NBA Off-Season Thread: The disband of the Lakers begins

[Excape Goat]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=531&ncid=531&e=1&u=/ap/20040619/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_lakers_jackson

Jackson Quits Lakers; Shaq Wants Trade

[Ian McCracken]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=531&ncid=531&e=1&u=/ap/20040619/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_lakers_jackson

Jackson Quits Lakers; Shaq Wants Trade

I like it. The Bad Boys Pistons of the late 80s killed off the Laker Showtime era and now the modern day Detroit ballers killed off the Kobe/Shaq dynasty.

Deeeeetrooooiiitttt Basketbaaaalllllll

[TheSlipperyOne]

Lakers already looking for another coach: Henry Bibby and Rudy T.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1824658

Buss & Kupchak's plans for Kobe and Shaq has alot to say about the situation:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1824721

[skipshady]

Buss & Kupchak's plans for Kobe and Shaq has alot to say about the situation:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1824721Yikes. I know Shaq isn't getting any younger and Kobe is an amazingly talented player, but if I'm building a franchise, it's always going to be around Shaq. Good lord.

[dark knight]

What a great response by Shaq to Kobe in that Friend article, including about what Kobe said about Jackson. I'm starting to like Shaq more, especially if he's leaving the Lakers.

Should we make this the off-season thread?

[(TxT)]

Everyone keeps talking about everyone the Lakers are getting rid of but does anyone know who they plan to bring in to replace Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and such.

[TheSlipperyOne]

Should we make this the off-season thread?

Probably a good idea. Just keep the Expansion Draft and regular draft threads separate for now.

[superdave]

What a great response by Shaq to Kobe in that Friend article, including about what Kobe said about Jackson. I'm starting to like Shaq more, especially if he's leaving the Lakers.
Man, could Kobe possibly have come off any worse than he did in that article? I hadn't heard that Kobe was habitually late to meetings and practices. What a dick.

[skipshady]

The impression I get from articles I read about Kobe over the years is that coaches and teammates put up with Kobe because a) he is a special player and b) the fans and the management love him. He does as he pleases because he has always been the golden child and doesn't know any other way.

I think his teammates were hoping that Kobe would sign with the Clippers so the Lakers could be Shaq's team. They love Shaq because he's a total goofball but looks out for his teammates - you might remember how earlier in the season, he went out of his way to talk up Luke Walton, even though he doesn't get along with Bill Walton.

[Narmec]

If I had two bullets in a gun and could shoot anybody:

1. Dick Advocaat
2. Kobe Bryant

[Danks81]

Save the bullets, use dodgeballs.

[Excape Goat]

Everyone keeps talking about everyone the Lakers are getting rid of but does anyone know who they plan to bring in to replace Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and such.

Draft picks and draft picks and draft picks.

[dark knight]

Everyone keeps talking about everyone the Lakers are getting rid of but does anyone know who they plan to bring in to replace Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and such.

They're planning to build the team around Kobe. The ironic thing is that I doubt Kobe can inspire any All-Star players to join his team.

[PsychedelicCeltic]

The Big Aristotle in Boston?

Please God, Please God, Please God...

[skipshady]

I'll assume that Kobe will be back after a not guilty verdict in Colorado.

Payton will probably be back, because he knows he'll take a pay cut if he opts out, after that stinker of a postseason.

Malone, I'm guessing is 50-50. It depends on his knee, and whether the 2004-05 Lakers have a chance to win the championship. If Shaq is traded, Malone may not be back.

Fisher, I think he will opt out of his contract, but whether he's back in LA or elsewhere, I have no idea. From what I've read, Fisher is Kobe's best (only?) friend on the team, so the Lakers will try very hard to re-sign him. The good news for the Lakers is that they can go over the cap to sign him.

Medvedenko is an FA, and I don't think the Lakers can go over the cap to sign him. They can use the midlevel exception to keep him, and that's probably about the right price range, but that means they can't use the exception for anyone else. They might just go with Brian Cook as their power forward of the future

As for Shaq, a Shaq-to-Orlando is a pretty doable trade, if Orlando is willing. They can package whoever the Lakers want in the draft (Okafor?) and a few more draft picks, Grant Hill's big fat contract, Andrew DeClerq (he'd have to start if the Lakers can't sign a free agent center, but his contract expires in '05), Pat Garrity and Juwan Howard and abunch of other guys. Though at this point, this is all speculation.

[Sempuukyaku]

As for Shaq, a Shaq-to-Orlando is a pretty doable trade, if Orlando is willing. They can package whoever the Lakers want in the draft (Okafor?) and a few more draft picks, Grant Hill's big fat contract, Andrew DeClerq (he'd have to start if the Lakers can't sign a free agent center, but his contract expires in '05), Pat Garrity and Juwan Howard and abunch of other guys. Though at this point, this is all speculation.


From what I've been hearing as of late, the Dallas Mavericks are the team in the best position to trade for Shaq. And even though the Lakers don't want to deal Shaq to a western conference team, they may have to to since no other eastern conference team has the money or pieces to trade for him.

[skipshady]

From what I've been hearing as of late, the Dallas Mavericks are the team in the best position to trade for Shaq. And even though the Lakers don't want to deal Shaq to a western conference team, they may have to to since no other eastern conference team has the money or pieces to trade for him.
Yep, the big rumor is Shaq and T-Mac going to Dallas. Mark Cuban denies it, but the Magic are ready to make an announcement of some sort.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2004-06-20-shaq-tmac_x.htm

The big sticking point is that Shaq wants a 2-year, $60 million extension after 2006. That's crazy money for a player who's going to be 34 years old and has a history of foot injuries. I think Shaq knows it too, but a part of me is hoping that he takes a paycut at Dallas (or wherever he ends up) as a middle finger to the Lakers management.

[TheSlipperyOne]

Yep, the big rumor is Shaq and T-Mac going to Dallas. Mark Cuban denies it, but the Magic are ready to make an announcement of some sort.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2004-06-20-shaq-tmac_x.htm


That would sure be interesting.

Stephen A. Smith said on PTI today that the Kings want Shaq also and might be up for trading C-Web and Peja for him. I doubt that will be happening though.

[TheSlipperyOne]

Jim Gray has just called in to Sportcenter that McGrady and Howard to Houston for Mobley, Francis and Cato is almsot a done deal. And that Francis is already lobbying to try to get another team involved because the big baby doesn't want to play in Orlando.

[tedwar]

on espn.com David Aldridge goes into the Shaq scenarios. I'm sure the Nets are still feeling burned by the Mourning contract (and Dikembe's contract), but Shaq in the East, on the Nets, is pretty scary.

But I know, Mullin trades Damp, Foyle, the French guy whose name I can't spell, and J-Rich plus the Warriors first round pick and two of those cool 'The City' throwback unis to LA for Shaq. The sad thing is I'm pretty sure even those four guys' contracts don't add up to Shaq's.

Tony