Kobe wants young lakers to stay together and not focus on bringing a max free agent aka george,or lebron

[kblo247]

I believe the trade was Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd.

Devils advocate: HE is looking at it from the perspective of when he was young meaning when he, Nick, Eddie, Shaq were together. They got broken up for a name in Rice. They won a ring, but the team was never really quite the same and became devoid of depth and talent despite Kobe and Shaq masking that like few could.

I think he's looking at it from a younger perspective because these guys in Ingram, Randle, Ball, Kuzma are all that young and haven't put it together yet but show signs.

I don't think he's looking at it from the perspective of when the LAkers wasted his prime years and he got pissed beyond belief when the Boozer, Baron, and JKidd deals all fell through and he was playing with Lamar, Luke, and a bunch of guys who went out the league when not attached to him while he carried them and their careers.

This team isn't wasting the prime or peak years of anyone right now, let alone a superstar talent and proven winner.

PErsonally I feel he is slightly right and slightly wrong. Everyone is going to need to be paid. That was the problem with keeping Eddie years ago next to Kobe and Shaq, as well as keeping Rice, they all need to be paid. Ingram is going to need to be paid next like Randle is now, which limits how you can sign and trade in the future. Now is the time to be creative. Maybe sign one guy, then retain Randle, and hope you can talk Brook/KCP/Thomas into cost control deals

The problems with this train of thought are that the league has the hard cap now. If we are going to bring in outside help, this gotta be this offeason or next. Also...this team can get a Max player (possibly 2 with a little haircut, and stretching Deng) all the while, keeping this core.

Kobe didn't seem to give much damn about our youth his last couple seasons. I dunno....I smell an agenda here.

Perhaps he was just throwin a warning out...nothing more. Maybe I'm making more of this than is necessary. Heard some ESPN guys today talking about it. They didn't agree with him at all either. Kinda called him out on same stuff. Seems like such a weird comment coming from Kobe. Talks all this talk about the comradery...but he never seemed to give flip when Fisher was let go. Either time.

Kobe's just so not 'that guy'. I think there's something else.

Oh well....he said it. I disagree. Life moves on. Magic and Rob are going to make that decision...and we leave it at that.

PS: Didn't Eddie leave because Kobe was beginning to take all the playing time? Eddie wanted to be a starter...have big minutes, all that? I don't remember it being a $$ issue at all. Could be wrong.

Problem is Fisher tells a story of Kobe asking him to stay and not go to the warriors but Buss wouldn’t pay him the same amount. Years later it’s funny because paid a 3 years older and once removed from kneee surgery the damn mle.

Kobe also went to bat for fish and Lamar when buss wouldn’t pay them after they won titles to get them new deals.

Kobe didn’t get a chance to react to fish being traded last time. Fish himself didn’t even know and wasn’t given the respect of a call. They found out on tv. It’s the same way Kobe finds out Caron, Pau, and Lamar were traded. He wasn’t consulted or warned by Mitch and Jim. Pau, Lamar, and fish themselves weren’t either which points back to why players looked at the front office strange. They had no class and did people dirty. There is no reason Espn radio should be the one to break to Odom for example he is traded after 2 rings, a sixth man of the year, and 6 years with the team yet they did. Phil himself still says he was dumb founded when his whole damn staff for pink slipped before game 1 vs Dallas. Mitch and Jim did some shady **** with people and communication.

West consulted guys before he made moves. West consulted Shaq before flopping Nick as Shaq refused to play with Jason Kidd which was the original Van Exel trade. They consulted Shaq on rice as he was advocating for Rice for Eddie. There was a culture and communication change when West left. There also was a lack of spending money and pinching pennies mindset which ultimately crippled Kobe and Shaq because still to this day as it stands 2mil is what Horace asked for to return to the 02 team and he wasn’t even contacted in free agency, 2mil aka the bae is what lue wanted to back up fisher in 02, and 2 mil is what horry asked for to play behind Malone in 04.

[Dloading99]

I think Kobe does a lot of Talking for Rob. stuff Rob can't say Kobe says.

He's right about Julius that guy is already in the Gym looking great. we need more players like that on our squad. so yeah we gotta Pay Julius. Paul George would be a good signing. but you're not getting the Indiana Paul George. you're getting a guy who's going to be more of a shooter. he's not a lead guy. he's here to make his money. Win games and play with a cool team. I think he's an upgrade of what we have and finally gives a guy to get shots at the end of the game. But this franchise winning a championship will be based on How great Julius Randle Brandon Ingram Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma develop playing together as a team simple as that.

[LakersLegacy]

Yeah sure... But like Doc pointed out in the other thread, that young core is going to get PAID soon... So if we want a few vets, this year and next is pretty much the window...

That said, he and Randle are pretty close, so I read this as a direct endorsement of signing him long term.

Ingram has 2 years left
Kuz, Zo and Hart have 3 years left

The goal is to do both. PG13 plus the young core!

[danfantastk32]

Yeah sure... But like Doc pointed out in the other thread, that young core is going to get PAID soon... So if we want a few vets, this year and next is pretty much the window...

That said, he and Randle are pretty close, so I read this as a direct endorsement of signing him long term.

Ingram has 2 years left
Kuz, Zo and Hart have 3 years left

The goal is to do both. PG13 plus the young core!

You also typically want to try and sign your star players before it comes to qualifying offers. But even if we explain to Ingram that we have to do it, to keep space....we still have to take care of him in that summer BEFORE other signings. In order to lock Ingram up on hold, it will be about $24-ish mil. <--------kinda kills your cap-space. So we really need to make this year, and next count.

Again...I think Kobe is completely wrong on this, and I don't know why he'd say what he did. If he's a big fan of Randle, that's great. Come out and say the Lakers need to sign Randle first. This team as currently constructed will prob never hoist a title. But we are in a wonderful position where we have a group of about 5-6 young players all on low contracts, and plenty of cap-space to sign 2 mega players. That's how your gonna win in todays NBA. We also happen to be one of the few NBA teams who could weather the crippling taxes that come with being 40-some mil over the cap.

We just gotta be smart, and sign the right guys. I think PG is fine....but if you get PG and Lebron/Kawhi....where do Kuz and Ingram fit? It's too bad our most realistic FA options are Lebron and PG. Feel like we should sign 1 or the other....not both.

[Dloading99]

Keep All the Young guys. keep the squad together.

But you gotta incorporate Paul George wherever he figures on the team because he's signing here. so any players that will play with him will be here. That's a done deal so Kobe is talking about the players but Paul George is a part of that team. so Kobe is saying keep all the players together.

You would have to keep Julius Randle No Lebron James cause Paul George is getting the Max. but it's all good cause you still have some great players. This is cool cause it's looking like Lakers Celtics rivalry is back. and if you sign Lebron that's great to figure out what you want to do with your other players. and trade or don't sign who you want cause it doesn't matter you have Lebron.

[The Laker Kid]

It's so easy for him to preach "wisdom" when he's retired... but put him in that situation and he be like "ship his ass out!!"

[Dloading99]

HaHa Ship all they ass out!

[gts1]

Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

apples and oranges... Kobe was an elite NBA talent going to waste with a lousy roster around him... the Lakers of today are young and have no all star to take advantage of and frankly are probably a better roster than what Kobe had when he made those comments

[kinste]

And they should have never signed Shaq back in the day. Wonder how many titles Kobe would have if they would have not brought in a max free agent in Shaq,

[IcyVeins]

Kobe says a lot of PC things these days...

Something he never was before.... Everything that comes out from Kobe's mouth should be taken with a grain of salt.

As someone mentioned before, Kobe would definitely never be like this in his prime...

[TheGOATWill]

I'm with Kobe. Lonzo and BI are 20. Kuz 22. Hart, who is more of a player than most people think is 23. I say bring back poor man's Draymond, Randle (also 23) if he can be had in the 80-100 range. Sign PG to the max and see if a JJ Reddick or lesser known shooter can be had for a slight discount. You need length and shooting to contend with GS and this ain't a bad start.