hoopsworld source says kobe to opt out and resign for less

[Iamabeasttt]

Hoopsworld: Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers: It would take a massive injury or total collapse for Kobe’s stock to fall and the Lakers have been preparing themselves for the inevitable. Kobe is going to opt out this summer and the Lakers will have to back up the other Brink’s truck to his house and there is little that is going to effect that. Sources close to Bryant say that while Kobe is eligible for a deal in the $24 million per year range he may help the Lakers out if it means keeping Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom in town, so expect Kobe’s next deal to be slightly less than most are projecting, a deal that averages $18 to $20 million seems like where things are headed, and Kobe opting out means almost nothing in the grand scheme.

if this is true, kobe does really want to win some championships since we might not be able to resign lamar ariza and brown

[Sofa King]

That would be awesome. Then again, the source is poopsworld.

[Slava]

He could get the remaining money easily from Nike as performance incentives.

[Jajwanda]

Kobe would probably give up a couple million in the process but really to improve his chances at getting extra rings and more long term commercials is worth it.

Kobe's pay drop would be enough to basically pay Shannon Brown and a third of Ariza's new salary. Trading Farmar after that would save enough for another third of Ariza's salary. All in all Buss would be looking at let's say 8m and thus 16m in extra payments over what he's paying now (unless they find someone that wants Morrison for cheap say 2.2m a year with us including cash).

[KObe Bryant]

No matter this happen or the other way, We would still be able to keep them all. As long as we win the Gold.

[Dr Aki]

kobe?? you would do that??

this franchise had better offer kobe a piece of this lakers franchise if he does this for the team

[Jajwanda]

Hmmmm legacy builder....

1- Win ring
2- Drop salary to keep dynasty together
3- Gain piece of ownership over time (remain with one franchise)

If he takes a 19m a year deal he could start at 17m or so for the first year which would mean that the Lakers total salary drops to say 69m just by Kobe taking his cut. Farmar gone would mean almost 67m or so. Say we tinker with Morrison and take a contract back send cash, etc, we may save another say 2m off of that meaning 65m.

Fisher may also retire by the way after this year and if we offer him an assistant job he may seriously consider doing it. That would be a major step in reducing salary. I would retain Farmar in that situation though.

[hermes]

wow that would be super


who would say he wasn't a team player after that?

[lakersfanatic]

If this was the old kobe (meaning like a year ago); i would say bullsh*t hehe
But the more mature, serious kobe now... he might just do it. I mean others have (Tim Duncan, Shaquille..) So it's a rumor until that day comes but he might just do it.

But i think it ultimately will come down to winning the championship or not. Winning would most likely make the guys want to stay together and kobe offering up some of his dough to help the cause hehe.

[magic1fan]

kobe might as well do it. there is no better place for him to be than here. we have the pieces aroud him to compete for five years. where else can he go to have that kind of future?

[semi-sentient]

I've been hoping that Kobe would do this all along. I would certainly have a newfound respect for him if he were willing to take less so that we can keep both Odom and Ariza, and it would practically guarantee that we'd be competing for titles for the next 4 years or so, at least. I'd like to see him go for the lower number ($18 mil max), as Kobe has to understand that his role is going to diminish over the next few seasons since the team is stacked. Same goes for Pau when he's up for renewal. That's still a **** of money. More than I make in 225 years.

[supaflash]

I was actually kind of wondering if he'd do this, think about what that does to his image in this time of athletes just wanting max money all the time. Its not like he needs more money lol and in the long term he might gain more from it. Makes soooo much sense. He could even do it kind of like Jordan, not sure if the new rules allow it or not but basically 18-20 or even a little less the next few years then one year of 35mil or so after Pau and Lamar's deals are done, something like that.

[Gus McCrae]

Kobe's not taking a $6 million/ANNUAL paycut.

[TonyMontana]

If he does that, then props to him it shows how much he has grown and how bad he wants to win more titles.

[Tommy Trojan]

NO way Kobe will ever do that

[Erik Eleven]

I suggested this some three years back and got laughed at. I still don't see why not. It's not like he doesn't make enough money anyway. Seriously.

Besides, for every million he'd cut, he'd probably gain one right back via the image boost he'd create by doing so (more commercials etc).

[Desiderium]

didnt shaq do the same thing for miami? kobe would definitely do it

[daddyfivestar]

[The Laker Kid]

Very unselfish if that's true... I hope it is.

LOL @ "Poopsworld"

[milesfides]

Until Buss and the very profitable Lakers ownership group decide to lower ticket prices for the fans, then I don't see why we'd expect players to be the ones to sacrifice.

Last time I checked, the Lakers were sitting pretty in terms of franchise worth, debt management, and revenue. Pretty much the top of the league.

Would you guys take paycuts in your jobs so that your owners could get a tax break?

I don't think Kobe, Odom, or any other player should have to take a paycut. They're the most visible faces of the franchise, but that doesn't mean they make the most money, nor are they at all responsible for the financial management of the team.

Why don't we get Phil Jackson to take a paycut as well? He's the highest paid coach ever at 10m, double everybody else, including guys like Greg Pop and Jerry Sloan.

Why don't ballboys take a paycut? How about the audio/visual guys?

Because the dozen or so Lakers basketball players who are among the few athletes in the world who can do what they do, the ones who train their entire lives for this, the ones who sacrifice any career for this, the ones who have 10 years to earn most of their lifetime income, these are the guys who should LEAST take paycuts.

Players lease a jersey for some years to earn a salary. Owners own, and they generate money until they die.