What is this talk of Lebron to Lakers

[True Lakers Fan]

Lakers’ source pessimistic about team’s chances with LeBron James
While the Lakers have long been considered the optimal destination for free agents to play, there is a growing pessimism in the team’s front office about their chances of luring stars to Los Angeles next summer.
“Within the organization there isn’t a single person that believes we can bring LeBron aboard,” one source close to Lakers management said.
One reason why the team is increasingly pessimistic about the team’s chances of luring a star is that Kobe Bryant continues to develop a reputation of being a difficult teammate.
“Pau [Gasol] is a two-time champion and a five-time All-Star and he’s one of the most disrespected players ever,” notes one agent. “He gets bad press all the time.”
Another agent said the Bryant’s presence will weigh on the mind of any free agent looking to play for the Lakers ”Uh, duh. Yes,” the agent said matter-of-factly.

Personally - that sounds retarded for any person with any kind of intelligence to think and say. Kobe has been to the finals seven times and won five championships, won two gold medals in the international Olympics and been in something like 14 all star games as a key player and won the all time defensive player awards. When I was learning to play chess back in high school and then continued playing in college 30 years ago, I enjoyed getting my ass beat by the champions - I learned how to become one. Now Dwight Howard will never be a champion because he like James Hardin chose to leave an excellent organization like the Thunder for a losing organization like the Rockets. I know some of you hate Kobe, but truthfully - you sound stupid

 

[lakersrule]

Who was the last star FA that had the Lakers picked as their #1 destination since Kobe became the man? There are no coincidences.

When's the last time the Lakers have been in position to land a star FA or have even had the cap space available to sign star FAs? You have one guy in Howard who went elsewhere and your conclusion is that no one wants to play with Kobe. That's some faulty logic.

 

[shitsho]

When's the last time the Lakers have been in position to land a star FA or have even had the cap space available to sign star FAs? You have one guy in Howard who went elsewhere and your conclusion is that no one wants to play with Kobe. That's some faulty logic.

So are you saying that if Lebron had wanted to go to the Lakers in 2010 the Lakers would not have made it happen?

 

[trojanfan12]

When's the last time the Lakers have been in position to land a star FA or have even had the cap space available to sign star FAs? You have one guy in Howard who went elsewhere and your conclusion is that no one wants to play with Kobe. That's some faulty logic.

Not in montville!! In montville it makes perfect sense!!

 

[lakersrule]

So are you saying that if Lebron had wanted to go to the Lakers in 2010 the Lakers would not have made it happen?

The Lakers didn't have no where near the available cap space. It would have taken a gargantuan effort to even be able to create that cap space, if that was even possible. Lebron to the Lakers was never part of any discussion. Look at things realistically.

By the way, your made-up scenario is not evidence that no one wants to play with Kobe.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

When's the last time the Lakers have been in position to land a star FA or have even had the cap space available to sign star FAs? You have one guy in Howard who went elsewhere and your conclusion is that no one wants to play with Kobe. That's some faulty logic.

That would be faulty logic if all the other info coming out is coming out. Truth is we will finally know where every body stands after this season and LA has an empty roster to work with.

 

[lakersrule]

That would be faulty logic if all the other info coming out is coming out. Truth is we will finally know where every body stands after this season and LA has an empty roster to work with.

If Lebron stays in Miami and Carmelo stays in New York, that doesn't lead to the conclusion that they didn't want to play with Kobe. If they say we'll sign in Los Angeles under the condition that Kobe isn't resigned, then that conclusion can be made.

 

[shitsho]

If Lebron stays in Miami and Carmelo stays in New York, that doesn't lead to the conclusion that they didn't want to play with Kobe. If they say we'll sign in Los Angeles under the condition that Kobe isn't resigned, then that conclusion can be made.

No professional would say something like that for public consumption. I was right about Howard so what makes you think I'm not right about the rest of them.

 

[lakersrule]

No professional would say something like that for public consumption. I was right about Howard so what makes you think I'm not right about the rest of them.

Who are the rest of them? Your Lebron scenario was laughable.

 

[shitsho]

Who are the rest of them? Your Lebron scenario was laughable.

Every superstar since Kobe became the focal point of the Lakers. No one wants to come there and deal with playing with him. Thats why your team wont get Lebron because its laughable that he would even go there with Kobe around.

 

[lakersrule]

Every superstar since Kobe became the focal point of the Lakers. No one wants to come there and deal with playing with him. Thats why your team wont get Lebron because its laughable that he would even go there with Kobe around.

Again, what opportunities have there been for superstar FAs to come to the Lakers? They've had no cap space for a long time now. You can only sign other teams FAs if you have the cap room. There's no logic to your argument.

 

[trojanfan12]

rule, discussing this with mont is pointless!! He thinks that the fact that Dwight chose to go to Houston means that no free agents want to play with Kobe!!

When it is pointed out to him that Dwight himself said in an interview that Kobe had nothing to do with his decision, mont says that Dwight is lying and can't say that publically, even though Dwight did say publically that if Phil were the coach, he'd still be a Laker!!

In montville, everything is Kobe's fault and trying to convince him otherwise is like trying to teach a pig to sing!! It wastes your time and annoys the pig!!

 

[shitsho]

Again, what opportunities have there been for superstar FAs to come to the Lakers? They've had no cap space for a long time now. You can only sign other teams FAs if you have the cap room. There's no logic to your argument.

Spare me Rule. You and I both know that if some big name FA wanted to come to the Lakers the Lakers would have made it happen.

 

[shitsho]

rule, discussing this with mont is pointless!! He thinks that the fact that Dwight chose to go to Houston means that no free agents want to play with Kobe!!

When it is pointed out to him that Dwight himself said in an interview that Kobe had nothing to do with his decision, mont says that Dwight is lying and can't say that publically, even though Dwight did say publically that if Phil were the coach, he'd still be a Laker!!

In montville, everything is Kobe's fault and trying to convince him otherwise is like trying to teach a pig to sing!! It wastes your time and annoys the pig!!

It is sort of pointless. We all know I was right. Thats why the Lakers leaked it that Howard wanted Kobe gone themselves. What other reason would a player in Howards position turn down the chance to play on the Lakers with all their history of success? Money is no object. Southern CA lifestyle. Hollywood. No other state in the Union offers so much to do and so many opportunities. He turned it all down just to avoid playing with Kobe again.

 

[trojanfan12]

It is sort of pointless. We all know I was right. Thats why the Lakers leaked it that Howard wanted Kobe gone themselves. What other reason would a player in Howards position turn down the chance to play on the Lakers with all their history of success? Money is no object. Southern CA lifestyle. Hollywood. No other state in the Union offers so much to do and so many opportunities. He turned it all down just to avoid playing with Kobe again.

No, you were wrong!! You just don't want to admit it because it would go against your "everything is Kobe's fault" mantra!!

Everything has been explained to you ad nauseum!! You just refute it by basically making crap up such as your masterpiece post prior to the one above when you talk about the Lakers being able to "make it happen" if a superstar that they didn't even pursue wanted to be a Laker!!

You seem to conveniently forget that the Lakers were defending champs when Lebron went to Miami and for the Lakers to pursue and land Lebron, they would have basically had to gut the core of a championship roster!!

When was the last time ANY championship team did that? Hell, the Celtics just got around to doing that and they last won the title in what? 2007?

 

[shitsho]

No, you were wrong!! You just don't want to admit it because it would go against your "everything is Kobe's fault" mantra!!

Everything has been explained to you ad nauseum!! You just refute it by basically making crap up such as your masterpiece post prior to the one above when you talk about the Lakers being able to "make it happen" if a superstar that they didn't even pursue wanted to be a Laker!!

You seem to conveniently forget that the Lakers were defending champs when Lebron went to Miami and for the Lakers to pursue and land Lebron, they would have basically had to gut the core of a championship roster!!

When was the last time ANY championship team did that? Hell, the Celtics just got around to doing that and they last won the title in what? 2007?

You have a point, albeit a small one. It's still Kobes fault the Lakers are in the crapper.

 

[MacMac]

So are you saying that if Lebron had wanted to go to the Lakers in 2010 the Lakers would not have made it happen?

Just "made it happen" with a wave of their magic wands. Okay. You know, Jeannie Buss isn't actually a genie.

It's 2010, the Lakers are two-time defending champs who have $90 million tied up in salary and are $32 million over the cap of $58 million. They have four players (Pau, Bynum, Kobe, Odom) under contract making $59 million and by themselves put the Lakers over the cap. The max deal a team other than the Cavs could offer Lebron was five years and $99 million or basically $20 million a year, meaning the Lakers would have needed to clear $52 million in salary from the books to be far enough below the cap to sign Lebron as a free agent.

Wait, there is more - Kobe and Lebron together would make $46 million (leaving $12 million, the midlevel and the mini-midlevel for the other 13 roster spots) so you actually would have to move basically everyone other than Kobe, because you need to fill out the rest of the roster and if you kept Odom for example you'd have only $4 million under the cap. Under the CBA in existence at that time teams under the cap could not use the midlevel exception or mini-midlevel either. Since only Farmar, AmMo, DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell were free agents the Lakers would have to find teams willing to take on all of their other contracted players other than Kobe without sending any salary back. So "all they have to do" is move about $60 million in salary in one offseason, all negotiated during the month or so between the end of the playoffs and the FA signing period in July, without taking back anything other than cash and draft picks. I guess it could have been done, although it has never been done.

Let's not delve into revisionist history, and think what the Lakers' options were if LBJ wanted to sign with them as a free agent in 2010-11 and what they actually went with that season:

Lebron, Kobe, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, $10 million in cap space to fill the other 11 roster spots.

Kobe, Paul, Odom, Bynum, MWP, Fish, Blake, Shannon Brown, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff, Luke Walton, Joe Smith, Sasha, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, etc.

Hindsight is 20/20 but the Lakers were considered the odds-on favorites to come out of the West that year literally until about oh, the end of Game 3 of the Mavs series.

So if you are asking if the Lakers would have utterly and completely gutted a two-time defending champion with length and depth that was considered very likely to three-peat in order to sign Lebron had he wanted to do so, I think the answer is most probably "no", but concede I don't know that as a fact because I'm not an organization insider. But I do know the basic cap rules and historical roster well enough to say the Lakers could not have "just made it happen" any more than they could just magically have turned Derrick Caracter into 320 pounds of gold.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

rule, discussing this with mont is pointless!! He thinks that the fact that Dwight chose to go to Houston means that no free agents want to play with Kobe!!

When it is pointed out to him that Dwight himself said in an interview

t


You need to let this one go. Nobody but you is disputing what was said in Howards meeting with the Lakers. While Kobe isn't the sole reason Howard left, part of the reason he didn't stay was because he didn't want to play with him for more then one more season (at most).




hat Kobe had nothing to do with his decision, mont says that Dwight is lying and can't say that publically,

even though Dwight did say publically

Again. Reflect back on Howards public statements going back the last 2 seasons. They mean nothing (as far as the truth goes).


that if Phil were the coach, he'd still be a Laker!!

In montville, everything is Kobe's fault and trying to convince him otherwise is like trying to teach a pig to sing!! It wastes your time and annoys the pig!!

Everything isn't Kobes fault, but there are a lot of great up and coming teams and players in the league. That equates to other, better choices for FA's.
At one time if you wanted championships you had to choose between the Celtics and Lakers.
Those days are long gone.

 

[shitsho]

Just "made it happen" with a wave of their magic wands. Okay. You know, Jeannie Buss isn't actually a genie.

It's 2010, the Lakers are two-time defending champs who have $90 million tied up in salary and are $32 million over the cap of $58 million. They have four players (Pau, Bynum, Kobe, Odom) under contract making $59 million and by themselves put the Lakers over the cap. The max deal a team other than the Cavs could offer Lebron was five years and $99 million or basically $20 million a year, meaning the Lakers would have needed to clear $52 million in salary from the books to be far enough below the cap to sign Lebron as a free agent.

Wait, there is more - Kobe and Lebron together would make $46 million (leaving $12 million, the midlevel and the mini-midlevel for the other 13 roster spots) so you actually would have to move basically everyone other than Kobe, because you need to fill out the rest of the roster and if you kept Odom for example you'd have only $4 million under the cap. Under the CBA in existence at that time teams under the cap could not use the midlevel exception or mini-midlevel either. Since only Farmar, AmMo, DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell were free agents the Lakers would have to find teams willing to take on all of their other contracted players other than Kobe without sending any salary back. So "all they have to do" is move about $60 million in salary in one offseason, all negotiated during the month or so between the end of the playoffs and the FA signing period in July, without taking back anything other than cash and draft picks. I guess it could have been done, although it has never been done.

Let's not delve into revisionist history, and think what the Lakers' options were if LBJ wanted to sign with them as a free agent in 2010-11 and what they actually went with that season:

Lebron, Kobe, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, $10 million in cap space to fill the other 11 roster spots.

Kobe, Paul, Odom, Bynum, MWP, Fish, Blake, Shannon Brown, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff, Luke Walton, Joe Smith, Sasha, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, etc.

Hindsight is 20/20 but the Lakers were considered the odds-on favorites to come out of the West that year literally until about oh, the end of Game 3 of the Mavs series.

So if you are asking if the Lakers would have utterly and completely gutted a two-time defending champion with length and depth that was considered very likely to three-peat in order to sign Lebron had he wanted to do so, I think the answer is most probably "no", but concede I don't know that as a fact because I'm not an organization insider. But I do know the basic cap rules and historical roster well enough to say the Lakers could not have "just made it happen" any more than they could just magically have turned Derrick Caracter into 320 pounds of gold.

I was about to read your book but I glanced over and saw you were a Laker fan. You are speaking from emotion. Can you give us a synopsis instead?

 

[lakersrule]

I was about to read your book but I glanced over and saw you were a Laker fan. You are speaking from emotion. Can you give us a synopsis instead?

His post realistically explained how it isn't so easy to "make it happen" regarding the Lakers ability to sign superstar free agents. You do understand salary caps and such right?

Spare me Rule. You and I both know that if some big name FA wanted to come to the Lakers the Lakers would have made it happen.

How? If it was so easy, you should be able to explain how. You should also be able to list all these superstar free agents that turned downed contract offers from the Lakers because they didn't want to play with Kobe. Good luck. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.