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CTKnicksfan
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Joined: 1/24/2004
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By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Chat with Chad Ford, 1 p.m. ET
Phil Jackson is out. Shaq is in South Beach. Kobe?
Paging Kobe Bryant ...
At 3 p.m. ET today, noon in L.A., Kobe is expected to announce his decision.
The Lakers and Clippers are the final two contestants in the Kobe sweepstakes.
The Bulls, reportedly, had the third-best shot, but the only way Chicago
could've landed Kobe was via sign-and-trade, something the Lakers just weren't
going to entertain (though a deal including Eddy Curry and Ben Gordon would've
been better than nothing).
So, Lakers or Clippers?
We've all believed that, given the events over the past two weeks, that the
Lakers were the heavy favorites to retain Kobe.
If Kobe truly wants a challenge, he'll choose the Clippers.
The Lakers dumped the coach he hated. They shipped off the most dominant player
in the league to accommodate him. Their owner, Jerry Buss, has begged on bended
knee. They can offer him a seven-year deal worth $136 million -- as much as $30
million more than the Clippers can offer.
The Lakers still have a solid roster with Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian
Grant coming into the fold. They still have Gary Payton, Devean George, Kareem
Rush, Luke Walton, Brian Cook and rookie Sasha Vujacic to surround him with. The
team also has its full mid-level exception and is trying to lure a big man like
Erick Dampier with it. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich is a class act. He's a winner and
has a great rapport with his players.
Most importantly, the Lakers have the purple and gold. They have instant
credibility and a storied history. They are the Yankees of the NBA. Everyone
outside of L.A. hates them, but there isn't a player in the league who doesn't
want to don their jersey. Buss is handing the team to Kobe. By the time this
offseason makeover is complete, Kobe would not only wear the captain label, he'd
also inherit the titles of GM and King of the Lakers.
That's the upside. But there's a rather large downside to returning to the
Lakers that no one has bothered to mention. The Shaq trade hurts the Lakers
tremendously. I'm a big Odom fan, and I think Butler has a chance to become a
star. But the Lakers, with the roster they've now configured, are no better than
the fifth-best team in the West -- possibly worse.
If Shaq blows up in Miami and the Lakers stumble out of the gate in the West,
the floodgates will open. Kobe will take the blame for breaking up the marriage
and causing the team's demise. The retribution from the media will be swift and
ferocious. The Lakers won't be the team Kobe built --they'll be the one he
destroyed.
The Clippers' history, on the other hand, is much more sordid than storied.
Their owner, Donald Sterling, is synonymous with cheapskate. The team has just
one measly playoff appearance in the past 10 years. It has had a winning record
once in the past 24 years. There are no banners. No titles. There is no honor in
being a Clipper.
Kobe knows it. But his ego tells him things could be very different if he was
running the ship. With Kobe, the Clippers would field one of the best teams in
the league. Elton Brand is an unselfish, 20-and-10 guy and low-post warrior who does all the
little things a championship-type team needs. Corey Maggette has improved every
season and, at the still young age of 24, has the potential to be Kobe's Scottie
Pippen. Chris Kaman is one of the best young big men in the game. Shaun
Livingston, the Clippers' first-round draft choice, has more potential than
anyone drafted in June. He's unselfish -- a kid who wants 20 assists, not 20
points a night. Marko Jaric and Chris Wilcox are formidable pieces off the
bench. Their coach, Mike Dunleavy, is experienced and has a great rapport with
Kobe.
The Clips, even with Kobe, won't be ready yet. Livingston is too young, and
Brand, Maggette and Kaman have never played a playoff game. But Kobe is just 25
years old. He knows the drill. Unlike the Lakers, where anything short of a
championship is a failure, he can afford to be patient with the Clippers. He
recognizes they don't have to win the title overnight.
Making the playoffs would be expected with Bryant on the roster. But anything
else would be gravy. A run to the Western Conference Finals, a distinct
possibility with this team, would mean more on that side of the Staples Center
than another title with the Lakers. A Clippers title? That's one of the signs of
the apocalypse, isn't it?
When Phil Jackson took the Lakers coaching job, more than a few people rolled
their eyes. Jackson's "challenge" wasn't much of one. Anything short of multiple
championships with a team that had the two best players in the game would've
been a monumental failure for Phil. Had he chosen to coach the Clippers? Then we
would've been impressed.
The same challenge awaits Kobe.
He can play it safe, take the money and return to the Lakers. The purple and
gold will be his recruiting call. Eventually, Buss and Kupchak will spend enough
to put them back into contention. Three or four years from know, Kobe could
stand on a podium, holding the golden Finals trophy above his head, and he can
tell the world, "I told you I could do it without Shaq." We would cheer, nod
knowingly, and then ask, under our breath, "Well, how many trophies would you
have if you had chosen to get along with the Big Fella?"
Or he can take the mission impossible. He can etch his name into the very fabric
of a tattered franchise. Kobe or no Kobe, the Lakers will always be Magic, Wilt,
Kareem, West and Shaq. The Clippers could be Kobe's forever.
We'll learn a lot about Kobe Bryant in the coming hours. We'll learn whether
this was just a power-play, a desperate, vengeful purge against enemies, both
perceived and real. Or whether this was truly about the challenge. About doing
something bold and special with his career. About taking the path less traveled
and transcending the game in the process.
Kenyon strikes gold
The Nuggets called the Nets' bluff Tuesday night when they announced they were
prepared to offer Kenyon Martin an offer sheet with an up-front $15 million
signing bonus. Wednesday night, the Nets blinked.
The Nets re-engaged in sign-and-trade talks with Denver on Wednesday afternoon,
and by evening the sides were close to an agreement that would make Martin a
Nugget for the next seven years. The deal reportedly would send three future
first-round picks to the Nets in return for Martin, who would sign a seven-year,
$90 million contract with New Jersey, then be traded to Denver.
It's a best-case scenario for the Nuggets, who had been maintaining for a week
that signing Martin to an offer sheet, one the Nets could have taken 15 days to
match, was a "last resort." By working out a sign-and-trade, the Nuggets lose
some valuable assets but know immediately Martin is theirs.
The three first-round picks the Nets would be getting likely will include one of
the Nuggets' own draft picks, along with picks the Nuggets own from the Wizards
and Clippers. Both picks have the potential to be in the lottery. Washington's
pick is top-13 protected next-summer and top-three protected in 2006. There are
no protections for 2007. The Clippers' pick is top-14 protected in 2005 and has
no protection for 2006. Obviously, if the Clippers land Kobe, their pick isn't
as attractive.
The trade gives Denver one of the more formidable front lines in the West, with
Martin and Nene likely in the starting lineup and Marcus Camby coming off the
bench. The team would use most, if not all, of its cap space to land Martin,
meaning it still would not have addressed its need for a top shooting guard.
However, the Nuggets chose not to waive their rights to Voshon Lenard on
Wednesday, meaning that at least Lenard will be firing away next season.
The trade also means the Nets really are slashing costs. They couldn't afford to
keep Martin, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson on the books. Kidd already is a
max player, and Jefferson will be looking for a big extension before the season
opens.
What will the Nets do to replace Martin? Insider reported Tuesday the team had
re-started talks with the Blazers about acquiring Shareef Abdur-Rahim for Kerry
Kittles and Aaron Williams. Abdur-Rahim is in the last year of his contract,
which means he could help the Nets this year and bring salary-cap relief next
summer.
Knicks trying to land Dampier
Isiah Thomas' first order of business is trying to land Erick Dampier, who would
provide the Knicks some much-needed toughness in the middle. Thomas has offered
Dikembe Mutombo (who is in the last year of his contract) and Nazr Mohammed
(who, unfortunately, isn't) in return. So far the Warriors haven't agreed to
anything.
Golden State already has turned down an offer of Shane Battier and Lorenzen
Wright from the Grizzlies. They team also spiked an offer from the Pacers that
would've sent Austin Croshere their way. The Knicks' offer isn't much better.
The Warriors reportedly are hoping the Grizzlies will offer Stromile Swift in
the deal via sign-and-trade. The Lakers are willing to offer Gary Payton and
Devean George in a sign-and-trade, which may be the most attractive deal for the
Warriors.
If Golden State can't work out a sign-and-trade deal, Dampier likeky will be
forced to either go to the Hawks, who have been pursuing him, or take the
mid-level exception from a playoff-bound team like the Grizzlies, Knicks, Lakers
or Pacers.
Carter to the Mavericks?
For the second straight day there was serious talk that Dallas was closing in on
a trade for Vince Carter, despite the fact Raptors GM Rob Babcock sounded
Wednesday like he didn't want to trade his only star.
"Any trade that would be entertained would only be a trade that makes us a
better basketball team," Babcock told the Toronto Star. "I'm not going to make a
trade just to trade Vince because of what's said in the newspapers. ... It's not
going to happen unless it's a good deal for our team. I'll look after our team
first, that's the most important thing."
The deal, according to sources, would send Carter, Kurt Thomas, Shandon Anderson
and Moochie Norris to the Mavericks. Michael Finley and Josh Howard would go to
the Raptors. Antoine Walker and Jerome Moiso would go to the Knicks.
The deal works for the Mavericks and Knicks. Carter is younger than Finley and a
better draw at the box office, even if their basketball skills are relatively
equal. Thomas gives the Mavericks much-needed toughness up front. Anderson and
Norris have terrible contracts, but at least both players could be contributors
in Dallas.
The Knicks would shed three bad contracts and get back two players who could
come off the payroll next year. That may not be Isiah's intention, however.
Thomas has been in hot pursuit of Walker all summer and reportedly wants to keep
him.
The deal makes less sense for the Raptors. While Finley is a model citizen and
one of the top two guards in the league, he's 31 and coming off his worst season
in six years. Nagging injuries have taken their toll. He just isn't worth the
money he's making anymore (four more years, $66.4 million). You can't trade away
the franchise for a guy like Finley, no matter how hard he plays. Including
Howard in the deal makes it more palatable, but it's still not enough to make
sense for the Raptors.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
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