<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Now only Kobe Bryant and Devean George remain from the West era. Everything else is on Kupchak. "Last summer was a big challenge," Kupchak said. "Every summer's a big challenge." Despite losing Shaq, the Lakers are still over the salary cap. The common perception is that last offseason's major dealings will prevent Kupchak from making a significant upgrade this offseason. "I don't think so," he said. "We have a bunch of young players who I think are talented. And with the exception of one contract, everybody's contract is good. A lot of the guys are on one-year deals. And in collective-bargaining or salary-cap jargon, one-year deals are valuable, top contracts to lump together. "We have draft choices. We have Miami's pick next year, we have three picks this year (a first and two second rounders). I think we do have a lot of flexibility. "There is a window of opportunity here to improve the team." Kupchak first wants to hire a coach. Phil Jackson continues to be the name mentioned most often, but his return remains uncertain. Whoever it is, he has to stay around and turn out better than the Rudy Tomjanovich disaster. The lottery pick will most likely be the ninth or 10th selection. In a deep draft, the Lakers should be able to acquire a player who can help immediately. Either that, or package the pick in a trade to land an impact player. Acquiring that kind of player through free agency is unlikely. The Lakers will have the $5 million exception under the old collective bargaining agreement, but that's unlikely to entice anyone of significance. It's a challenging scenario for Kupchak. There are limited pieces to move and an impatient public waiting. How it all fits together will fashion his legacy as a general manager. It's his time now, and the clock is ticking.</div> Source
