It is no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers are terrible right now sitting at 6-16 on the year. Season-ending injuries hit hard and early amplifying the lack of offseason moves the team was able to make in free agency and trades. However, after an rant from Kobe Bryant surfaced of the veteran calling out teammates, it beginning to become clear just how bad things are in Los Angeles. With all of the issues making their forward in the media, is a trade of Bryant the end result?
Bryant signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract that when paired with the contract of Steve Nash, essentially handicapped moves the Lakers could make this past offseason. That became more of an issue when Nash and first-round draft pick Julius Randle went down for the season with injuries. However, team president Jeanie Buss defended the deal saying Bryant was worth every penny.
"I think there's maybe a handful of guys in the league that are worth as much as he is and we're lucky to have him," Buss said, via ESPN.com. "I think he's worth every penny."
However, there has been speculation that Bryant would be better off getting traded this season if he has any intentions of winning another title. The Lakers will not win a championship during Bryant's contract tenure. The team is simply a few years off and in need of major roster upgrades first. Bryant has not demanded a trade nor has he hinted at waiving his no-trade clause. Buss told ESPN that if a trade comes it is not because the Lakers made the first move.
"I don't want to see Kobe Bryant ever leave," Buss said. "If he was 100 years old and still playing, I'd be happy. But we have survived many changes including retirements and trades. We understand the realities of the sports world. Take Shaq for example, he was traded from here and went on to several other teams after that. But once he was retired, he asked us to retire his jersey. He wanted to be remembered as a Laker. So while I get attached, I know what the realities are in this business, I still have to remind myself that Kevin Garnett is in Brooklyn and not in Boston. It's never going to change what we've accomplished together. But I don't look forward to the day that Kobe Bryant's not in purple and gold."
There are a few moves the Lakers could aim to make in the near future. However, a lack of draft picks hurts the effort. After the benching of both Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer, the Lakers are being linked to Rajon Rondo, Brook Lopez and Greg Monroe. All three of those players could be acquired via a trade, but at a very high price. They will all still be options in free agency which is when the Lakers could make their move.
