<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>There would've been a lot more buzz Wednesday night in the newly renamed but still decoratively challenged IZOD Center, if only the Bulls had walked into the building with another guy wearing No. 24. There was no shortage of marquee names: Chris Rock, Jay-Z in his usual courtside seat, and even Donald Trump -- unless that was someone with a hairpiece dressed as The Donald for Halloween. No disrespect intended to one of the centerpieces of the Eddy Curry trade, but nobody came out to see Tyrus Thomas. The most likely day so far for Kobe Bryant to be traded to the Bulls came and went with little more than mixed signals and confusion in the Chicago locker room on opening night of their season.</p> Fresh off a 45-point, 32-shot performance in the Lakers' season-opening loss to the Rockets, Kobe remained stranded on the West Coast, waiting for Bulls general manager John Paxson to throw him a line. It's a one-team race; Kobe wants to be traded, he can veto any deal, and he wants to be traded to Chicago. A person who would be drawn into the negotiations if Kobe were being dealt to the Bulls said Wednesday night his phone has been silent. The Bulls don't want Luol Deng in the deal, and Kobe doesn't, either. So it's a staredown. And the longer it goes on, the more locker room havoc can be wreaked in the NBA's second- and third-largest cities. And the more the door opens for other teams -- Dallas, Phoenix, and especially the Knicks -- to nose their way into the fray. The next shoe to drop in the Kobe drama, if the Bulls and Lakers can't get it together, will be how long it takes Kobe to add more teams to his wish list. And if you have any hope of seeing Bryant in a Knicks uniform, the longer this drags on, the better. The Knicks were stung when Kobe's camp leaked that New York was off his list because of all the Garden chaos related to the sexual harassment lawsuit against Isiah Thomas and MSG. But Thomas knows full well that Kobe's objections will wane with every 40-point outburst on a team going nowhere and with every day that passes with no deal to the Bulls. The Bulls aren't dead until Kobe says they are. But they could've brought instant resolution to the biggest story in the NBA by trading Deng and Ben Gordon before Wednesday night's deadline for them to sign contract extensions. Instead, nobody blinked. Both Deng and Gordon were visibly disappointed before the game that their deals didn't get done, and seemed unsure what to think about not being traded yet. "I don't really know how to answer that," Deng said. "I'm still playing for the Bulls, I guess." What Kobe wants more than anything is to be traded to the Bulls. What Deng, Gordon, and evidently Ben Wallace want more than anything is a resolution, one way or another. The longer this goes without one only increases the potential for locker room discontent. "I would say so if I saw it, but I haven't," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said.</div></p> Source: Newsday</p> I'm not sure why Kobe is prolonging a deal from taking place by reportedly vetoing several deals both sides have come up with. It's an exhausting process for these GMs to discuss and work through trade scenarios that both sides agree to, then go through the motions of whether it not it works capwise, only to have Kobe say "NO DEAL."</p> Is Kobe waiting for a guarantee on his $30M extension before he agrees? At what point does Chicago say, you know what screw you Kobe you're wasting everyone's time?</p> If Kobe is being this selfish how is he going to gel with the Bulls team? He's creating drama for both the Bulls and Lakers locker rooms.</p>
Well, at least this saga puts to rest the notion that Kobe is unselfish. The man seems entirely unconcerned about the welfare of others. As Laker fans, deep inside we knew this to be true on the court, and now it's laughably apparent off-the-court as well.</p>
What are you smoking? Kobe killing this deal is the best thing that could happen to the Lakerfranchise. Kobe leaves and the Lakers become nothing but a bad expansion team.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (whatthef?)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> What are you smoking? Kobe killing this deal is the best thing that could happen to the Lakerfranchise. Kobe leaves and the Lakers become nothing but a bad expansion team.</p> </div></p> This isn't the Artest-Wallace deal. This deal would have brought us Deng, Gordon, Thomas, and Noah for Kobe. You wouldn't be happy with that?</p> </p>
This deal works:</p> Chicago sends Ben Wallace and Thabo Sefalosha to Phoenix</p> Chicago sends Ben Gordon to LA</p> Phoenix sends Shawn Marion to LA</p> LA sends Kobe to Chicago</p>
[ If Kobe is being this selfish how is he going to gel with the Bulls team? He's creating drama for both the Bulls and Lakers locker rooms.</p>[/QUOTE] </p> Exactly the point i made a few days ago, how will the Bulls roster recieve him? He is hurting himself everytime he belly aches.
[quote name='YourNewChef'][</p> If Kobe is being this selfish how is he going to gel with the Bulls team? He's creating drama for both the Bulls and Lakers locker rooms.</p> [/QUOTE]</p> </p> Exactly the point i made a few days ago, how will the Bulls roster recieve him? He is hurting himself everytime he belly aches.[/QUOTE]</p> Yeah it's frustrating to watch as both a Laker fan and Kobe fan.</p> I'd love to win now with Kobe and make some moves to get him help. However, if Kobe doesn't want to be in LA anymore then he needs to part ways and allow the change to take place.</p> There's a lot of mixed signals (or mixed information) and it's ruining the season.</p> </p>
Wait up... why does kobe want to be traded in the 1st place? what will he be left with in chicago if he accepts that deal which sends deng, gordon, thomas or noah to the lakers for him... hinrich, ben wallace and kobe cant win a ring + they dont have a deep bench LOL</p> If any other player is in kobe's position he too would veote all trades unless the best possible scenario comes along... which is 3 sides would benefit. never did kobe say or imply that he wants the lakers to suck, he just didnt want DENG included, thats it...come on! if the bulls send gordon, nocioni, thomas or noah, filler, picks for him then im sure all 3 sides wont be happy BUT would be satisfied...</p> Now regarding kobe not going anywhere... i say the Lakers should really concentrate on a PF, Bynum Kwame and Vlad for JO or work out a S&T for Okafor LOL</p> Or better yet, knock some 'offensive' skill into the other lakers</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (whatthef?)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> What are you smoking? Kobe killing this deal is the best thing that could happen to the Lakerfranchise. Kobe leaves and the Lakers become nothing but a bad expansion team.</p> </div></p> This isn't the Artest-Wallace deal. This deal would have brought us Deng, Gordon, Thomas, and Noah for Kobe. You wouldn't be happy with that?</p> </p> </div></p> </p> <div> Wait up... why does kobe want to be traded in the 1st place? what will he be left with in chicago if he accepts that deal which sends deng, gordon, thomas or noah to the lakers for him... hinrich, ben wallace and kobe cant win a ring + they dont have a deep bench LOL</p> If any other player is in kobe's position he too would veote all trades unless the best possible scenario comes along... which is 3 sides would benefit. never did kobe say or imply that he wants the lakers to suck, he just didnt want DENG included, thats it...come on! if the bulls send gordon, nocioni, thomas or noah, filler, picks for him then im sure all 3 sides wont be happy BUT would be satisfied...</p> Now regarding kobe not going anywhere... i say the Lakers should really concentrate on a PF, Bynum Kwame and Vlad for JO or work out a S&T for Okafor LOL</p> Or better yet, knock some 'offensive' skill into the other lakers</p> </div> </p>
