[h2]Sources: Kobe returning to Lakers[/h2]
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It wasn't long ago that Kobe Bryant reportedly wanted out of Los Angeles. He's not going anywhere now.
Bryant
Fresh off winning the championship, the Lakers guard decided not to exercise an early termination option in his contract and will return for the 2009-10 season, a league source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Bryant is scheduled to make $23 million next season by not opting out. He also has a player option to opt out of his contract in the 2010-11 season. The Lakers will work with Bryant over the summer and fall to hammer out a new, long-term extension, according to the source.
After two straight first-round exits from the playoffs, Bryant requested a trade in the spring of 2007, saying that he didn't like the direction the team's rebuilding was going.
The Lakers then went out and traded for big man Pau Gasol. Los Angeles increased its win total from 42 games to 57 and went to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers bounced back with a 65-win season in 2008-09, made it back to the Finals and beat the Orlando Magic for the title. Bryant distinguished himself by winning his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal. The duo won three from 2000-02.
Originally Posted by FrenchBlue23
Dr. Jerry Buss made his money from Real Estate and investments.
Didn't make much money with his college degree I guess.
23ska909red02 wrote:
DAMN, man!
- Tony Longoria
- Manu
- Richard Jefferson
- Sheed
- Duncan
Slashers in Jefferson, Manu, and Tony, shooters in Manu and Sheed, length in Sheed and Duncan, perimeter defense in Manu and Tony, post defense in Duncan and Sheed, fastbreaking out the wazoo in TP, Manu, and RJ... and that's not even taking one single look at the bench!
I know it's presumptuious of me but I envision a Laker/Spurs WCF. The addition of RJ really of gave them a whole new dimension and if theyget Sheed...
Hopefully Sasha, Farmar and Shannon take a step forward in development because I don't know if there's a FA that would make a positive impact cheaply.
Kobe already has a max deal....
lol photoshoppedOriginally Posted by mrjdmz
.. although I like the idea of the black alternates, I'm kinda iffy on the design posted..
I'd like to see something a bit more subtle, like this (not my pic):
.. with some purple accents, maybe in place of the white trimming.. PSers?
Three6mafia2007 wrote:
Underpaid? LOL He would have gotten nothing under 20 mil. Plus they would have back loaded to contract.
If you want to make sure you can keep the team intact like you said then give back a couple of mil to start and get it all back on the back end of the contract. He would have actually lost no money he just would have gotten most of it at the back end.
And its not about over paying any body. I could see if we were talking about morrision or somebody but Ariza was VITAL to our title run.
I don't get it. Is KG under paid? Is Timmy underpaid? Nah but they took less money to make the teams better.
Look I understand some of yall believe kobe is the most important person on the sqaud but if you take Arzia away or Lamar away we don't win the chip plain and simple.
Kobe swears up ad down that he love the lakers. If you love this organization so much, help them out a bit to make sure we can stay a title contender.
But like you said its a moot point.
-That would still be a little less than what he's worth
-So u don't believe Kobe's the most important player on the squad?
-As for KG and Duncan, they're being paid exactly what they're worth imo. What is there to get?
-Even if he did take a paycut of a few mil, that is in no way a guarantee that we would sign both of them. But I'm sure u already know that
Edit: Upon looking at KGs contract, I think he is getting underpaid for the 09-10 season. but whatever
LOL.
Kobe is very important to the team but hell we all know what happened when he didn't have the talent around him. Fact the lakers haven't lost 3 gamesin a row since Pau Gasol showed up. Obviously Pau is VERY important also. Now don't get it twisted. I know how imporant kobe is to the team but Pau isimportant, LO is important ETC. Its not all about Kobe.
All I know is giving one player a Max contract and having bs around him is not the formula for a championship any more. I really don't see how anybodymaking 20 to 23 mil a season is underpaid at all.
What want to understand is what do you think Kobe should be making? Him being the highest paid player on the team is ok and hell he should be. But I don'tsee a problem in trying to help the organization out.
Would I blame Kobe if we didn't get both players back? Hell no. I understand how crazy the market can be. But if we did have some extra dollars it wouldhelp in try to replace a player we may lose.
But once again. Moot point. I don't blame Kobe for wanting his paper. I just kinda wished he would have tried to help a little bit.
And now it starts....
[h2]Spurs, Suns Trying To Make Room For Odom[/h2]
Jul 01, 2009 8:01 AM EST
The Lakers contacted Lamar Odom on Tuesday night about remaining with the champions, and a number of other clubs are interested in the forward.
The Spurs and Suns are interested in Odom, and have been looking to clear room in order to sign him.
Odom is believed to be seeking a four-year deal worth about $10 million annually.
There are just a handful of clubs - Detroit, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Atlanta, Toronto, Portland and maybe Sacramento - that have enough cap room to sign Odom.
"There are not a lot of teams," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. "There's a couple, but it only takes one team to make an offer."
Via Los Angeles Times
San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers
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Lamar ar 10 mil a season is good to me. I think we all agreed that was the right price so we need to make that happen.
Now if Lamar is asking for 10, I really want to know how much Ariza ia going to ask for. No way should he make the money Lamar is IMO. Ariza at 7 to 8 is aboutright and hopefully we will make that happen.
As I am typing this Fox 11 news out here in cali is reporting Kobe signed a 3 year extention worth about 50 something million. They don't have the exacctfigure bu they said Kobe will make something around 90 million over the next 5 years they said. So i guess he is underpaid to some of you folks....
Also no shot at Kidd. Mavs want to give him about 8 mil a year. We can spend that on Ariza.
Nate is done In NY if we want to go that route but I still don't understand that.
Originally Posted by CP1708
^
Rumor thread has Kobe at a 3 year deal worth 85 mil.
Spurs tryin to get Lamar.
God damn it.
Kobe grants the Lakers a stay
Bryant decides not to opt out of contract and is expected to sign three-year extension on top of his two remaining years. Team makes contact with Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza.
By Mike Bresnahan And Broderick Turner, On The Lakers
July 1, 2009
The annual free-agent scramble began for the Lakers when their most important player decided not to be part of it.
Kobe Bryant elected not to terminate the final two years of his contract and was expected to sign a three-year extension sometime this month.
Bryant would make a guaranteed $47.8 million over the next two years and could earn another $86 million to $91 million with the extension, depending on NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011.
There was optimism that the sides would reach agreement, one source familiar with the situation calling it "a layup" but declining to speak further about specifics.
Under terms of the extension, the earliest Bryant could opt out again would probably be June 2012, three seasons from now. To do that, however, would leave more than $60 million on the table over the last two years.
In other words, Bryant, who has spent his entire 13-year career with the Lakers, might very well retire with them. He will be 31 next month.
Tuesday was the last possible day for Bryant to become an unrestricted free agent, but he did not terminate his contract because he wanted to "let Lamar [Odom] and Trevor [Ariza] have their day," according to a source who was not authorized to speak publicly about the decision.
Indeed, the Lakers, who won the NBA title 17 days ago, made preliminary contact Tuesday night with representatives for both of the unrestricted free-agent forwards, as General Manager Mitch Kupchak tried to live up to his recent promise to "make quick decisions . . . and hopefully we can bring this team back intact."
Odom was on the Lakers' books for $14.1 million last season but will have to take a substantial pay cut. Ariza, who turned 24 Tuesday, will get a solid pay raise from the $3.1 million he made last season. No verbal agreements were struck with either player Tuesday night, though negotiations will continue throughout the week.
San Antonio and Phoenix are interested in trying to sign Odom. Both teams are trying to clear salary-cap space to see if they can get a deal done with Odom, who is looking for at least a four-year deal worth an average of $10 million a year.
Suns Coach Alvin Gentry is familiar with Odom, having coached him when they were both with the Clippers from 2000 to 2003.
San Antonio is looking for a versatile power forward to join perennial All-Star Tim Duncan after the Spurs traded Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto to acquire small forward Richard Jefferson.
Only a handful of teams currently have enough salary-cap room to sign Odom or Ariza: Detroit, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Atlanta, Toronto, Portland and perhaps Sacramento.
"There are not a lot of teams," Kupchak said. "There's a couple, but it only takes one team to make an offer."
Detroit appears to be the biggest free-agent buyer this summer with about $20 million to spend toward next season's payroll, though the Pistons were believed to be interested in Chicago guard Ben Gordon and Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu. If the Pistons signed both players, their spending spree would end and they wouldn't have enough money to sign Ariza or Odom.
If the Lakers are unable to sign Odom or Ariza, they might pursue Houston forward Ron Artest, who made $7.4 million last season but became more attractive to the Rockets almost overnight amid reports that center Yao Ming might miss next season because of a broken foot.
Artest, 29, sat courtside for some Lakers home playoff games but would probably have to take a pay cut to play for a team that is conscious of the luxury-tax penalties looming in the future.
The Lakers' third unrestricted free agent of note is reserve guard Shannon Brown. The Lakers spoke with his agent Tuesday night, but it will be a slow-speed chase compared to their interest in Odom and Ariza.
Brown, 23, enjoyed his time with the Lakers and wanted to return but would also look over the free-agent landscape, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein. Brown was basically a throw-in with Adam Morrison in the February trade that sent Vladimir Radmanovic to Charlotte. The Lakers were his fourth NBA team in three NBA seasons.
Brown, 23, made $796,000 last season, well below the NBA average of $5.6 million.
"Shannon would love to be back with the Lakers," Bartelstein said. "He had a positive experience, a great experience with the Lakers. He loved being there. We'll talk to Mitch and see how things unfold."
There's still some minor unfolding to monitor in the Bryant situation.
If he unexpectedly can't reach an agreement with the Lakers on an extension, he will play this season for $23 million and can opt out next June. He could then sign a four-year deal for $112 million.
Bryant, however, wants to stay in Los Angeles, where the Lakers are coming off their first NBA championship since 2002 and are built to contend for years to come.
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That is one hell of a contract. But hey if we can lock up both Ariza and Lamar for 4 years then we don't have a problem...until Gasol's deal is up in2011.
