One Love = Bibby "Purple & Gold"

[ALL HAIL]

I don't mind Bibby, but for no more than 2-3 years.

I'd much rather have Kidd for 2 years, 10 mill than Bibby though. I know we are cash strapped but in order to secure a dynasty we're going to have to spend a little money over the next two years and try to save money in the long term..

To make up for the additional money being spent for guys like Kidd (9 mill, 2 yrs), Odom (56 mill, 6 yrs), Ariza (13.5 mill, 3 yrs), and S. Brown (5 mill, 2 yrs), WE HAVE TO CUT MONEY. The same way we are all trying to cut back in our own lives.

If the aforementioned players bite at the above contracts we can trim salary by making shrewd cost cutting moves:

1) Resign Kobe for as little as humanly possible and pay him on the back end via a longer term contract (like what we did with Magic and Worthy). Twenty million a year sounds good but if we could get him to take 17 or less that would be super.

2) Dump Morrison for PEANUTS (no salary coming back) -- this seems easier said than done but it saves us 10.5 million dollars. Personally, I don't think someone will help us save money unless there is something they can get in return (Morrison, the player, has no value). That's why I would definitely dump Walton and Morrison for Eddy Curry. This move basically allows us to dump Morrison and save that very same 10.5 million. Also, with Curry and Walton's contract being worth the same amount of money, we get the opportunity to rid ourselves of all the money we owe Luke in two years (the remaining length on Curry's deal) as opposed to the four years left on Walton's contract. Meanwhile, we gain a third string center -- think Chris Mihm (albeit much more overpaid) and rid ourselves of a guy in Walton who IMO takes up valuable roster space from some player out there who is far cheaper and much less of a liability on offense and defense.

3) Dump Farmar for Mardy Collins or a second rounder (preferably Collins although acquiring him means an additional 3.6 million) Is Collins woth it (3.6 mill)? I say yes because Vujacic IMO needs to be replaced yesterday. Unfortunately, I think Vujacic's value is next to nothing and he cannot be traded.

My Lakers Next Year look like this:

PG - Kidd - Collins - Calathes (first round pick)
SG - Brown - Fisher - McClinton (second round pick)
C - Bynum - Mbenga - Curry
PF - Gasol - Odom - Powell (eleventh man)
SF - Bryant - Ariza - Vujacic (twelfth man)

This team would cost a staggering 90 million dollars next year (plus approximately 18 in luxury tax ... WOW!)
In '10 - '11, assuming we were to resign Fisher (2 mill, 1 year), Mbenga (3.5 mill, 2 yrs), and Powell (4 mill, 2 yrs) this team would cost a whopping 95 million dollars (plus an approximate 23 in luxury tax).

In '11 - '12 is when we'd finally get some relieve with the payroll being much closer to 75 million (plus an approximate 3 in luxury tax).

Will Buss pay a payroll of 108 million next year (including the luxury tax)? Safe bet says no. Letting Odom walk and not signing Kidd brings the number down to 84 million (including luxury tax but not including minimum salary players to fill two roster spots), a savings of 24 million dollars. But will we when championships and dominate w/o Odom and potentially Kidd? Probabaly not.

I think if Buss takes a chance with this team, we can win four championships.

[Erik Eleven]

We need defense, not Bibby.

[crazyeights]

Don't do it, Mitch.

If this is true then we either win this season or our window has closed and it starts getting really stuffy in here.

When a team without Lamar is on the floor our rebounding goes way down. At least from what I've noticed. No way can we handle Luke getting big minutes off the bench, bah, we're going to get punked so bad every game.

No weakside blocking. No one-handed rebounds. No daddy long legs? No thanks. Lamar is the one Laker (other than Kobe) I want to win a championship with.

He's been with us through the worst of times...I don't want to end on a bad note. Do it Lamar.

[monk302]

Not crazy about Bibby heading to us. I have a feeling Odom is going to wind up in Miami.

[DreamOn]

I love it personally, he would thrive in a lineup with Kobe and Gasol. But I think we also need to try hard to lock up both Odom and Ariza.

[TonyMontana]

Pass.

[lakersfanatic]

awe man.. i surely hope this isn't true.... LO leavin? Well one way to counter that is he has several restaurants (so i heard ) in L.A. not sure why he would want to leave.. unless the Lakers don't want to resign him..
Bibby wasn't the deciding factor in the Hawks first round win. I prefer us to if LO and Ariza (probably unlikely) and then focus on shannon brown as starting or equal minutes with dfish.. But i see them letting go ariza more than LO.. unless LO demands more dough..

If kobe is willing to sacrifice his millions.. it would be great that the others would follow his foot steps..

[One Love]

I like Kidd as well but lets be honest with ourselves, the PG role in the triangle (although we don't seem as discliplined running it lately, particularly last night) is to bring the ball up 70% of the time, pass and spot up... I agree that Bibby doesn't defend as well as other PG's but did you see D Fish get lite up last night... I am not in love with the trade but I do understand as Bibby can shoot, is a veteran and will defer to Kobe, Pau and Bynum (he did to JJ in ATL and Martin in Sac)... I think we need to upgrade that position, period and apparently PJ & Kupcake agree...

[Kreuk]

what about ammo?

[Gus McCrae]

I like Kidd as well but lets be honest with ourselves, the PG role in the triangle (although we don't seem as discliplined running it lately, particularly last night) is to bring the ball up 70% of the time, pass and spot up... I agree that Bibby doesn't defend as well as other PG's but did you see D Fish get lite up last night... I am not in love with the trade but I do understand as Bibby can shoot, is a veteran and will defer to Kobe, Pau and Bynum (he did to JJ in ATL and Martin in Sac)... I think we need to upgrade that position, period and apparently PJ & Kupcake agree...

upgrade at the expense of Odom? If we are going to "upgrade" at least our PG should play excellent Defense . I don't really see what Bibby is bringing over Fisher/Brown other than experience. Our team is much worse without LO< he's out glue guy

[lakersfanatic]

phil should have let ammo play more minutes down the stretch of the season to improve his stock for trade value.. oh well.. we'll get trash for him now. I say farmar+ammo and maybe another.

[tkb]

Bibby would be terrific on this team. Great, great fit IMO.

Not happy if we lose Lamar though.

[daddyfivestar]

I'm just wondering why Bibby's "people have already reached out to our staff" when it seems both Bibby and the Lakers have a bit more pressing matters on their minds right now. Seems akwardly poor timing.

[crazyeights]

Isn't Mitch's job to be doing these kinds of things? I don't think he scouts for playoffs or is involved much into day-to-day personnel decisions or anything with the coaches....

On the other hand, Bibby is still in the playoffs, so that is kind of odd.

[amb1ent]

I'm just wondering why Bibby's "people have already reached out to our staff" when it seems both Bibby and the Lakers have a bit more pressing matters on their minds right now. Seems akwardly poor timing.

why, what's on his mind? i would be shocked if the hawks take even one game from the cavs.

[snaquille oatmeal]

phil should have let ammo play more minutes down the stretch of the season to improve his stock for trade value.. oh well.. we'll get trash for him now. I say farmar+ammo and maybe another.

last time we had trash with a sizeable expiring contract we did pretty well.

do it Mitch!

[Showtime Lakers]

I have been informed that Bibby wants to join the Lakers next year (MLE) and his people have already reached out to our staff and the feelings are mutual...

Are you saying the Lakers are tampering? lol

The Lakers want to trade Morrison and Farmar this off-season.

[DEEP3CL]

Who the hell is "our staff" that OneLove is suppose to be with ?

[crazyeights]

One Love is actually Phil Jackson....so to answer your question: Jeanie.

[B Calrissian]

If Miami is a front runner to get Farmar would they be trading a future 1st? The Wolves have the Heats 1st this year.