurice Evans to make the money match.
3. Suns. Phoenix is looking to trade Shawn Marion, but the goal is to
cut payroll, something Bryant certainly wouldn't do with four years,
$88 million left - not to mention his 15 percent trade kicker. But
since the Suns are on Kobe's list, Marion and Leandro Barbosa would
work. Marion has more star power than anyone the Knicks or Bulls could
offer, and Barbosa would give L.A. a point guard. The Suns also have
the 24th and 29th picks in the upcoming draft, but keeping Kobe out
West would be a hard sell.
