i myself have never really gotten over why we traded shaq, but you live on, anyway looking at our records we are exactly the same as the heat, 38-33, now i know they have got wade out, but if you consider all the injuries we've had this season then your pretty much equal. so my point is that if we finish with a better record than the heat, then do laker fans think differently of the trade, do we praise mitch and recognize the trade as something that began the lakers road to a championship (whenever that is), and as a blessing or as a savior for the franchise. i myself are undecided about the matter, what if we kept shaq? what if they worked it out like adults and continued their glory? maybe they could have won another 2 or 3 rings, who knows? but my question still stands, how do laker fans feel about the trade right now, nowing that we could possibly finish with a better record than the heat after only a couple seasons of rebuilding, is mitch really as bad as we laker fans make him out to be?
I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure we could have done much better than Odom, Butler, and Grant (who's huge contract is still effecting our cap).
<div class="quote_poster">Brian Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure we could have done much better than Odom, Butler, and Grant (who's huge contract is still effecting our cap).</div> do you mean in what we got for return or if we kept shaq
<div class="quote_poster">AKIRA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">do you mean in what we got for return or if we kept shaq</div> Well, keeping Shaq wasn't an option. It was basically either Kobe or Shaq, and with the amount of money Shaq was demanding, his age, and his work ethic, the obvious choice was Kobe Bryant. What I was saying though, was that we could have gotten a better deal in return
Since that trade the Heat have one championship, and the Lakers have none. The Heat got what they wanted out of the deal, and might do it again. Who knows, Shaq seems to have found the fountain of youth.
Heat got the short term deal, they got instant success but are going to have to deal with an expensive and lazy Shaq in years to come. Lakers took youth, determination, and hard work which is more long term. Kobe is the obvious choice if you had to put statistics side to side. I am still upset for what we got for Shaq.
The Heat easily won the trade. Basically, the Lakers got Lamar Odom/Kwame Brown/Jordan Farmar/Brian Grant for one of the best C's ever.
<div class="quote_poster">Brian Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Well, keeping Shaq wasn't an option. It was basically either Kobe or Shaq, and with the amount of money Shaq was demanding, his age, and his work ethic, the obvious choice was Kobe Bryant. What I was saying though, was that we could have gotten a better deal in return</div> You're half right, but it wasn't keep Shaq and lose Kobe, it was a question if whether or not paying Shaq $33Million a year made any sense. The obvious answer is no. Shaq priced himself out of the market, and then settled for much less in Miami. In hindsight the Heat obviously got the best of this deal, because they won the title and they have a chance to defend their title again this year. Shaq brought credibility to the Heat, and resurrected their franchise. The only person you can point the finger at is Mitch Kupchak settling for the players he got in return for Shaq. His initial conversation with Pat Riley was supposed to be bring Riley back to the Laker franchise. He told him the issues he was having Shaq and Riley said to let him talk to Shaq and play the role of mediator. Instead Kupchak revealed his hand and told Riley he wanted to trade Shaq. Riley jumped at the opportunity and remained in Miami. Whenever you trade a superstar like Shaq you need to get back an up and coming young player and either multiple draft picks or cap relief. The Lakers got an up and coming young player in Odom, but failed in the second part of the deal. Accepting Brian Grant in the deal was foolish, and not demanding for Dwyane Wade, more picks, or Dorrell Wright was another miscalculated move.
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">You're half right, but it wasn't keep Shaq and lose Kobe, it was a question if whether or not paying Shaq $33Million a year made any sense. The obvious answer is no. Shaq priced himself out of the market, and then settled for much less in Miami. In hindsight the Heat obviously got the best of this deal, because they won the title and they have a chance to defend their title again this year. Shaq brought credibility to the Heat, and resurrected their franchise. The only person you can point the finger at is Mitch Kupchak settling for the players he got in return for Shaq. His initial conversation with Pat Riley was supposed to be bring Riley back to the Laker franchise. He told him the issues he was having Shaq and Riley said to let him talk to Shaq and play the role of mediator. Instead Kupchak revealed his hand and told Riley he wanted to trade Shaq. Riley jumped at the opportunity and remained in Miami. Whenever you trade a superstar like Shaq you need to get back an up and coming young player and either multiple draft picks or cap relief. The Lakers got an up and coming young player in Odom, but failed in the second part of the deal. Accepting Brian Grant in the deal was foolish, and not demanding for Dwyane Wade, more picks, or Dorrell Wright was another miscalculated move.</div> Would they have gave up Dwayne Wade back then?
<div class="quote_poster">Kobe24bryant Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Would they have gave up Dwayne Wade back then? </div> No one really knows for sure. I've heard different reports, some saying Riley would have caved in and given up Wade, and other reports saying Wade was untouchable. The report I read said the Lakers had a choice between Wade or Odom and Jim Buss (Jerry Buss son) pushed for Odom because he thought he would work perfectly in Rudy T's run and gun offense.
I've read some articles that had Riley quoted as saying that if Mitch would've pushed harder, he could've gotten both Odom and Wade...
as of now, right now, forgetting last years finals, if we finish with a better record would you guys consider us better than the heat?
<div class="quote_poster">AKIRA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">as of now, right now, forgetting last years finals, if we finish with a better record would you guys consider us better than the heat?</div> for defense of the heat, they have had the 3 most valuable parts of the team go down. Shaq, Wade, and Riley. and having pieces of the puzzle go out of the chemistry the heat had then that leads to the record they have. they just havent had the chance to get all together and get going this year. and although the lakers had many injuries too, i think with both teams healthy its obvious that the heat are better, despite records. but thats my opinion
At the time of the trade Odem was having the best season of his career. But you gotta think that wade was offlimits. If your the lakers and you saw that Hornets Heat series that year, if you could get wade you wouldve. You also have to take this into consideration. Shaq wouldnt go play for a team without another budding perimeter scorer. if they tried to send him where he didnt want to go he would simply promise to sit out. And if you sent wade and Odem. Shaq would refuse to play for the heat.
<div class="quote_poster">michiganave17 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">You also have to take this into consideration. Shaq wouldnt go play for a team without another budding perimeter scorer. if they tried to send him where he didnt want to go he would simply promise to sit out. And if you sent wade and Odem. Shaq would refuse to play for the heat.</div> Well said. Shaq has only had such great success playing with league best guards, Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and now Dwyane Wade. If he was on the Lakers still, and Kobe was the one who was traded, I dont think he would be able to lead them to a title by himself.
<div class="quote_poster">michiganave17 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">At the time of the trade Odem was having the best season of his career. But you gotta think that wade was offlimits. If your the lakers and you saw that Hornets Heat series that year, if you could get wade you wouldve. You also have to take this into consideration. Shaq wouldnt go play for a team without another budding perimeter scorer. if they tried to send him where he didnt want to go he would simply promise to sit out. And if you sent wade and Odem. Shaq would refuse to play for the heat.</div> Yeah I agree, which is why I don't really believe Wade was ever available. Not only did Shaq need a perimeter player on the roster, Wade's rookie contract allowed the Heat to add Shaq's payroll and still have some cap flexibility to round out the rest of the roster. However, I remember some Miami fans being upset about the trade. They wanted to see how the Heat could develop with their young roster. Odom-Wade-Butler was a nice trio of prospects to have your core built around. Winning a title is always more fulfilling when you do it with some rebuilding young and reaching the pinnacle together. Adding Shaq put them on the fast track, but you could perceive it as a cheap way at winning. Similar to when the Lakers put together their dream team of Payton, Malone, Shaq and Kobe, eventhough they didn't win a title that year, it wouldn't have been as meaningful like the previous ones.
That would have been crazy if we had got Wade, Wade would be like Monta Ellis for the Lakers, he would have playd the atlethic PG role.. He probably would't have become as good he is now.
<div class="quote_poster">Kobe24bryant Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">That would have been crazy if we had got Wade, Wade would be like Monta Ellis for the Lakers, he would have playd the atlethic PG role.. He probably would't have become as good he is now.</div> why not hes doing now what he did his rookie year. his 3 point shot is better. but overall the same player. and he may have been better if he was a laker. practicing with kobe every day would elevate his game imo.
<div class="quote_poster">michiganave17 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">why not hes doing now what he did his rookie year. his 3 point shot is better. but overall the same player. and he may have been better if he was a laker. practicing with kobe every day would elevate his game imo.</div> He wouldn't have been better then he already is.. He wouldn't have had the ball enough for him to devolp, and he wouldn't have been the go to guy. He would have been the second option, he would have been a Pippen to Jordan.
