Cuban Should Stop Dancing And Make Kobe A Maverick

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody">

As an innovative thinker, Mark Cuban has earned hundreds of millions. It's time for him to stop dancing long enough to huddle with Donnie Nelson and Avery Johnson to use the same type of forward thinking and singular resolve to add the world's best basketball player to the Mavericks' roster.</p>

Put Kobe Bryant on the Mavs, and it's as close to a guaranteed championship as Dallas will get in the next few years. And unlike a few months ago, I'm not suggesting the Mavs move Dirk Nowitzki to get the deal done. <span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody">

Trading for Bryant will be painful because you must give up quality pieces to acquire a megastar. The centerpieces of my proposal are Josh Howard and Devin Harris.</p>

Anyone else included in the deal is to make the money work, because Bryant will earn $19 million this season, and the Mavs must send the Lakers players who earn within 25 percent of his salary to meet the NBA requirements for a deal.</p>

Bryant also gets a 15 percent bonus &ndash; a trade kicker they call it &ndash; if he's dealt, though we all know he could forgo that money to facilitate a deal.</p>

Here's an offer that could get it done: Howard, Harris, Erick Dampier and Moe Ager, first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 and cash for Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic.</p>

Or the same four Mavs for Bryant, Brian Cook and Sasha Vujacic, if the Lakers want to keep Radmanovic.</p>

If the Lakers prefer Jason Terry instead of Harris, then a package of Terry, Howard, DeSagana Diop and Ager could get it done. There's been no indication the Lakers prefer Terry over Harris.</p>

There is no negotiating when it comes to Howard. He should be an All-Star this season and must be included in any deal for Bryant.</p>

This is all Dr. Jerry Buss' fault because the Lakers owner couldn't leave well enough alone. Instead of dealing Bryant in the off-season, when a bunch of teams could have been players, he waited until the worst possible time to publicly say that he would listen to all offers for Bryant.</div></p>

Source: Dallas News</p>
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I've done the hard work. All Cuban, Nelson or Johnson need to do is pick up the phone and get the deal done.</p>
<table width="100%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="bilabel" colspan="2">TRADE BAIT</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule" colspan="2">Jean-Jacques Taylor offers up his trade scenarios to bring Kobe Bryant to the Mavericks:</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#cccccc">
<td align="center" class="dwsmodule" colspan="2">SCENARIO 1</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Mavs send</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Lakers send</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Josh Howard</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Kobe Bryant</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Devin Harris</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Vlad Radmanovic</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Erick Dampier</td>
<td class="dwsmodule"></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Moe Ager</td>
<td class="dwsmodule"></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule" colspan="2">Mavs include first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 and cash</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#cccccc">
<td align="center" class="dwsmodule" colspan="2">SCENARIO 2</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Mavs send</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Lakers send</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Josh Howard</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Kobe Bryant</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Devin Harris</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Brian Cook</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Erick Dampier</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Sasha Vujacic</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Moe Ager</td>
<td class="dwsmodule"></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#cccccc">
<td align="center" class="dwsmodule" colspan="2">SCENARIO 3</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Mavs send</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Lakers send</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Jason Terry</td>
<td class="dwsmodule">Kobe Bryant</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Josh Howard</td>
<td class="dwsmodule"></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">DeSagana Diop</td>
<td class="dwsmodule"></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td class="dwsmodule">Moe Ager</td>
<td class="dwsmodule"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

You think the Mavs would really give up one of their centers?</p>

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I don't think either would be a deal breaker if Kobe Bryant were involved. Dampier is a stiff and I'm sure the Mavs would love to unload his contract. They got Diop for nothing and if he helps them net the best player in the league you make that move without giving it a second thought. The Mavs still have other pieces to trade to build around Dirk and Kobe.</p>

</p>

 

Didn't Harris just sign a contract? Doesn't that make him a BYC player? Shouldn't he be much more difficult to trade than say Jason Terry?</p>

Also, for those saying the Mavs can't offer enough, keep in mind that Kobe is forcing the Laker's hand because of the trade stipulations in his contract. He can just say no to a team that might offer more.</p>

Terry, Howard, and Diop would be a decent deal for the Mavs. Probably not as much as the Lakers want for Kobe but they are in a pickle.</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (speeds)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

Didn't Harris just sign a contract? Doesn't that make him a BYC player? Shouldn't he be much more difficult to trade than say Jason Terry?</p>

Also, for those saying the Mavs can't offer enough, keep in mind that Kobe is forcing the Laker's hand because of the trade stipulations in his contract. He can just say no to a team that might offer more.</p>

Terry, Howard, and Diop would be a decent deal for the Mavs. Probably not as much as the Lakers want for Kobe but they are in a pickle.</p>

</div></p>

Yeah Harris has a poison pill contract which makes him next to impossible to include. I think the deal on the table is Howard + Terry + Diop + Picks, but the Lakers don't want Terry's contract so the Mavs are trying to find a third team to take him. Maybe Miami can be the third team and send Jason Williams (expiring contract) to LA instead of Terry.</p>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (speeds)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

Didn't Harris just sign a contract? Doesn't that make him a BYC player? Shouldn't he be much more difficult to trade than say Jason Terry?</p>

Also, for those saying the Mavs can't offer enough, keep in mind that Kobe is forcing the Laker's hand because of the trade stipulations in his contract. He can just say no to a team that might offer more.</p>

Terry, Howard, and Diop would be a decent deal for the Mavs. Probably not as much as the Lakers want for Kobe but they are in a pickle.</p>

</div></p>

IMO, that would be a decent deal for the Lakers, as well. They get three starters to go alongside Odom and Walton/Fisher.</p>

</p>

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The Lakers don't want Terry because of his hefty contract. I hate this deal in comparison to the rumored Chicago deal packaged around Deng & Hinrich. Diop would be the backup to Bynum if the Lakers made this trade. I like Howard, but he's already 27 years old (only two years younger than Kobe) so he might have peaked already.</p>

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