<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">By Eric Pincus for HOOPSWORLD.com May 16, 2007, 04:12 With apologies to GetGarnett.com, the Los Angeles Lakers must not overpay if Kevin Garnett becomes available. Though it doesn't appear that the Minnesota Timberwolves are trading the Big Ticket; if he is put on the block . . . the Lakers need to pass if price is too high. While some might think a package built around Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum would be the starting point; that already is too much for the former league MVP. On the surface Garnett seems like a move they should make at all costs. Pairing up two of the best players in the league in Kobe Bryant and Garnett would seemingly guarantee a championship. The Lakers would be able to win rolling out two on five . . . Nope, basketball is a team sport. As it is, LA is already facing a significant talent gap. They have major holes at guard and significant questions at center. This summer's crop of Mid-Level Exception (MLE, $5.5-$6 million) players is sparse. The team would need to rely on players like Kwame Brown, Vladimir Radmanovic, Brian Cook and Sasha Vujacic more than ever. Even if the Lakers took back a guard like Mike James, Marko Jaric or Ricky Davis, the Lakers would still not be a contender. It would take a couple of years to put the proper role players around the two stars. It's certainly possible a championship team comes together . . . but in all likelihood it wouldn't happen as quickly as fans would expect. Instead of piecing together an imaginary team around Bryant and Garnett, consider the opportunity cost of giving up two significant players for one. Both Odom and Bynum are valuable trade pieces. Bynum (and filler) without Odom may be able to snag the Lakers an All-Star like Pau Gasol or Jermaine O'Neal. Is Garnett better than the combination of Odom and Gasol . . . or Odom and O'Neal? What if the Lakers in turn decided to trade Odom to bring in a point guard like Jason Kidd or Mike Bibby? Wouldn't Kidd and O'Neal give the Lakers a much better shot at a title in the short term than just Garnett? Frankly it's hard to gauge the trade market at this point. Names like Garnett, Gasol, O'Neal, Kidd and Bibby may all be out of reach for LA regardless of what they do. The Lakers have to be very selective . . . or risk wasting the prime of Bryant and the coaching of Phil Jackson. Another major factor to consider is Garnett's opt out after next season. If it's in his heart to be a Laker, then he'll have to make his way to LA as a free agent when he has leverage . . . even if that means signing for the team's MLE. To give up so much when it's possible he can be had for practically nothing in a year's time simply makes no sense. And if he never comes? So be it. At this point Garnett doesn't appear to be asking out. The Minnesota Timberwolves appear unlikely to trade him. The Lakers want to make a big move but it's not clear who (or if) they'd consider moving Bynum and/or Odom for . . . and what either will get in return. The answers will start to come after the NBA Draft Lottery on May 22nd. The Bottom Line If Minnesota does decide to put Garnett on the block, the Lakers should make every effort to put a reasonable package together. But while what lies ahead for the Lakers is unclear, one thing is certain . . . overpaying for Kevin Garnett would be a mistake. </div> Source - http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_21964.shtml
LOL the lakers dont have a roster that would over pay KG in a trade. and If KG gets out of the contract. we all know he's 32 years old but hes still gonna get a nice payday with all that he bring to a team.
The problem I have with the article is, not overpaying for KG, is predicated by the fact the Lakers can still trade for a Gasol or JO or Kidd. If the Lakers can land an All-Star player for just Bynum and fillers of course they'd prefer doing it. However, is a team like Memphis really going to fire sale Gasol for Bynum's potential? Gasol is still young, as is Jermaine O'Neal, you could even argue Memphis has a brighter future if they land Greg Oden or Kevin Durant in this year's draft. They also have a lot of cap room to add a high profile free agent this summer or the next. Jermain O'Neal has an expensive contract, so you're going to have to gut the roster to land him, or include Odom and/or Kwame along with Bynum. Also it doesn't factor into account the possibility of Kobe demanding a trade. Kobe does not have the passive personality KG has. If Kobe doesn't feel the organization is doing enough to make a title run, Kobe will demand a trade. He's not going to stick around and waste his prime years, while Kupchak and Buss sit on their hands and hope Bynum lives up to his potential. If those are the organizations intentions, then they might aswell trade Kobe now and get back some players to develop alongside Bynum. Kobe's value is at an all-time high, if you're not going to build a serious team around him, then why not trade him.
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post"> If those are the organizations intentions, then they might aswell trade Kobe now and get back some players to develop alongside Bynum. Kobe's value is at an all-time high, if you're not going to build a serious team around him, then why not trade him.</div> Great point here. You could get a whole 15 for kobe right now. I think pax would trade hinrich gordon deng and whoever for Kobe. Why? because kobe is just that good. But you dont trade kobe you just make a way to get pieces around him. if it means thru trade free agent or even looking to go overseas for talent you do that. Becuse if you do you WILL win a chip!
<div class="quote_poster">michiganave17 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Great point here. You could get a whole 15 for kobe right now. I think pax would trade hinrich gordon deng and whoever for Kobe. Why? because kobe is just that good. But you dont trade kobe you just make a way to get pieces around him. if it means thru trade free agent or even looking to go overseas for talent you do that. Becuse if you do you WILL win a chip!</div> As a Bulls fan, would you trade Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Tyrus Thomas for Kobe Bryant? (pretend there is no salary rule)
<div class="quote_poster">Brian Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">As a Bulls fan, would you trade Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Tyrus Thomas for Kobe Bryant? (pretend there is no salary rule)</div> no I wouldnt; I said that to get a point across. but in a realistc trade I would because we have a great GM that will get the peices around Kobe and make us a Championship team. Pax was going to sign Bryant if he didnt stay in LA. Kobe is probably wishing he went to the chi. he hinrich and deng would be Killing the league right now.
i am a laker fan first, i kobe fan second. the lakers are too important to me and if all we are going to do is get outed in the first round of the playoffs then im not happy. if it means trading kobe in two or three seasons then im up for it. but we should wait to see what we can do this offseason and next season with a better point gaurd (the most important position in basketball) and with everyone healthy. i am starting to think that we dont really need another superstar like kg or jo, we need smart players, a point gaurd who can feed bryant odom and bynum the ball, maybe not bynum but a new center, because their is no point getting a PF because in our offense that position doesnt play an improtant role in comparison to the center. we should not get an unproven player who gets onto the highlight reel, we need good, hard working veterans who know what it takes to win in the nba. i love this team and i dont want to see it go down the shitter. lets hope those men in the offices feel the same way.
<div class="quote_poster">AKIRA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">i am a laker fan first, i kobe fan second. the lakers are too important to me and if all we are going to do is get outed in the first round of the playoffs then im not happy. if it means trading kobe in two or three seasons then im up for it. but we should wait to see what we can do this offseason and next season with a better point gaurd (the most important position in basketball) and with everyone healthy. i am starting to think that we dont really need another superstar like kg or jo, we need smart players, a point gaurd who can feed bryant odom and bynum the ball, maybe not bynum but a new center, because their is no point getting a PF because in our offense that position doesnt play an improtant role in comparison to the center. we should not get an unproven player who gets onto the highlight reel, we need good, hard working veterans who know what it takes to win in the nba. i love this team and i dont want to see it go down the shitter. lets hope those men in the offices feel the same way.</div> I agree with you. We need a smart PG and the answer is Jason Kidd is the Lakers could pull off a trade for him i think that we will be a stronger and better and smarter team.
