The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the long-term outlook is much brighter than the short-term. The team continues to sit with one of the worst records in the NBA, but will clear a large amount of salary cap space over the next two years that is giving the franchise hope. The long-term will not include Steve Nash, but might include Kobe Bryant as head coach Byron Scott predicts the veteran plays long after his contract.
Bryant's contract will be up at the end of next season. Bryant signed a two-year, $48 million contract that crippled the Lakers salary cap space and makes him an unrestricted free agent come 2016. The veteran is healthy for the first time in two years after he was forced to continue to sit out dealing with Achilles and knee issues. Now playing some of the most minutes of his career this season, Bryant is looking towards his future options.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't want to be coy about it," Bryant said, via the Los Angeles Daily News. "I don't know what to tell you. Right now I'd say no. But it doesn't matter. Would that change a year form now or something like that? If I want to play, I'll play. I tend to make my own decisions. If I don't want to play, I won't play. It's just a feeling on if I want to go through the process of being ready every single day and the amount of commitment that it takes. Its nuts. If I want to continue to do that, I will. If I don't, I don't."
One person that is confident Bryant will take the court again is Scott who hopes that Bryant will be intrigued by future free agency moves enough to want to re-sign with the team for another couple of seasons. At 36-years-old, Bryant is averaging 25.8 points per night, leading the NBA while also averaging 36 minutes per game.
''We'll talk about that,'' Scott said. ''He's got a lot left in that tank. I think if we put something together that excites him, we have a real good chance of saying, 'play another year.'The one thing I've got to do is look at his minutes, and make sure I don't go overboard. He's still hungry. He still loves the game. He still loves the competition. He still loves going against these younger guys now because he was once that younger guy."
Bryant might return along with Nick Young. However, it appears Jeremy Lin might not get the same attention come the upcoming free agent stint which his contract expires. The Lakers are hoping to be players for Rajon Rondo in free agency, along with Greg Monroe and Marc Gasol. Trades for Brook Lopez or Deron Williams might be options as well.