Caron Butler and filler for Carlos Boozer Baron Davis (who was willing to settle for less money according to Stephen A. Smith) Jason Kidd Mike Bibby Ron Artest Which of the previously mentioned players that could've been added is most disappointing to you. For me, it's Easily Carlos Boozer. Kobe and Boozer would've been sick. He's a big, strong PF who can put up 20 and 10. He can dominate in the paint. It would've given the Lakers the inside/out game they had with Shaq. And don't let me forget to mention it was Caron Butler and Chris Mihm...instead we traded Caron Butler for Kwame Brown. I can't blame the Bibby failure on our organization...the Kings pulled out at the last minute because they didn't want to help out the Lakers.
I really wanted Kidd to go to LA. I thought it would happen. To bad for you guys though, would of helped both team. And second team I mean is the Raptors.
Yea the Bibby one, is hard to call a failure, because it wasn't on Mitch's shoulders. If it was a year ago, or two years ago, prior to Boozer's great play this season and playoffs. As well he had a hammy injury for a long period of time, and than I think he reinjured it for another long span of time. Then it wouldn't have been as obvious that Boozer for Caron and Mihm was an amazing trade, just a good trade. Right now I'd say Caron Butler. A year ago, I'd probably have incorrectly said Ron Artest over B-Diddy.
I've always had the feeling that Butler would be a great player in this league. Every since I saw him in his rookie year in Miami, I have been impressed by him. I was disappointed that we let him go, especially for someone as unproven and easily influenced as Kwame Brown. I really believe that had we traded Odom for a solid big, and revolved the team around Kobe & Caron, we would be further along than we are now.
The saddest thing about the Caron trade? Caron and Kobe are best friends and when they were teammates, they gelled together perfectly. Kobe got a phone call telling Caron had been traded. Kobe didn't even know the organization was thinking about trading Caron after the Boozer deal fell through. I've forgiven Mitch for his inabilities to pull off a trade. He was all for Boozer and Artest, but Jim Buss declined to give his approval on both deals. Daddy Buss listened to his son, over Mitch. Let's pretend Mitch got his trade approved...our lineup with Boozer to start this previous season. Smush Parker Kobe Bryant Lamar Odom Carlos Boozer Kwame Brown Imagine that post defense. Our lineup with B Diddy. Baron Kobe Luke Odom Kwame Our lineup with Artest... Smush Kobe Artest Ronnie Kwame Obviously, the Boozer lineup is the best. God, hindsight really is 20/20.
The biggest upset for me was Carlos Boozer he is a great player and i would of love to have him in the Lakers.I just can believe they let him go for Caron Butler and Chris Mihm looking at Mihm he sucked.We could have had a chance in atleat getting pass the first round. And then trading Butler for KWAME BROWN thats just stupid...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Smush Parker Kobe Bryant Lamar Odom Carlos Boozer Kwame Brown</div> Wouldn't Kwame still be on the Wizards since you traded Caron for Boozer?
Caron sucked when he was with us? Did you watch him, at all? He averaged 15.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.9 APG. He shot 45%, better than Kobe did. Caron has had one bad year in this league...his second year when he was hampered with injuries. I don't know what team or player you were watching...but it wasn't Caron on the Lakers.
Well, at the time Boozer was looking like a big bust for the Jazz. But like Artest, it was a moderate risk/high reward type of deal.
Boozer was a HUGE risk, not a moderate risk. Remember he has a longer and overall bigger contract then Odom right now and if he struggled the Lakers would be in cap hell and would have absolutely no leverage what so ever. Boozer was thought to have a bad attitude and was injury prone. Not to mention he was considered one of the most overpaid players at the time. Lastly you all didn't offer anything for Boozer. It was a pretty poor package that you were offering for him. I'd say Artest was probably the biggest trade that hurt the Lakers because it was the trade that they likely would have given up the least for. That was the only one that Bynum and Odom probably didn't have to be involved in because the Pacers had to get rid of Artest ASAP. No wing would have been able to score on Kobe/Artest. tbh I don't think you all really had much of a chance at the others and it was mainly the big market news stations and stuff like that that were fabricating possible rumors and making them more serious then they really were.(besides from the Kidd one)
I didn't agree with the Caron Butler trade, but I understood why the Lakers made the deal. They needed some size, and Butler was asking for more than the team was willing to pay him. What I didn't understand about the deal was paying Kwame almost twice his market value. They might as well have given Kwame's contract to the better player, Caron Butler, and tried to pursue someone else to fill the center spot. The deal I'm really disappointed with was the Lakers inability to land Jason Kidd. He would have been a major upgrade at our weakest position, has the drive to win a title still, and would have taken pressure off Kobe on the defensive end, and Odom on the offensive end. Plus the Nets were going to include Jason Collins in the deal, so the Lakers would still have a servicable big man if they ended up trading Bynum.
<div class="quote_poster">Mamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Oh yeah, that completely skipped my mind. Thank you... Smush Kobe Odom Boozer ???</div> If that trade would have happened... this year it would have been.. Farmar/ Veteran PG Kobe Odom Boozer Bynum/ Mihm/ Or some backup center ^ That looks like WCF team to me...
Was Caron really asking for a lot of money? I don't remember... At the time, Caron and Mihm was a good offer for Boozer.
<div class="quote_poster">Mamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Was Caron really asking for a lot of money? I don't remember... At the time, Caron and Mihm was a good offer for Boozer.</div> It was a good offer for the Jazz at the time, but the Lakers didn't want the risk of getting handcuffed with Boozer's monster contract if he didn't pan out. Remember he had a lot of questions and was considered one of the most overpaid players. It's easy to look at it in hindsight with what Boozer is doing now, but he could have easily flopped in LA without a PG like Deron Williams and you all would be totally screwed.
