Kobe agrees to contact extension with Lakers

[microfib4thewin]

Why is the Lakers management getting bagged for this? If Kobe plays hardball and is not willing to concede any less than that max FA slot then the Lakers are going risk having bad publicity by having Kobe leave. Just look at the Laker fans here now, over half of them are okay with the team overpaying Kobe. Imagine the typical Laker fan you find in the street. You think those people would sit well with the Lakers not paying Kobe no matter how ridiculous the amount is?

This is all on Kobe, and with this extension he can no longer blame FO incompetence if the team cannot be competitive.

Taking risks reap rewards. Contending sooner is the reward and ultimately another title.

You win and fans say....."Kobe who?"

You can't sell a rebuilding plan to Laker fans while keeping the ticket prices high. Not lowering the ticket prices was probably a major reason why the Lakers FO decided to extend Kobe.

[rayofsunshine]

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I definitely don't think it's some "legacy/loyalty" deal though. Business is Business, so I believe they did it for financial reasons. Anyway, as a life long Laker fan I'll always roll with my team. They've pulled off miracles in the past to get players and if that doesn't happen it's ok with me. I'm old, I've seen enough chips to sit through a few years of losing, if it comes to that.

I enjoy the team we have now, they play hard and hustle it's not a total loss.

Regarding Kobe, I think people don't know him well if they think that he thinks he can't take this team to a chip. Yes, delusional, but playing way too many minutes and not thinking he was going to get injured at his age was delusional too. That's just him.

[MistyMountain20]

As someone who isn't thrilled about this, I think people are focusing too much on the now and not letting things play out. Saying things like "I can't see the plan" is silly. There may very well be a plan, which will start to materialize sometime this year, next year or the year after. The less obvious route could actually be a good sign, the Lakers seem to like to pull off deals out of nowhere.

[Magz50]

Horrible move.

[An Unbiased Fan]

Was LA going to contend signing two 5mil a year players??? LOL, I mean what are you really critiquing here? LA can STILL get Love, or Westbrook, or KD. Laker management locked up a Top 7 at worst player for the next 2 years with this contract. They can keep Pau for one more year, and then get Love in 2015. His max is only around 18m.

Couple things:

1. Kobe's an aging star coming back from a major injury, and was not a clear cut Top 7 before the injury. The worst that can happen here is what the Lakers are already seeing with Nash only on a much larger scale.

2. None of the stars you list are coming here to play second fiddle to Kobe, and Kobe very clearly intends to keep playing alpha, and getting paid like an alpha, until he becomes convinced he can't any longer no matter the consequences when he's gone. So the extension of Kobe like this is basically the Lakers punting their next generation off for a couple years.

And I suppose from that perspective, if everyone was honest internally about it, there really isn't a big deal.

Buss: So we're just going to give up for now because we don't see any way to make a big splash. We'd like to have you just chuck like crazy for a couple more years.

Kobe: Okay, but if I'm doing that, I'm not taking a paycut.

Buss: Fair enough.

Is this what folks think happened?

1) Kobe's still All-NBA caliber. People are acting like he declined last year when he put up 27/6/6. Signing him to a 2-year deal is fairly low-risk. Obviously he's coming of surgery, but they know much more internally about his progress than us.

2) Kobe doesn't care about 2nd fiddle. it's about "roles". Dwight was the guy who was obsessed with becoming some dominant postup scorer instead of realizing he's more Russell than Shaq.

Love would definitely play here with Kobe, I know that firsthand. Westbrook/KD I'm sure would come here too, especially if they get Love in 2015.

The point remains that Kobe's salary doesn't hinder a single big move.

[Pure_Basketball]

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10037014

[Alex Trevelyan]

With the way the Lakers have been operating the last few years it is pure folly to assume there is a viable plan here. It just looks like one reactionary move followed by another. The Lakers could of presented Kobe with a much lower offer and said we're trying to get our ducks in order to fix this thing. Dare Kobe to walk, because he wouldn't have. Nobody else is giving him anywhere near that kind of money, Did anyone really think Kobe was going to walk away from LA to play for the the Suns or Hawks? Would Buss and Kupchak really have taken that much heat for letting him walk? A little, but for the long-term good of the franchise they would of been applauded.

There is a sizable contingent of Lakers fans who think the organization's best interests are served by moving on from Kobe, the fans that are about the team and not idol worship would of understood. If you asked most NBA execs they'd probably say the same thing in private. In fact I could easily envision a scenario where Kobe would of been killed for essentially forcing the team to go the route of letting him walk because his salary demands are so utterly indefensible.

This was probably a risk averse move whereby ownership and management feared Kobe would walk (even though the odds were very low) or retire rather than play for less than he thought he was worth and it would be yet another bludgeon used to question Buss's competence. Maybe he just didn't want to take that risk, because this deal makes no sense on any level. It's just astounding really. It goes to prove that Kobe is calling the shots in LA and the team is incapable of doing what it needs to do.

[Flash4thewin]

Kobe's deal doesn't hurt LA's ability to sign major players, it helps them. Tieing up capsace on mid-level guys from the 2014 class WOULD prevent Love, KD, or Westbrook from being able to come here though. The 2 years length is key, as is the ability to stretch Nash's contract, and Pau's expiring.

I'm kinda amazed people don't see Mitch/Jim's plan.

I understand why Jim would feel desperate enough to pay Kobe whatever he wanted right now, and why he would be glad not to have to guarantee Kobe money for too many years in advance, but the franchise would be better shape if Kobe were taking the same kinds of pay cuts every other superstar takes.

The fact that this doesn't cost the Lakes as much as it possibly could doesn't change these facts. Kobe's not signing a contract that continues to make him the highest paid guy in the game despite no longer being anywhere near the best guy in the game out of generosity, and he's certainly not doing it out of any kind of need. It's clearly just extremely important to him even now to get his before worrying about his team.

I think if Dwight stays, Kobe would take a paycut because a Kobe/Melo/Dwight lineup looks formidable. But once that ship sailed the focus shifted from 2014 to 2015/16. LA is still capable of making every move they wanted in 2014. The real goal is luring Love, KD, or Westbrook.

you can't be serious. How can any Lakers fan who believes in winning a championship convince themselves that a 35 year old kobe, 40yr old Nash, and (most likely) a re-signed Pau get them to the promised land? How does that help you?! that's potentially $42mm in cap taken up by three players way past their prime!

How is that better than potentially waiving everyone/renouncing all rights and build back up? On top of that this is the only year the Lakers have their 1st round pick out of the next 3. As we've seen in the past, players want to play for teams that have some talent around them. I sincerely don't see a plan here to do anything.

I don't think you have a clear grasp of the Laker's situation. At the end of the year LA will stretch out Nash's contract to free up cap space. Pau will take a significant paycut, and the Lakers will have room to sign a max player(though who would that be in 2014), and still have 13m of space. Their plan is likly to sign Pau to a 1-year deal, and then run at Love(UCLA) in 2015. In 2016 Kobe's off the books, and you run at KD.

Titles are won almost always by franchise players. Wasting 24m on Melo would just make LA like NY. Wasting cap room on mid-level player in 2014 would just make LA like the Nuggets. LA wants stars or bust.

I can see Nash stretching out his contract but honestly Pau will be this season Ray Allen, a player who feels disrespected and goes to a rival team. The idea that paying Kobe this much and that not impacting what Pau gets is foolish. One year really? With all that said im still at a loss for how keeping a team full of expiring contracts will attract KD or Westbrook. Maybe Love but many teams will be after him.

[baubo]

On its own, the deal isn't too bad. But given the situation of the Lakers team I can't see contender upside during these 3 years with Kobe under contract. The exception of course is if Lebron decides to go to LA.

The problem is that the Lakers want to sign max FAs and they have no trade chips in picks or young players. They can sign minimum or near minimum FAs to play for them after that second star. But it's pretty slim pickings. Veterans will likely prefer to go to a surefire contender. Young players with upside like Xavier Henry would prefer teams that can give them shots and raise their profile. Kobe/Melo in particular destroys their cap situation. Even when Kobe comes off the books, Melo would still have 2 years left on his contract at around 26mil/yr. That's like Curry+Harden money.

So unless Lakers fans are truly correct in believing that FAs will just flock to the Lakers because they're the Lakers, this extension makes them mediocre in the foreseeable future barring lucky lottery bounce.

[markjay]

I was shocked by this and not that happy. That being said, as a Lakers fan, let's see if I can spin it toward a positive path forward.

(1) Lakers realized that they wouldn't get Melo or LeBron next year, so they are basically trying to stay pat until at least 2015.

(2) They will try to sign Kevin Love in 2015. All indications are that he wants to be a Laker, so that's the one star they think they have a chance at. By 2015, Nash will be off the books and Pau will probably be gone too.

(3) When Kobe's salary comes off the books in 2016 they will go all out for Kevin Durant. (If Kobe wants to stick around and try to get the NBA scoring record or another ring, he'll do that with a reduced role and for a minor salary).

Hurts their chances of winning a championship in the next two years, but positions them well in 2016 when Kobe comes off the books.

[Doctor MJ]

I think if Dwight stays, Kobe would take a paycut because a Kobe/Melo/Dwight lineup looks formidable. But once that ship sailed the focus shifted from 2014 to 2015/16. LA is still capable of making every move they wanted in 2014. The real goal is luring Love, KD, or Westbrook.

So are you agreeing with the idea of Kobe being to willing to chuck without a hope of a ring as long as he got payed enough?

[MisterWestside]

1) Kobe's still All-NBA caliber. People are acting like he declined last year when he put up 27/6/6. Signing him to a 2-year deal is fairly low-risk.

Except they didn't just sign him to a two-year deal. They signed him to a "I'm easily the best player in the game" deal, at 35 and coming off an Achilles injury. There's a difference there.

Do you think that 2006 Bryant is on this roster? Because 2014 Bryant ain't that guy. Hell, even that guy played better defense, and that guy was horrendous on defense. (Not entertaining your predictable "1st-team defense award" response, either.)

[Shot Clock]

Love would definitely play here with Kobe, I know that firsthand. Westbrook/KD I'm sure would come here too, especially if they get Love in 2015.

Kevin Love told you this?

[LLcoleJ]

Also, I would like to point out that if there is 1 team in the League that knows the CBA inside and out it's the Lakers. The Lakers are that team that drives the finances throughout the league. The new CBA deal was put into to place to help teams compete with the likes of the Lakers and the Lakers willingly acquiesced to the other teams to help them financially. Rev Sharing, Lux tax, repeater tax.. ect.. they know it was about them.

They know how much money they will make, how much they can spend and who they can spend it on when they can.

They are not a team that is satisfied with just selling tickets. ( although that is important). They are about making money and winning. The ball is in their court now ( the FO) to back up this signing.

[Rasho_libre]

When all else fails just say "5 titles"

Sounds good to me. What do you got?

I'm not a basketball player I can't win titles.

[Doctor MJ]

The Lakers always go for the home run, no matter how improbable it seems. When they began planning to have cap space in 2014, a plan that began years ago, the intent was to make a run at Lebron. That obviously isn't going to happen, and the Lakers realized that. It's now on to the next. Durant or Love or Westbrook or some combination of the 3. You guys are so fixated on Kobe's contract that you can't see the forest from the trees.

I agree with you that they go for home runs, and I admire that. It has everything to do why they've been the class of the NBA for a good while.

I've said that it may be that from the Lakers perspective there was no better option than this...but it doesn't fill me with confidence for the future.

And part of my fixation here is the Kobe side of things. I'm rather amazed that he's still demanding money like this so late in his career. I mean if he's really okay with just chucking & getting paid with no further goal, it makes sense I suppose, but I thought he wanted to win.

Him taking this amount of money makes it tougher for the Lakes to get anyone else before this contract is up, at which point he'll have been in the league for 20 years. This is, in other words, all there is. Maybe Kobe keeps going after 20, but at this stage of his career he can't really bide his time.

[Ayt]

Sorry gotta say it:

Garnett took a serious paycut simply to help his team at age 27.
Duncan NEVER earned more than $23 per mill despite easily having the power to do so.

Kobe meanwhile pushes to remain the highest paid player per year into his late 30s even as its clear the team will go nowhere without signing other major players, and still some will praise him for his will to win above all else.

What exactly would it take to hammer in his extreme level of selfishness to people?

Kobe's deal doesn't hurt LA's ability to sign major players, it helps them. Tieing up capsace on mid-level guys from the 2014 class WOULD prevent Love, KD, or Westbrook from being able to come here though. The 2 years length is key, as is the ability to stretch Nash's contract, and Pau's expiring.

I'm kinda amazed people don't see Mitch/Jim's plan.

Yah It would be terrible to sign Kobe for two years 10 mil and have room for a couple more 2 year contracts

They'd have no choice but to give out contracts that are longer than 2 years. Kobe did them a favor here.

[LLcoleJ]

When all else fails just say "5 titles"

Sounds good to me. What do you got?

I'm not a basketball player I can't win titles.

None of us are. So when you mock people or Kobe for saying "5 rings" what do you have as a fan to better that?

Or are you just a fan that continually enjoys the self -pity party of your team not doing anything meaningful?

[LLcoleJ]

Him taking this amount of money makes it tougher for the Lakes to get anyone else before this contract is up, at which point he'll have been in the league for 20 years. This is, in other words, all there is. Maybe Kobe keeps going after 20, but at this stage of his career he can't really bide his time.

Anyone else? Or 2 anyone else's?

[Doctor MJ]

I repeat: Every other superstar does it. That Kobe won't is telling.

You repeat?

lol, sorry. It's just something i've already said in this thread. I can't expect you to have read everything I've said, but when I "talk" on RealGM all the sub-conversations blur together.

Let me repeat. It's reasonable for you not see the plan. I don't know if I see it either. But that doesnt mean their isn't a plan.

I don't really get this thinking. In some other business it might make sense, but in following the NBA we basically see the cards that are out there.

When I say I don't "see the plan", what I mean is that I look at the realistic options from this point onward, and none of them seem likely to succeed the way the Lakers want to succeed.

I could be misjudging it. It's not impossible that the Lakers could sign Durant & Love in 2016 on a team that basically has nothing else (Kobe is not a selling point for guys like that), and if a team were to pull it off, the Lakers would be the one I'd bet on, but it just seems desperate in a way that I don't recall the Lakers being.

The last time the Lakers felt like they were just "waiting" for the big opportunity was 20 years ago, and at the time that looked like a team making the playoffs with ease without spending big money on any one player. That holding pattern between the Magic & Shaq era is one of the things I point to to emphasize just how the Lakers FO is.

But this time doesn't feel like that one at all. It feels like they are paying a guy big money just to dupe the fans into not being mad at them.