[HitsterParticipant]

With the talk being about the Lakers trying to add re-enforcements to assist Kobe with a few more title runs, I wondered how much the targeted players might look at things longer term and whether the Lakers could address this. Kobe is now getting towards his mid-30’s and although he is still averaging nearly 30ppg this year, even he cannot go on for ever and in two years time he will be out of contract. Kobe has nothing left to prove and if his game was not at the high standards he sets himself or the Lakers were not challenging, I could see Kobe saying enough is enough and deciding to retire.

Also for someone like Kobe going out on the right stage would be very important, look at how Kareem and David Robinson both retired after playing in an NBA Final and MJ had his 2nd retirement after the Bulls won their 6th title. So the Lakers if they do make moves need to get a player who would be happy to stay there after Kobe finishes and also if they get the right personnel then the team is still challenging and thus Kobe is more likely to play on and maybe take on a slightly lesser role.

The Lakers got a good exception and a pick from Dallas when they traded Odom, so that along with Gasol and Bynum are their main trading chips. But unless they could get Dwight Howard under an extension then I don’t see them moving Bynum, he is probably near the top of the list of Centres behind Dwight Howard, he is still only 24 years old and Dr Buss’s son is a huge fan of his and could refuse to sign off a trade regardless of what even Kobe wants.

 

Pau Gasol has found himself on the block through no fault of anyone especially Kobe and I would never consider Kobe the sort of guy to demand his main running mate should be traded, that would be very disrespectful to a player of Pau’s calibre and could cause a locker room rift if team mates thought that Kobe was overstepping the mark. And Kobe would surely never demand that Bynum is traded as with him being a favourite of Buss jnr then there would be a huge collision course there.

 

With both Dwight Howard and Deron Williams entering likely FA if we assume that CP3 will opt in with LAC, then I wonder if the Lakers may try to target one or both of these especially if they do go to FA and NJ and Orlando look likely to get nothing in return. One idea that came to me might be Gasol for D-Will which if he was in FA then NJ could well except. NJ could end up with nothing if D-Will decided to walk and with Lopez a restricted FA then he could decide to resign for a year and move on so NJ have lost the talent to Utah and their best players. Getting Gasol alongside Lopez gives them a quality frontcourt and with a high draft pick then a decent core is there.

 

The Lakers then have D-Will alongside Kobe and maybe have the exception, some picks and Bynum to possibly try and lure Howard. Again if Howard was likely to walk, would Orlando turn down Bynum or even a trade based around the Odom exception and picks where the Lakers maybe pair Bynum with Howard on the frontcourt. It may seem fanciful but if Howard was an FA and could leave Orlando with nothing then even late picks from the Lakers might be better than nothing and if you remember how the Lakers able to do the Pau Gasol from Memphis trade and when Jason Kidd went to Dallas, retired players were suddenly signed and traded on before being bought out. The Lakers could perhaps do this again and as they can send $3million I believe with a trade then Orlando could use this to buyout the makeweight.

 

This is where it really starts getting fun you have Williams, Kobe, Bynum and Howard on the Lakers roster as a best case scenario and they decide to trade Bynum for a top level PF or SF. Remember Dwight is at the Lakers so Bynum may be the best available C and will have suitors!

 

This may be far fetched and is intended to be a fun article not some hard core fan trying to get a franchise level starting 5 for his team. As I’ve said often before I’m a Phoenix fan but is the above too far fetched to be possible or certainly up to the Lakers getting a core of Kobe, D-Will and Howard.

[gopack10Participant]

This might be the most ridiculous Laker trade scenario I’ve seen in a while.  Zero percent chance that Orlando accepts a deal from the Lakers that doesn’t include Bynum or Gasol.  The Lakers picks aren’t that good and would not be considered legitimate compensation for Howard.  NOT EVEN CLOSE.

D-Will for Pau would work but the Lakers would have to throw in at least one of those picks and probably another player (Darius Morris) to pull that off.  Then you have nothing left to trade for Dwight except for Bynum so that dream scenario you just thought up would never happen.  Not in a million years unless both D-Will and Dwight decide to leave in free agency and the Lakers are o.k. with paying $40 million per year in luxury taxe penalties.

[rileymcshea3Participant]

^^^ I dont understand why people think a Brook Lopez and first round pick would work for Dwight but a Bynum for Howard trade is crazy.

I would much rather have Bynum then Lopez and a first round pick that wont be worth anything if Dwight and Deron are on the same thing because they will take them out of the lottery so it basically turns out to be would you rather have Bynum or Lopez and Bynum is the sceond best center in the league right now sooooo…

[NbanflguyParticipant]

I think we have different views on what "fun" is………

[BrentSuriaga01Participant]

I’m fed up and tired of this dwight howard scenarios. why not just trade him for andre blatche god damn it

[Author]

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