<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Bulls general manager John Paxson denied an ESPN report that the Lakers have contacted the Bulls regarding a possible trade for Kobe Bryant. While discussing Bryant’s situation on ESPNews, NBA analyst Ric Bucher said the Lakers “have talked to the Chicago Bulls.” Reached by e-mail late Tuesday, Paxson wrote that the report was not true.</div> http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=324360 There is more in the article. I'm surprized that some ESPN analysts just don't seem to care about accuracy, he didn't get his facts right in this article, and the article on Kobe initially asking for a trade seems to misrepresent the truth or something at the time. Anyway, I also found it kind of surprizing that the Lakers have not talked with the Bulls.
GM's are always going to lie and deny every report its most likely they have called eachother. GM's are like lawyers by contacted they prob mean met in person... they use language like Bill Clinton. "I didnt [technically] have sex with that woman.... Ms Lewinsky.
GM's rarely agree with media reports. If something is brewing and if multiple people are hinting at/reporting it, there's probably something going on.