Looking back to 2007: Kobe really demanded a trade to Bulls

[MalagaBulls]

Link: http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/ ... s-in-2007/

I guess it was mentioned or debated in earnest in those days but what the Bulls were offering would have gutted the team.

Bulls outgoing: Gordon, Deng, Noah, Thomas
Bulls incoming: Kobe, ????

Obviously as the story goes the Lakers would only trade Kobe to the Pistons and he vetoed the trade. Also would not go if Deng was dealt.

Content:

Kobe Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers in 2007, and he really wanted out:


Asked if he had any preference for a trade destination, he said “At this point I’ll go play on Pluto.”

That wasn’t quite true, though.

The Lakers agreed to trade Kobe to the Pistons, but he used his no-trade clause to veto the deal, something he confirmed on The Grantland Basketball Hour.

Kobe:

I said, “I gave you a list of teams I’m comfortable being traded to. That wasn’t one of them. So, no.”

Chicago was my No. 1 choice.

The Bulls and Lakers tried to negotiate a trade with Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and Joakim Noah coming up as key pieces who could go to Los Angeles. But Kobe was wary of Chicago surrendering Deng and weakening his new team, and a deal never happened.

Kobe wasn’t traded to the Mavericks, another team that negotiated for him, either. He stayed with the Lakers and won a couple more championships.

But, wow, this is one heck of a “What if?”

Kobe would have put himself even further into Michael Jordan’s shadow, though that’s never something he feared, even once wanting to sign with Jordan’s Wizards. The Lakers would probably have two fewer championships. The Bulls, depending what they gave up, could have another. Derrick Rose would probably be somewhere else. The gap between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference might not be so pronounced.

If Kobe had gotten his wish, the entire NBA landscape would have changed. He’s that powerful.

[coldfish]

This thread should be stickied and every Bulls board member should be forced to type the following sentence in it:

"The Bulls were willing to trade Deng in a package for Kobe, but Kobe vetoed it."

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

[MalagaBulls]

This thread should be stickied and every Bulls board member should be forced to type the following sentence in it:

"The Bulls were willing to trade Deng in a package for Kobe, but Kobe vetoed it."

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

CF, why do you think a NBC has picked it up just now and made it a story, or "non-Story"?

[umfan83]

Man I still remember how jacked I was that Kobe was coming here. Then I remember the trade negotiations way overshadowing the start to the season. Then I remember the Bulls starting out 0-4 as players grumbled about their uncertain status as trade bait. Shortly after the deal died, Skiles was fired, the Bulls finished 33-49 and lucked into the #1 pick which at one point would have been a happy end to the story because we ended up with Rose.

I don't think a Kobe era would have ended well. Skiles still would have been canned within a season of Kobe coming here, I don't think Kobe would have put up with him. On the plus side, I'm not sure how well the Bulls would have been positioned for 2010 FA, but its possible that they would have been in a better position to get LeBron and Bosh to form a big 3 with Wade left out.

[johnnyvann840]

This thread should be stickied and every Bulls board member should be forced to type the following sentence in it:

"The Bulls were willing to trade Deng in a package for Kobe, but Kobe vetoed it."

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

Amen. This seems to happen with more than just that topic. The "group-think" phenomenon takes over and everybody's IQ drops about 50 points and revisionist history takes over. Hell, that happens with things that happened yesterday... but didn't.

[umfan83]

This thread should be stickied and every Bulls board member should be forced to type the following sentence in it:

"The Bulls were willing to trade Deng in a package for Kobe, but Kobe vetoed it."

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

Really? I thought it was common knowledge that it was Kobe that didn't want Deng to go in a trade.

[DuckIII]

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

This thread will not change that.

[musiqsoulchild]

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

This thread will not change that.

Truer words have not been spoken today.

[Red Larrivee]

I thought all of this is well known though?

[MalagaBulls]

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

This thread will not change that.

Truer words have not been spoken today.

So you mean to tell me that in spite of so much obvious and possibly overwhelming evidence to the contrary there are still posters who insist the FO are the one who would not pull the trigger?

[MalagaBulls]

I thought all of this is well known though?

Not me Red, I've been a hermit overseas for too long I guess.

[t-time]

We missed out on getting a true number 2 option to pair with Kirk

[Chicago Brawls]

We can't pull off trades even when players demand them to be to us.

When was the last time the Bulls dared a non-draft day trade for at least all-star talent?

Oh yes, we traded Deng and Korver for Bynum and a PMS or whatever.

[TheStig]

This thread should be stickied and every Bulls board member should be forced to type the following sentence in it:

"The Bulls were willing to trade Deng in a package for Kobe, but Kobe vetoed it."

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

Clearly a cover up by GarPax!

[DuckIII]

So you mean to tell me that in spite of so much obvious and possibly overwhelming evidence to the contrary there are still posters who insist the FO are the one who would not pull the trigger?

Yes. As has been noted in this thread already, none of this is actually new information. Indeed, it was all known to us while it was actually happening in real time. The Kobe/Deng aspect of this was known basically immediately. And despite that, this trade scenario has been trotted our for years under the "the conservative Bulls FO won't pull the trigger on trades because they love their players too much" umbrella.

[DuckIII]

We can't pull off trades even when players demand them to be to us.

. . . . and then vetos the trade because said player doesn't like what is left of the Bulls roster if the trade were to have happened.

[ATRAIN53]

Would have been awesome.

Rose would have probably been drafted by MIA the next year and we would have never dealt with his injuries.

We would have had a starting line-up with something like Kobe, Ben Wallce, Deng, Noch, Drew Gooden and Chris Duhon!
Probably polishing that 9th trophy by now and Ben Wallace headed to the HOF!

Seriously tho, I just like that we now have something to conform that it was not Deng for Kobe.
Kobe wanted to come here ONLY if they kept Deng.

and the guy who would have benefitted MOST from this might have been Carmelo - maybe him and Iverson would have won the West and taken out the Celtics.....

who knows.

But he won a title after this whole scenario because LA was able to trade for another guy we supposedly wouldn't deal Deng for....

[kyrv]

This thread should be stickied and every Bulls board member should be forced to type the following sentence in it:

"The Bulls were willing to trade Deng in a package for Kobe, but Kobe vetoed it."

The idea that the Bulls would not trade Deng for Kobe took on a life of its own at some point and still comes up from time to time.

Just came up in freaking Miami a few days ago. The hosts were laughing at the Bulls because they wouldn't include Deng. So silly of them. Embarrassingly one host was from Chicago.

[umfan83]

Would have been awesome.

Rose would have probably been drafted by MIA the next year and we would have never dealt with his injuries.

We would have had a starting line-up with something like Kobe, Ben Wallce, Deng, Noch, Drew Gooden and Chris Duhon!
Probably polishing that 9th trophy by now and Ben Wallace headed to the HOF!

Seriously tho, I just like that we now have something to conform that it was not Deng for Kobe.
Kobe wanted to come here ONLY if they kept Deng.

and the guy who would have benefitted MOST from this might have been Carmelo - maybe him and Iverson would have won the West and taken out the Celtics.....

who knows.

But he won a title after this whole scenario because LA was able to trade for another guy we supposedly wouldn't deal Deng for....

Yes, that's what it was. I knew there was another deal where the perception was the Bulls wouldn't give up Deng in a deal.

[johnnyvann840]

and the guy who would have benefitted MOST from this might have been Carmelo - maybe him and Iverson would have won the West and taken out the Celtics.....

Huh? The Melo/AI experiment was a monumental failure regardless of where Kobe was. They were never winning jack shyt. That team got pummeled by the Lakers in the 1st round. blowouts every game. I was at a couple of those. Melo stunk up the floor. Badly.