Time To Appease Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers Must Acquire Jermaine O’NealAugust 06 07 Arash Markazi reports on Jermaine O’Neal lobbying for a trade to the Lakers:
"I would welcome a trade to the Lakers," said O’Neal, who averaged 19.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots last season. "Indiana has given me the opportunity to establish myself as a really good player in this league, but they’re into rebuilding and going really young, and I’m just not in a position physically to go through another five to six years with a lot of losses and a lot of down time." The Lakers have tried to acquire O’Neal, 28, several times this offseason, but talks have reportedly stalled over Indiana’s insistence that the Lakers’ package include both Lamar Odom and 19-year-old center Andrew Bynum.
My Quick Take: The appeasement of Kobe Bryant continues. The Lakers’ star is unhappy and has publicly demanded a trade. But the Lakers can’t trade Bryant because there is no hope of getting back equal value. Equal value for Bryant doesn’t exist.
Simple enough. Star wants out. Team refuses and holds star player to his multi-million dollar contract.
Wrong. Bryant has leverage. The all-world guard holds an opt-out clause in his contract and can become an unrestricted free agent in two seasons. He could leave and the Lakers would get nothing in return.
Laker-nation understands this is the worst case scenario. Mention Bryant’s opt-out clause to Laker fans and they shiver in a cold fright. Some, in desperation, write heart-felt letters to Bryant. Others recoil in the fetal position.
Faced with such a disastrous situation, the front office must produce. They must convince Bryant they’ll upgrade his supporting cast and that he shouldn’t use his opt-out clause. They must appease.
Problem is appeasement has been a failure. Jason Kidd isn’t heading west to Hollywood. And Kevin Garnett did get traded-just to the rival Celtics instead of the Lakers. So now the purple-and-gold has turned their attention to acquiring Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal.
O’Neal and Bryant have much in common. They both went from high school straight to the pros. They both spent the early part of their careers on the bench, watching older players soak up the limelight. And they both have become frustrated leading mediocre teams. Most importantly, they’re both hitting their prime at 28 years old.
Much was made of Boston’s Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce being at similar points in their careers. Well, O’Neal and Bryant are also at similar points in their careers. Could these kindred spirits make the Lakers relevant again? That’s hard to say. The west is awfully competitive. And they would need a third star to emerge.
But the Lakers must pull off a blockbuster deal to provide Bryant with help. Or appeasement becomes the code-red, worst case scenario, where Bryant opts-out of his contract and continues his career elsewhere. Should the Lakers pursue Jermaine O’Neal? Get at us in the comment box below with your thoughts.
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Posted by
diallo
on 08.10.2007 | this is all mitch’s fault. he gets needs to get more good players to help the lakers go higher in the playoffs. he has to take action NOW!!. Or else the lakers wont pa-------the first round. All the other teams are getting good players. There are many free agents to choose from. GET GOOD PLAYERS MITCH. Thats your answer right there. I’m done point blank. GO LAKERS . | Posted by
Die Hard Laker-Fan
on 08.9.2007 | Come on Lakers take J.O And put Radmanovich (three point shooter), Bynum ( young big man) Farmer, and kwame brown...But Keep LAMAR ODOM that way Indiana will get young talent..and lakers will get J.O..if Lamar Odom stays Lakers will have and instopabble threesome Kobe, Lamar, And Oneal. Lakers on the stay of Lamar Odom can Be 1 of the top contenders in the west,And have a better place in the west playoffs.COME ON LAKERS . | Posted by
diallo
on 08.8.2007 | lakers need JO or else kobe will start up a rampage again. if JO comes to LA, kobe will be very satisfied. lakers only need to trade 2 players. Celtics had to trade 5 players for garnett. i suggest lakers get JO quick and in a hurry. GO LAKERS . | Posted by
JayC
on 08.7.2007 | Face it, other players want to be on a team with Ray Allen. In Seattle, he would pay for team outings, complete with chartering buses. And Kobe? He drove away Shaq, drove away Karl Malone, and, most recently, has criticized his teammates in the press. Players do not want to be on the same team as Kobe, pure and simple. . | Posted by
nate
on 08.7.2007 | yes they should cuz the lakers suck and he can make them better . | Posted by
crusaders
on 08.7.2007 | kobe a great player? yes, but attitude wise he rates nothing,,, have you guys remember what happened to lakers b4 shaq wants trade? Nba should be an example to the youth, what kobe did before was not a good example, bragging about his brand of plays that lakers is nothing without him, that he doesnt need shaq to have a ring...my o my... now he needs a big man to have a ring? learn from the past man,,, you should be careful on what you wish for(again)and fix your heart and attitude kobe . | Posted by
on 08.7.2007 | the punk who said vc and jk of the nets are better than kobe is a dumb a$$..........trade kwame (sucks like hell), odom(cant shoot free throws) and bynum.....JO ur better with the lakers then garnett . | Posted by
wal
on 08.7.2007 | did someone jus say vc and kidd are better than kobe come on guys haha i mean kidd plays unbeleivable at the point i think nash is prolly the only person better than him bcuz nash scores more along with all the assist but him nor vc are better than kb24 and i also think if oneal goes there to la kobe will make him a better player all he needs is another star on the team and i think hell be happy not ecstatic beucz they do need more for a championship in todays league especially with the east emerging . | Posted by
john
on 08.7.2007 | the lakers better get him he’s the only thing out there at this point, do it now and get it out of the way. LET’S GO LAKERS. . | Posted by
JP
on 08.6.2007 | I AGREE WITH THE COMMENT ABOUT J-O TO THE NETS I THINK ID RATHER HAVE KRISTIC AND JEFFERSON ON THE PACERS THEN INJURY PRONE ODOMS AND PROJECT CENTER BYNUM THE NETS WOULD HAVE A GREAT CHANCE TO COMPETE WITH THE NEW BIG THREE IN BOSTON I CAN DEFINATELY SEE THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE EAST LET KOBE GO AND LET HIM BE HAPPY IN NY WHO KNOWS IF THE KNICKS CAN PULL OFF A BLOCKBUSTER FOR ONEIL PREHAPS KOBE WILL JOIN HIM ON THE KNICKS IF HE OPTS OUT IN 09’ . | Posted by
on 08.6.2007 | Nah! I think it’s better for Jermaine O’neal to join the New Jersey Nets... Let’s face it... VC and Kidd are better team players than Kobe Bryant... I firmly believe that adding O’neal to an impressive tandem like Kidd and Carter would make the team more than a contender in the East... Honestly, I don’t see any chemistry if ever JO decided to team up with Kobe... Kobe is great! Probably the most complete player today and he might be the best individual player today as well... But he’s a "one-man-show"... Basketball is a "team sport"... For JO to get team success and probably win a title, he need teammates that’s willing to sacrifice personal glory for the team’s success... I don’t feel Kobe is willing to do that... Sure he can score 80 points at any given night... It’s easy for him to rain down threes at will... And I don’t think he would have any problems "throwing-down" that basketball to the rim in any moment he wishes to... Bottomline is that Kobe wants the "spotlight" everytime... Players like these are most probably "bound" NOT to win a title... He was lucky to have Shaq in his younger years... But I don’t think he can win the whole thing ever again... Now, back to New Jersey... you have 2 guys who has done nothing but work wonders for their team... You have a much more "reserve" Vince Carter... He’s "older" but "wiser" and still explosive... Capable of burning any team with his talent in any given night... Add the"master-playmaker", Jason Kidd to the mix and you have nothing but a solid line-up... The answer is very simple JO... Go to Jersey and win the whole thing with Kidd and VC..... . | Posted by
Mr, Roboto
on 08.6.2007 | i would give Bynum and Odom + fillers for JO, but then again if the lakers could keep odom and give Kwame instead, no one i repeat no one in the West could stop em, i mean just think about all the boards between odom and JO that would be sick . | Posted by
mrhoopfan
on 08.6.2007 | The Lakers should stand pat and start a different lineup. The lineup should go: Fisher, Kobe, Odom, Turiaf, Bynum. Lamar is a TALL small forward NOT a power forward. And, why can’t Turiaf be as good as Horace Grant was for the Bulls in their days . | Posted by
Budd
on 08.6.2007 | Yep Octane, they do have some young talent that were over-shadowed by Kobe’s One man show, it was one thing, they lacked chemistry because of too many one manning by Kobe, they couldn’t get in rhythm because of that. . | Posted by
on 08.6.2007 | heck yeah! Trade his a@#. Trade both of thier a@#% (Lamar and Bynum). I’d take a bag of chips and a NBA championship for the tandem. . | Posted by
Zid
on 08.6.2007 | Lamar is a good player but he is not a star. he could do a lot of things but he can not dominate a game and I think i would do anything to get O’Neal. If we could give Kwame instead of Bynem that is great other wise just go for it. we need a change adn now. . | Posted by
Champagne
on 08.6.2007 | Agreed. Odom WAS the best all-around player on the Lakers last yr, esp in the playoffs. Kobe needs him.Trade eveybody else, if they want . | Posted by
on 08.6.2007 | I say make the trade only if we can keep Odom. Brown, Bynum, Cook, or Rad, Throw in Farmar if they dont bite on the first three. They can even throw in a draft pick too, I think they can get this deal done with out having to trade Odom. JO has already said he will opt out next season anyway. The trade is lateral if lose Odom.Actually probaly worse off because we have Potential in Bynum. Dont Trade Odom and Bynum for O’niel. Get this deal done. It would make them a much better team with JO, LO, Walton, KB, Fish. Thats sounds pretty nice. If we were able to also get Artest, (Iwouldn’t know how) But that would be a solid squad. . | Posted by
Octane
on 08.6.2007 | Yo BUDD, you really think lakers have a squad with that team, DAMM you think just like the GM in lakers land, No WONDER kobe needs to get out. he dont wanna be there, he still gonna be on all nation wide telavised games, other than that channel 9 kcal wont be the same,, . | Posted by
Dale Small
on 08.6.2007 | Bynum should be better this year and will probably be the starting centerr. Chriss Mihm’s return should bolster the front line and reduce Odom"s minutes which should help his energy. Derek Fisher is a proven point guard & should help matters at that position. Fisher is also a very good teacher, which should help all the young point guards. I believe this roster can compete in the west. I’ve been a Laker fan since 1959 when they came to town with Elgin, Rudy, et al and drafted West. I lived through the humiliating defeats at the hands of the Celtics and had to go to a movie theater to see the away games in the finals. I attended many games at the old LA sports arena in exposition park and later at the Forum. I tell you this will be a very competetive team. . |
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Oly Sandor | Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More |
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