Laker Rumors

For the first time, it has now become official that Jason Kidd through his agent has formally asked to be traded and the Lakers are among 4 teams that are reported to have interest. In past conversations, it has been reported that Jason has expressed interest in coming to the Lakers and playing along side Kobe. But if he comes one thing has changed. In repoted negotiations last summer, the deal died the miniute the Nets asked for Andrew Bynum. And that was before AB became a monster on the court.

Because of salaries and to make the numbers work with Kidd making close to 20 Mil, any deal for the Kidd would probably have to include two of the following players; Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, Vlad Ramanovic, or Luke Walton. A draft pick and other players like Sasha or Critt might be in the mix but Rod Thorn has said that he does not have to have a PG coming back to make the deal work. If we do not send Critt we would have 4 PG's, even though Fish could be moved to SG to back up Kobe. With either Kwame and Lamar, or both, likely to be included, one of the young "Bigs," either Williams or Josh Boone would probably have to come back from the Nets to the Lakers or our roster would be to short and that is after AB and Mihm returned.

With the February 21 trade dealline rapidly approaching, you can speculate that if this deal is going to happen that negotiations are already underway.

Jason Kidd and the Nets roll into town next Tuesday for a matchup at the Staples Arena. So let's get the deal done and the Nets can drop Jason off as soon as they get to town. That way Kobe and the Kidd can beat the Nets 120 - 89. Well, that's my prediction anyway.

JamFan

The Lakers management have been so impressed with the progress of this team and the chemistry that they now have, that they have been reluctant to trade anybody and break up the current squad. But the need for another power forward has been there and they do have an open roster spot. So how do you add without substaction? Sign a free agent.

The likely candidates have been DJ Mbenga, PJ Brown and Chris Webber. GM Mitch Kupchak is reportedly confiming that they were already in contact with CWebb even before AB's injury, an injury that makes the need for a PF/C even more glaring. What happens if Lamar or Kwame gets hurt again?

In a recent TV interview CWebb made several comments that would lead one to believe that the Lakers are his first choice as well. He said that if he were starting an NBA franchise he would start with Kobe, and we know Kobe has been in contact with him in the recent past about joining the Lakers. He also said that he took time off to be with his family and how important that was to him. He spoke glowingly about how his restaurants. Both his family and his restaurants are in California.

He doesn't need the money, so why would he come back at age 33. Two reasons, he wants to be with a team that has a chance to win a championship and he wants to have fun on the floor again, play with a smile. So now he gets to choose his own playground. Will it be the Lakers? Can he help the Lakers?

Personally, I watched him play last season and he played really well when I was watching. His numbers for Detroit were not huge at 10 and 6 in 25 minutes, but he did hit 52% from the field. It seems his role would be similar on the Lakers and those numbers would be good enough to help. Is he healthy? His agent says he is. Can he stay healthy? Only time will tell. But he has taken some time off and has been working out consistantly with his trainers. Is he readly to go? They say the answer is yes.

The Lakers will be giving up nothing to bring him in except some cash. All current players and draft picks will remain intact. With CWebb on the floor it allows Coach to put Lamar at the 3. Moreover, he give us insurance against an injury to another one of our Bigs. Hopefully, if he comes here, he will get his smile back. And the Lakers will smile as well.

JamFan

Sam Cassell is a free agent, coach Mike Dunleavy is entering the final year of his contract and long-suffering Clipper Brand-wagoners fear that Sam I Am won't be retained and/or that Dunleavy won't be extended. That would be problematic because Cassell and Dunleavy, along with Elton Brand, were widely regarded as the main catalysts in the Clippers' breakthrough season.

Adding to the Cassell intrigue is the Lakers' alleged interest. One theory reverberating in the Staples Center hallways suggests that the 36-year-old, if he receives no more than a one-year offer from the Clips, will spite them by signing a multiyear deal with the glamorous team in the building, even though the Lakers' starting price can't rise above $5 million mid-level. Lakers skeptics dismiss the viability of that theory, figuring that Cassell's camp wants that notion out there merely to put pressure on Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling.

My take? I don't think Cassell is kidding. Kobe Bryant and Sam I Am would be a rather nasty combination, and Phil Jackson is certainly lusting for some additional veteran know-how after Kobe's kids couldn't finish off Phoenix after taking a 3-1 series lead.

We've discussed previously that Stojakovic and best friend Vlade Divac would love to reunite in Los Angeles, with Divac now serving in the Lakers' front office, but that would require a sign-and-trade. If L.A. didn't have enough to tempt Indiana when Ron Artest was available, its chances of concocting a deal for the shooter Kobe so badly needs probably aren't worth discussing.

Ok now that you've read that let me give you my take. Another group of experts mentioned thes players that the Lakers are intrested in: Al Harrington (yes really) Vladimir Radmovic (Lakers are seriouly pursuing) Bobby Jackson Sam Cassell Speedy Claxton Marcus Banks (Agent said he has just as good of a chance to resign than anything else) Peja Stojakovic (Proably the least likely, but who knows?)

The Lakers are most intrested in Banks, Radmonivic,and Cassell according to most papers and experts. The Lakers can proably only afford one of these guys unless a sign-in-trade occurs. This puts Chris Mihm, Brian Cook, Sasha Vujacic, Devean George, and future picks back on the block espically if we want Harrington.

Nazr Mohammed and Reggie Evans are both not on that list but appear to be headed to other teams anyways. If Reggie Evans and Mohammed sign what big man options that we can afford are left? What Do you think of these speculations?

Brandon Roy seems to have everything that Coach Jackson wants for his Triangle offence. Roy is a 6'6" guard out of Washington and is the prototype big guard that Coach is always looking for. Though considered a shooting guard, many feel he can play the 1, 2, or 3 spots. Brandon can shoot, dribble, pass, and play tough defense. He seems to have few flaws.

The problem is that most mock drafts have him at or around the #5 pick. The rumor that the Lakers may trade for the Chicago #2 pick so that they can draft Brandon Roy, seems to have some legs even though there isn't a specific source within the Lakers that is attributed to it. No Laker official is likely to come out and make such a pronouncement, so these rumors usually start with writers who have un-named inside sources.

But interest is far from a done deal. The rumor says that Lamar Odon could be traded for the #2 and the #16 pick from Chicago. Moving Lamar's contract creates even more cap space for next summer. Between Odom's 11 Mil and Brian Grant's 15 Mil, that's 26 Mil of greenbacks to flash around a year from now. Even KG's contract is doable with room to spare.

But if that is a good rumor it can't be a complete one. I could see Chicago maybe trading one pick for Lamar if they really wanted him but not both picks. This deal makes more sense if the rumor of Chris Mihm going to Chicago is also a part of this package.

Some specualtion out there says that since Coach Jackson is officially on for only two more years, he doesn't want to take any more projects. He already has one project in Bynum, and other rumors speculate that Coach would be willing to give up on him already if he could bring in players who could help the Lakers win now.

I somehow think that the Lakers are not going to get offstride just because of the length of Jackson's contract. It seems that everything points to the Lakers reaching their roster goals by the beginning of the 07/08 season. That would be Jackson's last season, but there is nothing that says he wouldn't be willing to stay if he truely had a team that was ready to again compete for a championship.

Unless some miracle trade comes along now that brings in a KG or another franchise player, the Lakers probably will look to make progress this year, without the expectation of a championship.

If the Lakers do trade Lamar to move up to take a high lottery pick like Brandon Roy, we are offically in a rebuilding mode. The next 3 weeks will tell us alot about what the Lakers want to do. The Draft will be over, the negotiating period for Free Agents begins July 1, and contracts can be signed beginning July 7. Not every Laker move will be completed by then, and we do still have the summer league ahead of us. But the likelyhood of a blockbust signing or trade is less likely as we head towards the opening of the season. So look for more action early in the process rather than later.

JamFan

So what happened? The Lakers reportedly offered what was left of their mid-level exemption. The other half went to McKie who scored a whopping 1 pt per game last season while sitting mostly on the bench. Then came the reports of a sign and trade deal possibly even involving other teams. A sign and trade would have created more income for Spree so he could "feed his family." Two problems arose. One, the Lakers apparently did not want to give up the player or players that Minnesota wanted. One report said Minnesota wanted Devean George. Secondly, the Minnesota roster was already maxed out with players under contract and they didn't need another player. So they had no motivation for helping Spree unless they could literally steal a good player from the Lakers.

So why would the Lakers want to take on Spree. Well, they were willing to take on one head case, Kwame Brown, for Coach Jackson to work his ZenMagic on. So why not one more. If you look at Spree's numbers last year, 12.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg with and EFF score of +10.8, you notice that his production per minute played did not fall off at all. His shooting percentaqe held up as well. That last 3 players the Lakers brought in combined did not produce what Spree did. Mckie, only scored 1 ppg, Blount could not find a job last year and would have remained retired this year if the Lakers hadn't salvaged him out of mothballs, and Kwame only averaged 7 ppg.

So, the Lakers, in a year of off season gambles, might have been willing to roll the dice again. But training camp has opened, Spree is still not here, and still available. There aren't any other Spree rumors out there. This seemed to be the only deal his agent was working on. And still may be. But hopes of a sign and trade have faded and if Spree does come to camp it will probably be for the 2 1/2 Mil for two years with a 3rd year option, in keeping with the Lakers long range plans. Don't worry, if Spree signs, he still will be able to "feed his family." JamFan