If Kobe waives a no-trade clause...

[seldon71]

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=a9lhwsm


Additionally 2 1st-round picks to Rockets :
* the 1st Warriors' pick to be available - latest 2016
* the lowest Cavs' 1st-round pick this season - means Heat's pick.

Additionally a package of 2nd-round picks (they have multitude of them) from Cavs to Lakers.
F ex Cavs 2nd-rounder in 2013&2015 + Magic's 2nd-rounder 2014.

What happens to each team :

Golden State becomes an immediate title contender by replacing Klay Thompson with Kobe. Remember that Bogut is not playing & Jefferson is hardly playing...

It is expensive and it won't give them a long time frame but it has been said : "If you can win it all, it is always worth of trying"

An offence where Kobe can have a ball in his hands while having Lee in low-post and Curry spotting up... Add solid defence from centers (Ezeli, Biedrins) and other wing (Barnes) + solid bench of Jack & Landry.

Kobe might be happy to have a true chance in one-two more titles in California, so he might grab the chance.


LA Lakers would take HUGE backlash from their ticket-buyers (and probably would not make this), but they are not contending now and Bryant's contract (not Bryant as a player) is the biggest thing dragging their feet going forward. Kobe is also 34 with 16 seasons behind him - how soon will decline hit hard? People have to remember that in future being over salary cap doesn't only cost a lot (yes, Lakers can burden that) but severely limits your chance to sign Free Agents (that hurts).

Getting rid of Bryant and adding two perfect Howard-helpers in young Morris & Thompson, would surely give D12 a sign that Lakers are committed to HIM. That would probably be enough to get Dwight re-signed.

And as a sidenote : Nash-Thompson-WPeace-Morris-Howard doesn't sound like a BAD NBA line-up. And if not next summer, but definitely in 2014 they could be big-time players in market again. Dump now to contend in 2 years....


Cleveland would get Bogut as a salary cap facilitator for nothing but lowly draft picks & two expiring contracts. Big Aussie could then rehabilitate for whole season and if he is ready for next season - Cavs would again be a serious team.


Houston is needed here to find suitable assets for Lakers. They get some extra salary cap to indulge Harden extension kicking in next summer + couple of 1st-round picks. That's a fair compensation for useful, but not-gonna-be-star Marcus Morris.


I find this a DEFINITE do for everybody but Lakers. Basketball-wise Lakers lose big for now, but is the long-term plusses enough to compensate for that?

And would Kobe agree? He can veto this of course...

[Cracka2HI!]

This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

[Raidaz4Life]

As a Laker fan I assure you that trade makes no sense at all.

[seldon71]

to Raidaz4Life :

Your answer makes no sense at all - rather it is idiotic.

I agree that it may not make enough sense and it would incur a lot of wrath from Lakers fans...

But have you thought following points :

* there has been strong indications that Kobe may retire in the end of his current contract.
* your team is not contending currently (may still change to a contender this season, but just getting to playoffs is a challenge)
* only possible cornerstone for future in Dwight Howard (say 5-year window) has been rather unhappy and may bolt away.

In WORST scenario, Lakers will not qualify to playoffs this season, lose Howard off-season, won't STILL have any money for free agent market - be hobbled, old and horrible next season (with Bryant starting to show his age). Then you have JUST rubble when we come to summer'2014.

Instead, this trade proposal would

a) help keeping Howard
b) get you two useful young players in Klay Thompson & Marcus Morris (both mid-1st round picks seemingly playing to that level)
c) give a truckload of 2nd-round picks which at very least help filling the roster cheaply
d) give some financial relief for this & next season

OF COURSE, Lakers is basketball-wise MUCH worse off in this trade for his season. Very possibly it is worse-off for next season too albeit that's not given. But I think this would definitely help 2014-15 season and going forward...

Is it good enough trade-off? No, probably not. Read my 1st message - I doubt it too... (and Bogut's return also has changed the scenery - I wasn't aware he was so close of return). But do not say : it makes NO sense.

[bholly]

I don't know enough about these teams to comment on the entirety of a trade (although it seems bad for the Lakers and amazing for the Cavs), but when I went through Kobe trade possibilities a couple of weeks ago GSW became the clear best fit, so I think you're right on that part.