Kobe was almost a Piston in 07

russkopp · Post #1 » by **russkopp** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:51 am

Just released due to the death of Jerry Buss that a trade was finalized in 2007 sending Kobe to the Pistons after his trade demand during the summer. Dr. Buss brought Kobe to his home to tell him he was going to Detroit if he wanted to be traded but reminded him there was nothing like being a Laker. Kobe didn't want to walk out on Dr. Buss and the rest is history...the Iverson era began.

Pretty interesting. Makes you think of all the close deals that never happen and you never hear about.

DCintheD · Post #2 » by **DCintheD** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:01 am

I remember hearing rumors about this at the time... I think it was Rip, Tay, Amir and future picks... crazy to think at one point those guys had that kind of trade value... woulda been even crazier if Kobe was a Piston...

ComboGuardCity · Post #3 » by **ComboGuardCity** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:14 am

We would have won a championship, I'll tell you that.

Goldtop · Post #4 » by **Goldtop** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:18 am

This was reported back in the summer of 07 I think, after it didn't happen. So not really news, but its nice to hear it actually confirmed.

This should end the idea that Dumars doesn't want superstars and only wants to build a team 1 way. The following year he successfully traded for AI, who was coming off an MVP-type season statistically, so its apparent now that he was determined to get a superstar somehow. Too bad that ended up being AIs last good year, and Kobe went on to win 2 more championships. But you gotta give Dumars credit for trying. He basically pulled off a trade for Kobe, without even giving up his 2 best players in Chauncey/Sheed. Can't blame Joe for Kobe nixing it.

Even though it didn't go through, I think you have to put this in positive category of Dumars resume. Not many GMs in history have been able to pull of a trade for the best player in the league, without even giving up their 2 best players. Impressive wheeling an dealing by Joe, even if it got nixed. And one of the reasons you don't just dump a GM like Joe because of a few down years during an ownership change.

wire28 · Post #5 » by **wire28** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:19 am

*insert derisive comment about Joey D*

ARoS · Post #6 » by **ARoS** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:25 am

I dont get why the lakers even entertained the idea.

ComboGuardCity · Post #7 » by **ComboGuardCity** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:27 am

alex0000 wrote:I dont get why the lakers even entertained the idea.

Prince was poised to breakout and Rip was an all star. Amir was also a young athletic big man. Back then, that was pretty good value for Kobe who had publicly expressed he wanted out.

ARoS · Post #8 » by **ARoS** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:34 am

I'm not so sure it was good value, even if Kobe did want out. Difficult to say now as can't remember what else would havd been available from other teams, but just sounds like a declining Rip, a good-to-all-star level SF and junk, for Kobe...

Goldtop · Post #9 » by **Goldtop** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:39 am

alex0000 wrote:I dont get why the lakers even entertained the idea.

Post Shaq/pre Pau, the Lakers weren't winning and Kobe was getting fed up that his best player was Smush Parker lol and iirc had demanded a traded. 3 of the last 4 champions at the time were won by the Spurs and Pistons, both teams the Lakers had lost to, so maybe they thought they needed a more balanced team to win.

If you figure whatever they traded him for wouldn't have been equal value, with Rip you at least get an all-star SG to replace him, a borderline all-star SF which Tay was at the time, a nice young big man prospect in Amir, and a #1 pick.

Personally, I don't know why they wouldn't have demanded to get Rip and Chauncey together for Kobe. That would actually have been somewhat of a fair deal - getting back the best backcourt in the league for Kobe. But had the deal gone through and we got to keep Chauncey...

Billups/Stuckey
Kobe/Stuckey
Afflalo
McDyess
Sheed

We would've beat BOS in 2008, and there wouldve been no Laker team with Pau in the Finals, so we probably wouldve won the championship that year. Damn you Kobe :-?

Post #10 » by **Timmaytime** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:21 am

In 2009, We denied a trade a couple of years ago that would have gotten us Ray Allen and a 24 year old Rondo.. If only one of these had worked out..

dan2314 · Post #11 » by **dan2314** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:31 am

yeah werent we close to getting something like allen pierce and rondo with something like rip,tay and billups a few years ago?

Goldtop · Post #12 » by **Goldtop** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:55 am

dan2314 wrote:yeah werent we close to getting something like allen pierce and rondo with something like rip,tay and billups a few years ago?

I think the rumor was BOS offered Rondo/Allen for Stuckey/Rip/Tay and Dumars declined.

Its never been confirmed though, and at the time of the rumor both Dumars and Ainge denied ever discussing such a deal. iirc Joe laughed off the deal saying something like, if the Celtics want to offer him Rondo he'd gladly take him lol.

MrBigShot · Post #13 » by **MrBigShot** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:52 am

ComboGuardCity wrote:We would have won a championship, I'll tell you that.

Post #14 » by **Snakebites** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:58 am

I never heard anything 100% definitive as far as what was actually on the table. When it was rumored we certainly hoped it was Rip/Tay and pieces because that would have made us better. That doesn't necessarily make it so.

For all we know Billups was in the deal.

And with Boston I believe I don't think Allen and Rip were part of the deal.

pistonsfan92 · Post #15 » by **pistonsfan92** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:06 am

Vincent Goodwill confirmed the deal was rip.tay.amir.and picks for kobe

Redeemed · Post #16 » by **Redeemed** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:18 am

alex0000 wrote:I dont get why the lakers even entertained the idea.

They were calling Kobe's bluff. Kobe didn't want to be traded, he just wanted to have a very public hissy fit so the Lakers would cradle him like a baby and assure him of their loving intent to get him whatever he wanted.

Buss got what appeared to be a trade ramped up. He put it out their to Kobe. Kobe started thinking, 'wow they called my bluff'. Trade nixed. Kobe a Laker for life. Life goes on. This news is totally irrelevant when you look at it next to the recent George Karl admission. Karl admitted to lying and throwing fake deals out there to the media to stir things up.

This Kobe news could be utterly fake.

Either way (bluff or fake report)...whatever.

MrBigShot · Post #17 » by **MrBigShot** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:49 pm

It's not fake...this isn't the first time it's been reported and Kobe himself commented on it.

Redeemed · Post #18 » by **Redeemed** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:14 am

MrBigShot wrote:It's not fake...this isn't the first time it's been reported and Kobe himself commented on it.

Kobe's comment doesn't make the report true.

Here's my point. Buss wanted to get his temper tandrum having diva under control. Kobe demanded a trade, Buss put one together. The destination wasn't where he wanted to go. It was Buss' way of saying, 'you better calm your butt down and act like a grown man'. Kobe caved and calmed down. Buss gave him the old Clint Eastwood squint and spit and said, 'O that's what I thought'.

The rest is history.

Buss reigned in his star and regained control.

Kobe immediately went back out doing follow up interviews with Stephen A Smith saying he wanted to retire a Laker.

The trade would have NEVER happened.

Never.