Hear me out here. There's no doubt that the Lakers are gonna get beat by the Spurs. There's no doubt that Shaq has fallen off pretty hard. There's no doubt that the Lakers would move Shaq to keep Kobe: get rid of big diesel and phil jackson and the team is kobe's. There's no doubt that kobe's gonna get off (again) in Colorado. There's no doubt that GP is no longer relevant. There's no doubt the Lakers need help at several positions. Do we have the pieces to get him? I don't know exactly what the answer is, but I think for the first time, this guy's gettable. Most teams can't trade for him because his salary is equal to like six players on most teams. The knicks are the only team that can throw a combo of 3 or 4 players together for that price. This is serious. I'm interested in what people think of this.

No way.

I just can't see it.

Lakers will let Kobe walk before they get rid of Shaq in my opinion. You win with big men, not guards.

And how can you say Kobe's gonna get off, no doubt. That's a little bit of jumping the gun there.

Listen up, and I'll say this only one more time. If you think we can get Shaq, think again. Its all about Shaq taking his last adventure back to the east where it all started. Can anyone vision a good date to announce Shaq's NY coming: Try groundbreaking 4 July for starters.

Who knows maybe Shaq coming to NY can be billed as the greatest show on earth.....and use your imagination and vision what the subway series would do for the city...

Posted by Chico:

Hear me out here. There's no doubt that the Lakers are gonna get beat by the Spurs. There's no doubt that Shaq has fallen off pretty hard. There's no doubt that the Lakers would move Shaq to keep Kobe: get rid of big diesel and phil jackson and the team is kobe's. There's no doubt that kobe's gonna get off (again) in Colorado. There's no doubt that GP is no longer relevant. There's no doubt the Lakers need help at several positions. Do we have the pieces to get him? I don't know exactly what the answer is, but I think for the first time, this guy's gettable. Most teams can't trade for him because his salary is equal to like six players on most teams. The knicks are the only team that can throw a combo of 3 or 4 players together for that price. This is serious. I'm interested in what people think of this.

no doubt

This is a very interesting topic. SMOOTH is right in that you win with big men, and the "smart" move is to keep Shaq, if you had to lose one or the other of those two guys.

But let me try and present a case for Shaq being expendable:

Shaq began barking early in preseason for another three year contract extension. But the Lakers can't be happy that Shaq hasn't shown the ability to improve his conditioning in the offseason and lighten the load he carries as he grow older. He may indeed have 3 or 4 years of Shaq-like dominance left in him and the lakers would be unwise to not get value back for him. But the Lakers woulg go with Kobe for a couple of different reasons.

a) Kobe can be signed for the next seven years, assuring the Lakers will have three or four seasons of Kobe in his prime after Shaq walks off into the sunset.
So if you're thinking longterm Conference supremacy, the "time" factor is with Kobe and the Lakers.

b) The Lakers could see this as the opportunity to cast off Phil JAckson - who is demanding an eight figure salary and another three years. Are the Lakers gonna pay the Coach 30mil and Shaq another 75mil + KOBE? Even the Lakers have limits. So now, the "money" factor is with Kobe and the Lakers.

We're looking at a Laker equation

Kobe -Shaq - Phil = Time + Money

Draw your own conclusions.

Thanks kam. at least one person responds with sense and sensibility. i really think that if they decide to move the big diesel, we'll be one of the only teams that has the ridiculous salaries to realistically match the 30 million shaq commands. if a big move is made this off season, this is the type of "unexpected" move zeke will make, not the same old tired crap being spewed on these boards. also as to the "even the lakers have limits", they're not even in the top five salaries in a league of 29 teams. buss is cheap...or at least not extravagent. if gp and malone had come to the knicks, they somehow would've swung it for ten mill apiece instead of one and four or whatever they are.

again another sensible post and one that is 100% correct. i concede you are right. at least as far as winning a championship anyway (that's all i was asking for- some sensible basketball talk, something so sorely missing on all these boards) besides who wants an ageing big man who shoots 2 for 20 from the free throw line in the playoffs. okay. but the lakers ARE gonna have to break this mess up. no way big chief triangle gets his 8 figures, even if he is boning the owner's daughter (buss is no tom coughlin i guess) and if they want to keep kobe, who will get off (again) in colorado, which they do, they gotta move the big guy. where's he gonna go? the hawks? the jazz? i dunno, despite the fact that tru is totally correct, i think we could still end up with him...

Shaq makes like 30 mil, how do you do cap trade at that level? Lakes then have to take like 5 of our players and release them? Propects on their roster?

Shaq on knicks is Star Phuching. Dolan would love it.

The knicks tried to lure Wilt Chamberlan out of retirement at age 42, about 4 years after he retired. They gave up a ton to land a coked out Spencer Haywood. They traded for Bob Mcadoo. They sucked together. But they were big names. Overpaid for Marvin Webster, whom played injured on a off for years (think Camby with no offense or jumping ability). The list goes on and on. X-man, Kiki, Charles Smith, strickland, Derek Harper, Doc Rivers, Maurice Cheeks.....all big names, big salaries, all past their prime, all traded using prospects or draft picks to prop up Ewing. Got lucky with misfits Starks and Mason (I loved them by the way). Took on Larry Johnson and 84mil contract with bad back and undersized (I loved him too).

All big names, all nice guys that we rooted for, but most past prime, all bought in for the quick buzz to sell the tickets. All for the Cablevision of things: Star Phuching. (defined as selling a false hope using name brands unable to deliver the ultimate quest: a championship)