Kobe Ain't Going Anywhere

If Mitch Kupchak went ahead and traded Kobe Bryant, he would go down as one of the most inept GM's in NBA history. He's already traded Shaq, but what's to suggest he'll do the same with Kobe?

The Lakers' era of success is as old as the NBA itself. In the 60 years the franchise has existed, they've missed the playoffs just 5 times, so they've never been in a situation to rebuild.

Right now they're in the worst position an NBA team can be: not good enough to go deep in the playoffs, and not bad enough to get a high lottery pick. So they have to figure out what kind of team they are. Are they a contender? If so they need to make some serious moves. Or are they a team for the future? If it's the latter, then trading Bryant is the only way Andrew Bynum will ever develop.

Personally, I just can't see Buss and Kupchak moving Bryant. It's easier to add another player and go for the championship than it is to start all over. Take away Kobe and you have a team with Smush Parker and Kwame Brown in the starting lineup, that's used all its cap space and won't be able to sign free agents. I doubt that Kupchak wants to enter that long process.

Now if the Lakers want to play the market and go after Jermaine O'Neal and Kevin Garnett, they have to be willing to give up Bynum and Odom, which they're not. Last year they annexed a trade with Jason Kidd because they didn't want to lose Bynum. But they have to come to the reality that there are only three moveable players on the Lakers: Kobe, Odom and Bynum, and one of them is going to have to move this summer.

There are still lots of offers that they can consider. One that no one is mentioning that I think could work would be Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to the Nets for Vince Carter and Marcus Williams. For New Jersey it fills out their starting lineup and gets rid of Carter, who they wouldn't mind moving. For the Lakers it would add a player who can score 20 points and (if they get Williams) an upgrade at PG.