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raven
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Lakers may fall short in the Wild West
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By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Kobe has his coach. Kobe has his $136 million contract. Kobe no longer has that 7-foot-1, 300-plus pound thorn in his size.
No wonder he looked so happy Thursday evening alongside GM Mitch Kupchak announcing he had decided to return to the Lakers.
Conventional wisdom has said all along it was his only real option. The Lakers had more money, had bent over backward to accommodate him and had given him three rings and more prestige than any other team out there.
Kobe claimed, in the end, that the lure and mystique of the Lakers were too much to give up. The Lakers were in his heart -- especially a version that revolved around his every whim.
But 10 minutes after Kobe officially re-signed, reality crept in. He may not have liked Shaq, but Bryant acknowledged the Big Fella was the most dominant player in the game -- an irreplaceable inside force whose absence will turn the Lakers' quest for another championship into an "uphill battle."
On this point, Kobe and I won't disagree. Landing Kobe was a huge victory for the Lakers. But the battle has just begun. Forget for a second the Lakers' lack of a replacement for Shaq. Just look at the rest of the Western Conference, then try to figure out where to place the Lakers.
The Timberwolves and Kings both had a legitimate shot to go all the way last season and haven't made any major changes. The Spurs likely will lose Hedo Turkoglu, but they replaced him with Brent Barry, and, in the process, added some much-needed 3-point shooting to balance out a devastating low-post attack.
The Mavericks suffered a huge setback when Steve Nash left, but owner Mark Cuban remains committed to overhauling his roster every six weeks, and trade rumors are flying all over the place concerning the Mavs' future. Even if Dallas does nothing, it's still a playoff team, albeit a seventh or eighth seed. If the Mavs land a legit center and a veteran point guard to help out rookie Devin Harris, they're right back in there with the Wolves, Kings and Spurs.
The Rockets, meanwhile, added the second-best two guard in the league in Tracy McGrady. He now pairs with the most dominant big man in the West, Yao Ming. The team is a little thin at a few positions, but I still think the Rockets will earn anywhere from the fourth to sixth seed in the West.
The Nuggets added an all-star power forward in Kenyon Martin, creating one of the strongest, most versatile front lines in the league. Carmelo Anthony and Nene will only get better with time. If they package the rest of their assets (Nikoloz Tskitishvili and a couple of good first-round picks) for a solid two guard, the Nuggets are going to take another big step forward.
Once the games begin, will Kobe wish he still had Shaq at his side?
The Jazz, a team that just missed the playoffs last season, added two huge pieces to their front line in Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, and they did it without losing any significant players. If they stay healthy, they're a playoff team for sure and could be as a high as a sixth seed in the West.
That's seven teams that appear to be locks for the playoffs. Is Kobe sweating yet? Because we're not done.
The Grizzlies were the surprise team in the West last year. They haven't made any major improvements yet, but Jerry West is working the phones desperately, trying to land center Erick Dampier. If he gets Dampier, or any other top center for that matter, the Grizzlies will be better than their sixth-seed run last season.
The Hornets, a playoff team in the East last season, are moving to the West next season. They have one of the top point guards in the league in Baron Davis and an up-and-coming big man in Jamaal Magloire. If they're able to swap Jamal Mashburn for a player like Wally Szczerbiak, you've got to like their chances, too.
Let's not forget the Suns, either. They nabbed a veteran, all-star point guard in Nash and are still working on landing a center. If they get one, it's hard to believe a team with Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson finishes in the cellar. They, too, look like a playoff team, at least on paper.
And did we mention the lowly Clippers? They'll likely match the Suns' offer for Quentin Richardson and still have $8 million in cap space. If they use it to land a veteran point guard to mentor Shaun Livingston, they're going to be better, too.
The only two teams in the West that truly look clueless right now are the Sonics and Warriors.
So where does that leave the Lakers? Is a No. 8 seed too generous? They have the best guard in the game in Kobe Bryant. Lamar Odom has the potential to be a top-10 player in the league if his head is screwed on straight. Caron Butler also has potential, though I think he'll struggle in L.A. as the third or fourth option. Brian Grant is a warrior, but he plays on broken knees. That's not enough.
The Lakers are going to have to make some more moves if they really want to contend next season. They need a center in the worst way and will try to pursue one. Dampier is their target, but the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Knicks and Pacers are also in the scrum. Whoever comes up with the best sign-and-trade scenario probably keeps him.
The Lakers could offer Gary Payton and Devean George. The appeal of Payton returning to the Bay will be enormous, but from a purely basketball standpoint, the Grizzlies and Mavs can do better. Vlade Divac also will receive strong consideration. On the trade and free-agent market, there's little else that makes a lot of sense.
The Lakers also will need another point guard. They have Payton and rookie Sasha Vujacic, but that won't be enough. Odom can take over the duties at times, but they likely will try to move Payton for a younger player. Still, the market is pretty bare for good points at the moment.
Once the euphoria of nabbing Kobe wears off this morning, Kupchak has his work cut out for him. While Kobe makes everything in L.A. a little sweeter, it doesn't change the fact that the Lakers had to swallow a big poison pill the day before. Shaq made everyone's life easier on the court. That's the bonus of having a big man who gets triple-teamed constantly. Slava Medvedenko just won't cut. If they don't fix things quickly, the Lakers could realistically be playing with lottery balls next season.
Around the League
Will Kidd be the next to go in New Jersey? Lost in the shuffle of the Kobe sweepstakes was the Nets' decision to trade away Kenyon Martin for what one Nets player dubbed "nothing in return." Technically, that's not true. The team received three future first-round picks. But for a proud playoff contender, losing your starting power forward and second-best player without getting equal value back is as close to "nothing" as you're going to get.
Jason Kidd
Point Guard
New Jersey Nets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
67 15.5 6.4 9.2 .384 .827
As you can imagine, Jason Kidd's reaction to the whole affair wasn't exactly positive.
"He is processing it," agent Jeff Schwartz said. "I told him before he has a (public) reaction he should think about it for a while. But his initial reaction was pretty easy to figure out.
"The Nets obviously have decided winning a championship isn't very important to them right now," Schwartz added.
That's one way to put it. While sources maintain the team is actively looking for a replacement for Martin, it isn't like power forwards grow on trees. They've been trying to pry Shareef Abdur-Rahim away from the Blazers in return for Kerry Kittles and Aaron Williams. The teams were close to a trade several months ago, but now it appears the Nets are no longer the front-runners to land Shareef.
If the Nets don't add a top-shelf four, they'll drop like a rock in the increasingly competitive Eastern Conference. Kidd, who's 31, wants to win a championship now. It's why he ultimately decided to re-sign with New Jersey, even when his heart said San Antonio. Now, I'm not sure the Spurs would have Kidd, even if they could afford him. He had knee surgery a few weeks ago and is expected to be out until training camp.
If the Nets really are cutting payroll, they'd probably love to move him. But his trade value (which had never been higher last summer) has never been lower after the surgery. If the Nets want to shop him, though, a team like the Mavericks probably would take him off their hands. They could offer Antoine Walker's expiring contract and Christian Laettner (it would have to be in a separate deal) for Kidd and the contract of Alonzo Mourning. That would give the Nets in excess of $30 million in cap space next summer to start anew.
You'd think the Nets would want more than that for Kidd, but given the deal they took for Kenyon, who knows? It's clear they want to build around Richard Jefferson, but as long as Kidd is on the books too, they'll never have the cap space to get it done.
The Clippers, if they really were serious about winning now, could offer Chris Wilcox and the rights to Shaun Livingston in return for Kidd. The team has enough cap space to absorb the difference between the two. That's a much better deal for the future of the Nets, but knowing Donald Sterling, he'd gag at Kidd's contract given his age and knee problems.
What are the Warriors thinking? Golden State agreed to its second head-scratching free-agent contract on Thursday, shaking hands with Derek Fisher on a six-year, $37 million contract. Their first big contract went to Adonal Foyle (five years, $42 million).
Derek Fisher
Point Guard
Los Angeles Lakers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
82 7.1 1.9 2.3 .352 .797
What gives? The Warriors already have two point guards, Speedy Claxton and Nick Van Exel. They'd love to dump Van Exel, but even if they did, the signing makes little sense. Fisher is nearly 30 years old and was a backup last year. He could help the Warriors, but not in proportion to what they paid him. He's a locker room guy. A hustler. A winner -- at least when Shaq and Kobe were on the floor. Without them? Ummmm ...
Given how well several of the teams below them in the West have done this offseason, I don't think it's a stretch to say that, barring other moves, the Warriors are going to be one of the worst two teams in the league. New GM Chris Mullin is stressing character in his signings so far, but talent, something the Warriors need as much or more of, has been in short supply.
I'm not sure how you justify signing a player like Fisher given the circumstances. I know they value him for his leadership, and they should. But didn't Eric Musselman get fired because he played guys like Fisher last season?
Besides, weren't the Warriors claiming they wanted to preserve their cap room for next season? As it stands now, the Warriors still will be under the cap, even with Fisher and Foyle. But that's assuming they don't re-sign restricted free agents Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy next summer.
There is some good news for Warriors fans, however. First-round pick Andris Biedrins has been playing great in the summer league, averaging 16 ppg and 11.3 rpg. Not bad for an 18-year-old Latvian.
Cavs after Baker? If things aren't already bad enough in Cleveland, now comes word the Cavaliers are making a run at free agent Vin Baker. Baker, who is coming off a season where he spent weeks in rehab and is recovering from "minor" heart surgery, happens to be the client of Aaron Goodwin, the agent for LeBron James. There aren't many power forwards out there who can replace Carlos Boozer, but Vin Baker?
Battier essentially gets the mid-level: Shane Battier received a six-year extension from the Grizzlies on Thursday, killing all talk that he'll be traded in a package for Erick Dampier. Now that he's signed, his contract will be difficult to trade (because of cap rules) for the next two seasons. According to a league source, Battier's deal is six years, $37 million.
Skinner's deal shrinks: Brian Skinner's reported five-year, $25 million contract with the 76ers is actually just four years, $20.7 million, according to sources, and even that isn't entirely guaranteed. Only the first two years of the contract have full guarantees (roughly $9.5 million). The third year has partial guarantees, and the fourth year is a team option.
Etan's plea to the Wizards: Usually, when a restricted free agent signs an offer sheet with another team, there is a coordinated response between the signing team, the player and the agent to convince the team that holds the restricted rights not to match. It's part of the deal a team makes when they extend a lucrative offer sheet (6 years, $37 million) like the Bucks did to Etan Thomas.
Thomas, however, appears to have broken that pact. When asked by reporters if he wanted the Wizards to match, Thomas was ... well ... honest.
"I hope they do," Thomas told the Washington Post. "I understand that it's a business, but my preference is to play here. I'm comfortable here. I like the system here, and I like my teammates. This is home, so I hope this is where I get to play.
"I really don't know what's going to happen, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My guess is they'll take the whole 15 days to decide, so I've got a long time to wait."
He even goes so far as to take a small shot at the Bucks for offering him so much dough. "Milwaukee is kind of desperate for a big man, and I'm not even a starter here," Thomas said.
I'm sure the Bucks are thrilled.
Roundup: Denver's Chris Andersen is close to signing a deal with the Hornets. ... The Nuggets are looking at guard Trenton Hassell to fill a hole at the two guard position.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
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