2017 NBA Offseason Thread

[LAD]

I understand. But Wade was synonymous to the Heat as Kobe was to the Lakers. It really has nothing to do with the money they bring in. It has more to do with the salary cap. The Heat would've had to give up pieces to keep Wade at the price he wanted, and I'm glad they didn't. I saw how Kobe delayed the rebuild the Lakers needed.

I get your point about how that move stunted the growth of the team & that many teams wouldn't have done that. I think what he's trying to say is the revenue that Kobe brought in for the Lakers and the fact that he was a part of 5 different championship runs meant a lot to that organization - and so they rewarded him via that contract.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I understand. But Wade was synonymous to the Heat as Kobe was to the Lakers. It really has nothing to do with the money they bring in. It has more to do with the salary cap. The Heat would've had to give up pieces to keep Wade at the price he wanted, and I'm glad they didn't. I saw how Kobe delayed the rebuild the Lakers needed.

That was a huge mistake by Jim Buss. For one thing, the Lakers should have waited to resign Kobe so they could have landed a big agent and then used bird rights on Kobe. It was just one bad mistake another and now you have Mitch Kupchak on the news wondering why he was fired.

 

[Heatles84]

That was a huge mistake by Jim Buss. For one thing, the Lakers should have waited to resign Kobe so they could have landed a big agent and then used bird rights on Kobe. It was just one bad mistake another and now you have Mitch Kupchak on the news wondering why he was fired.

That's not how the salary cap works though. Kobe's cap hold was similar to what he received from the Lakers. Signing Kobe in general to $25 mil per when the cap was around $70-$80 mil was the overall issue. No other free agent was going to want to play with Kobe who everyone knew was in the twilight in their career and that there wasn't much around him to actually contend for a title. As great as Kobe is, playing with him on a non-contending team is probably not the most pleasant experience.

 

[Heatles84]

I get your point about how that move stunted the growth of the team & that many teams wouldn't have done that. I think what he's trying to say is the revenue that Kobe brought in for the Lakers and the fact that he was a part of 5 different championship runs meant a lot to that organization - and so they rewarded him via that contract.

I get that. And that's why I'm saying I'm glad that the Heat didn't make the same move with Wade.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

That was a huge mistake by Jim Buss. For one thing, the Lakers should have waited to resign Kobe so they could have landed a big agent and then used bird rights on Kobe. It was just one bad mistake another and now you have Mitch Kupchak on the news wondering why he was fired.

Tell me TLF, why was Mitch fired exactly?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Ultimately he chose to give up some $$$ to play for a winner.

Then why did he go to cleveland?

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Tell me TLF, why was Mitch fired exactly?

I would think that was obvious, but perhaps you should be asking Mitch Kupchak that question. He was the one speculating and why HE was possibly fired.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I would think that was obvious, but perhaps you should be asking Mitch Kupchak that question. He was the one speculating and why HE was possibly fired.

Kobe's final contract extension had nothing to do with Mitch being fired. In fact, Magic and Rob said they would probably do the same thing again if they were in that position back then.

 

[gordontrue]

Then why did he go to cleveland?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

 

[CitySushi]

Kobe's final contract extension had nothing to do with Mitch being fired. In fact, Magic and Rob said they would probably do the same thing again if they were in that position back then.

Everyone knew it was a legacy contract for Kobe. No GM in the league could have said no to that deal. So I'm with you, I don't think that had any affect on Mitch's standing.

 

[CitySushi]

That was a huge mistake by Jim Buss. For one thing, the Lakers should have waited to resign Kobe so they could have landed a big agent and then used bird rights on Kobe. It was just one bad mistake another and now you have Mitch Kupchak on the news wondering why he was fired.

THIS!

 

[CitySushi]

I get that. And that's why I'm saying I'm glad that the Heat didn't make the same move with Wade.

To be fair though, Kobe, in terms of marketing and financial production was critical to the pockets of the Lakers. For what they paid for his contract, they made back 10 fold.

Kobe is on another level from a global perspective than Wade. His contract was terrible, no doubt, but they were kind of handcuffed into doing so.

 

[gordontrue]

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

THIS!

I disagree. Kobe was a very difficult player to deal with. Only a very small percentage of top free agents would bother to even just consider the Lakers

 

[LAD]

I disagree. Kobe was a very difficult player to deal with. Only a very small percentage of top free agents would bother to even just consider the Lakers

I think the players that already knew who they were in terms of their talent weren't put off by his demand for perfection.

I often wish it would've worked out for the Lakers to get KG when he & Kobe were both in their prime. Would've made or some nice basketball.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Everyone knew it was a legacy contract for Kobe. No GM in the league could have said no to that deal. So I'm with you, I don't think that had any affect on Mitch's standing.

The Mozgov and Deng contracts were pretty bad, then there was the fact that the Lakers failed to sign any big agents when in the past the Lakers had none and truthfully - Other then trading for Pau Gasol - I can't really think of any really elite players that Kupchak did sign. I understand that the Lakers were going to give Kobe a large contract, but I think they should have waited until they signed another player and then signed him under the bird rights - if that was legal. I just think they should have been more creative. They did give Kobe to much money, but it is what it is

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Kobe's final contract extension had nothing to do with Mitch being fired. In fact, Magic and Rob said they would probably do the same thing again if they were in that position back then.

Never said it was - I noted it was just one of many mistakes - in how it was handled. Could have been handled better in order to attract better options.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Never said it was - I noted it was just one of many mistakes - in how it was handled. Could have been handled better in order to attract better options.

There were no better options. Nobody was coming to the Lakers with an ageing Kobe running the show.

The recent mistakes Mitch made was the signing/trading for Nash and Dwight and the signing of Deng and Mosgov. The latter screwed things up so bad Jeannie didn't have a choice.

Mitch was a fantastic GM though.

 

[Heatles84]

To be fair though, Kobe, in terms of marketing and financial production was critical to the pockets of the Lakers. For what they paid for his contract, they made back 10 fold.

Kobe is on another level from a global perspective than Wade. His contract was terrible, no doubt, but they were kind of handcuffed into doing so.

I understand that. I know in the grand scheme of things, Kobe was actually underpaid in his last few years compared to what he brought to the franchise. From a salary cap perspective and growth to the team, he was a hindrance.