Posted by Bobby:

i cant see shaq coming back to the staple center.....as a clipper?

does anybody know what billy knight is up to

why not? how better to stick it to Kobe & Mitch Kupchak than to come back to play in his "house" as a Clipper instead? he wouldn't have to move anywhere & uproot his family or even learn the directions to the Arena...he'd just be wearing a different uniform & the new Clippers team would be very good w/him, Corey Maggette & the #2 lottery pick to build around.

& the Lakers get back 2 young stud players in Brand & Q. Rich & another big C w/upside in Kaman...i think it works.

[Edited by - TMS on 06/21/2004 02:03:13]

Posted by jazz74:

actually, that trade makes the most sense. the lakers are over the cap anyway so having grant hill, who could play this year, and howard, who is still a decent pf, would'nt be that bad. the reall key is the number one pick. if they get okafor, the lakers would be back in the mix again. an okafor- bryant tandem would be great for years to come. okafor won't be as dominant as shaq but he would be more athletic and defensive minded on a team that needs it. plus he and kobe are young. buss will celverly build a team around them. if i were the lakers, i would definately do that in a heartbeat. this would be the best deal they can make with shaq's value.

you are only taking into account next year's cap situation for the Lakers...if they were to give Kobe a max extension, they could still be under the cap if Shaq were to leave after next season...but by trading Shaq for both Grant Hill & Juwan Howard, you guarantee that the team will be over the cap until the year 2008 at the very least...& all the while waiting for their #1 pick to develop his game while 2 or 3 years of Kobe's prime is wasted? they would never make that trade imho...i think they'd be much more amenable to a trade that lands them a couple of young players who are already established who could complement Kobe's game nicely & get their team back to the Finals sooner rather than later.