NBA Off-Season...

[Guest bukkake bandit]

I heard about Vince to Dallas in a 3 way with Toronto, Dallas and NY. Anyone know who the Raptors will get in return?

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Kurt Thomas, Shandon Anderson, Mutombo, Nazr Muhammad. Three of those. I really hope Antonie doesn't go to NY. I like the Knicks but I can't stand him.

[Miami Vice]

Kurt Thomas, Shandon Anderson, Mutombo, Nazr Muhammad. Three of those. I really hope Antonie doesn't go to NY. I like the Knicks but I can't stand him.

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What a fucking stupid trade! I don't care for Vince Carter mainly because he is soft, but he is much better then any package onvolving those players. VC is cobsidered by many to be a franchise player. Who the hell are you getting back to fill that void, take those minutes and produce those points?

Kurt Thomas would have been a great move before last season, but now Toronto has their PF in Chris Bosh. ALl Thomas will do is take Bosh's minutes and lengthen his developmental process.

Mutumbo? Who gives a shit. If this was 5 or 10 years ago then you would be talking, not now.

Shandon Anderson, I don't even know who that is!

Nazr Muhammad has some upside, but not enough to to replace VC.

When I first saw the trade all I read was "Vince Carter to Dallas." I was excited because I thought The Raptors were trading with just Dallas. That meant atleast Walker if not M.Finley. This deal with the Knicks is shit!

[naiwf]

I don't think ANYONE considers VC a franchise player outside of Toronto. I know MANY people who wouldn't want him as Knicks fans, which just goes to show you that his actual value is much lower than his perceived value.

[*RDB*]

Its weird... watching Shaq go away.

Ah well... we'll be back within a year.

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Haha

No Shaq.. No bench..

the Lakers are now the Philadelphia 76ers of the West, and that's if Kobe even comes back. This is an ugly situation that 's only going to get worse now that the team is getting shot up.

[Guest bukkake bandit]

After it looked as though talks between the teams had been extinguished, the Denver Nuggets are on the verge of completing a sign-and-trade with the New Jersey Nets for All-Star forward Kenyon Martin, league sources told ESPN.com.

The Nuggets, according to sources, have agreed to send at least three future first-round picks to the Nets, who would sign Martin to a seven-year deal worth just over $90 million and then ship him to Denver.

The trade, sources said, is likely to be completed Thursday. It's believed that no other players are involved in the trade.

Denver has been pursuing a sign-and-trade with New Jersey for days in hopes that it could avoid signing Martin, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet. But the talks stalled, with the Nets hoping to receive a power forward back from the Nuggets -- Nene, the burly Brazilian -- and the Nuggets hoping New Jersey would settle for a package featuring Nikoloz Tskitishvili and multiple draft picks.

Going the sign-and-trade route enables Denver to pay Martin for seven seasons instead of six, since only the Nets can sign Martin to a seven-year contract.

More importantly to the Nuggets, the sign-and-trade enables them to avoid tying up their free-agent funds for 15 days while New Jersey decided whether or not to match a Martin offer sheet. ESPN's David Aldridge reported Tuesday that the Nuggets, resigned to the fact that a deal seemed dead, were prepared to include a signing bonus worth at least $15 million in the maximum offer sheet they could extend to Martin -- a six-year package worth just over $82 million. Martin also received a similar offer sheet from the Atlanta Hawks.

If the Nuggets can complete the revived deal Thursday, they will have one of the deepest front lines in the league, with Martin slotting in at power forward between small forward Carmelo Anthony and center Marcus Camby. Or the Nuggets could elect to start Nene at center and bring Camby off the bench.

The trade would break up New Jersey's highly successful trio of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Martin, but the Nets -- with Jefferson headed soon for his own contract extension -- apparently prefer a package of good draft picks to the prospect of committing lucrative long-term deals to all three stars.

As a Nets fan this is HORRIBLE news. I don't expect the Nets to try to sign a good replacement for K-Mart in someone like Stromile Swift or someone either. Here's to wrestling for the 4th seed next year.

[DMN in the House]

Haha

No Shaq.. No bench.. 

the Lakers are now the Philadelphia 76ers of the West, and that's if Kobe even comes back.  This is an ugly situation that 's only going to get worse now that the team is getting shot up.

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Yeah, we'll struggle for a 6 or 7 seed next year, but come the year after that, you know LA will land the big fish in the Free Agency pond.

[thuganomic]

Meh. K-Mart was gone anyways, now we have some good picks, hopefully. With Kidd heading out, and only RJ staying, picks are more important....

Fuckin Nets Owner.....

Syco, how are they going to land the big "Fish"? IF they sign Kobe, they have no cap. If they don't sign Kobe, nobody will want to come.....

[Guest bukkake bandit]

K-Mart will be grossly overpaid, but the Nets are now an even smaller team. They'll have no one to replace him for the 04-05 season. The East is now a two team conference between the Pistons and Pacers.

Kobe is expected to make his decision at a press conference at 3pm est. on who he will play for. If he leaves the Lakers they'll be a lottery team for the next decade.

[*RDB*]

Kobe is expected to make his decision at a press conference at 3pm est. on who he will play for. If he leaves the Lakers they'll be a lottery team for the next decade.

The irony of Kobe wanting to be the leader of his team and then having to worry about his decision is terrible. I won't rip on this team any further, but I for one think the Lakers are no longer the team to play for anymore.

1. No Big Fish is going to want to go there after seeing how the Lakers treated Shaq. The only one that will go is if the Lakers pay him huge money and then the Lakers are screwed salary wise in a conference where it takes more than 2 people to win a championship.

2. The Lakers should call it a quits and work on that bench. going after a high profile superstar (which won't happen because of the negative media) would be a step back after having the best Center in the game. the Lakers will not be smart enough to get deep because they want Kobe to think they can win now..

3. And speaking of Kobe, this is a business, and the Lakers made the biggest mistake you can make. One the Cavs made as well.. you have to water the garden before you eat the crops. And although Shaq cried to get out of town, you can never make a trade like this unless you are 100% sure Kobe will sign.

That's why I think Kobe will sign, because they wouldn't have traded Shaq, but Kobe is going to be miserable and lead to the downfall of the Lakers.

[DMN in the House]

I love the haters.

A big star WILL come to LA, for the simple fact that we are LA. NO team has the winning tradition we do. Boston did, but they screwed themselves over with horrible drafting, and some bad luck. You can keep dreaming if you wish, but no way the Lakers stay a lottery team for more then one year, if that.

[thuganomic]

Not gonna be lottery, play 6th or 7th seed for a decade....

You can quote me on that.

[naiwf]

I love the haters.

A big star WILL come to LA, for the simple fact that we are LA. NO team has the winning tradition we do. Boston did, but they screwed themselves over with horrible drafting, and some bad luck. You can keep dreaming if you wish, but no way the Lakers stay a lottery team for more then one year, if that.

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Most of the big stars in the NBA either play Kobe's position or are named Garnett or Duncan. I don't see either of those guys rushing to play with a dude who ran Shaq out of town. I think the Lakers will be a decent team for the next few years, but their days of dominance are o-vah

[*RDB*]

I love the haters.

A big star WILL come to LA, for the simple fact that we are LA. NO team has the winning tradition we do. Boston did, but they screwed themselves over with horrible drafting, and some bad luck. You can keep dreaming if you wish, but no way the Lakers stay a lottery team for more then one year, if that.

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This is some good discussion first of all..

You are right a big star will come to LA, but it will be the Clippers before the Lakers. The Clippers remind me of my Mavs like a year or two before we got Dirk. Because I admit we were terrible.

The Lakers on the other hand remind me of the last season with the Bulls when egos ran off:

1. Phil Jackson

2. The Best and most dominant player at his position

sycodmn, I'll give you the fact that the Lakers will definately not be a lottery team. I mean hell put anyone around Kobe and they will some games. But just like Jordan couldn't do it by himself he needed another player. In the WC now, you need really a 3 person nucleus. And of course a dominant post player. (heh, look at Minnesota and what happened to Dallas/Sacramento)

The point I am making is that even if the Lakers are good, because of the fact that will A. Not be able to afford, or B. not be able to coax anyone anymore.. will lead to their demise. This whole issue wouldn't sit well with anyone if they know they are a "superstar" but will not get their touches.

Edited July 15, 2004 by *RDB*

[punky]

Kobe's gonna choose where he wants to go this afternoon and the Clippers made room for Kobe by making a trade with Charlotte.

I have a weird feeling that he's gonna sign with the Clippers.

And it looks like K-Mart might get traded in a sign-and-trade deal with the Nuggets AND Sixers. I don't know what the Sixers would get but it's said New Jersey would get 2 future first rounders from Denver & 1 from Philly. The Sixers better be getting someone good in exchange for this shit.. and I can only hope they trade DC to New Jersey.

[DMN in the House]

No one will go to the Clippers, because Sterling won't pay money. The Clippers have had a team on the rise for like... 5 years now. They even got Elton Brand, and all kinds of talent, and do nothing. Their ownership just plain sucks.

A player will go to the Lakers because we are the premiere team in the league. Say what you want about New York, but in the NBA, LA is bigger then New York. The Lakers will always be the foundation of the NBA, because we have the winning tradition, the fanbase, and the media attention. Their the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA, the Yankees. They are the team people love to love, and love to hate. Nowhere else in the NBA can you get the kind of attention you get in LA. This didn't just start in the late 90s with Shaq and Kobe, just look at all the names that have been here. The biggest names, besides Jordan, have played here. Kareem, Wilt, Magic. LA is the place to be, and players will come.

I know its hard to say that when your a hater, but its the truth. You can keep thinking the Clip Show will become something, but they'll dissapoint you every time. Hell, I'd put money on the fact that the Lakers will win another NBA title before the Clippers make the playoffs.

[Big Red Fury]

I too have the feeling that Kobes is moving to the Clippers.

[livid]

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant's journey through free agency ended Thursday where it began -- with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant chose the Lakers over the Clippers, remaining with the team he joined in 1996 at age 18 and later helped win three NBA championships.

"Kobe has informed us he's going to stay with the Lakers and sign a new contract," Lakers spokesman John Black said Thursday afternoon. Bryant planned to speak at a news conference at 9 p.m. ET.

The decision came a day after the Lakers traded fellow superstar Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat. Now, it will be Bryant -- along with incoming coach Rudy Tomjanovich and Heat imports Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant -- who will lead them into the future.

Bryant, who said repeatedly this past season he wanted to be a "Laker for life," is poised to fulfill that declaration. His contract will be worth more than $136.4 million over seven years.

"With Kobe, we're one of the premier teams," Lakers owner Jerry Buss said earlier this week.

Without him, that certainly wouldn't have been the case.

One significant obstacle remains for Bryant before next season. He has pleaded not guilty to felony sexual assault and faces an Aug. 27 trial in Eagle, Colo. He claims he had consensual sex with an employee, now 20, at the Vail-area resort where she worked.

If convicted, Bryant faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation, and a fine of up to $750,000. The trial figures to take several weeks.

"That's never really gone through my mind," Buss said of Bryant's legal issues. "I have trouble believing that won't work out well for him."

Bryant, who turns 26 next month, has averaged 21.8 points in 561 regular-season games over eight seasons. He averaged 24.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists this past season despite his legal problems and a career-high 30.0 points in the 2002-2003 campaign.

The Lakers had an advantage over the Clippers financially, able to offer a contract lasting one year longer and worth over $30 million more.

"We had every reason to believe our chances were just as good as the Lakers' chances," Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said. "It's always disappointing to not get a player like Kobe Bryant. Life goes on. We're looking forward to a good season."

Bryant became an unrestricted free agent when, as expected, he opted out of his contract June 17 -- the same day O'Neal demanded a trade and Phil Jackson was informed he wouldn't return as coach next season.

Bryant also spoke with representatives of the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, among others, before narrowing the field to the two Los Angeles teams.

General manager Mitch Kupchak spoke warily of the Bryant situation Wednesday. He can rest easier now, as can Lakers fans.

Kupchak also said the Lakers hope to re-sign three other unrestricted free agents -- Karl Malone, Derek Fisher and Slava Medvedenko.

If they do, the makeover from this past season won't be quite so severe.

Kupchak said plans call for the Lakers to be a younger, more athletic team than before. Odom and Butler are both 24 -- younger and more athletic than most of the players on the Los Angeles roster last season.

"We'd like to increase the tempo of the game -- more up and down," Kupchak said.

The lack of an inside game might be a problem, though. The 32-year-old Grant, undersized at 6-foot-9 and with tendinitis in both knees, isn't a true center although he might have to play there.

The Lakers may go after aging free agent center Vlade Divac, who began his career with them in 1989.

That would be an interesting development considering it was Divic the Lakers traded to the Charlotte Hornets in the summer of 1996 for the rights to Bryant -- the 13th overall pick in the NBA draft shortly after his graduation from Lower Merion High in the Philadelphia area.

Divac, 36, has played with the Lakers' biggest rivals -- the Sacramento Kings -- for the past six seasons.

Baylor said Bryant called the Clippers to thank them for their time and didn't give a reason for choosing the Lakers.

"I don't know what else we could have possibly done," Baylor said.

Bryant's decision was obviously a blow to the Clippers, who were hopeful of transforming from perennial NBA doormat to playoff contender.

The Clippers have won one playoff series in their history and have qualified for the postseason only three times since moving to Los Angeles from San Diego in 1984 -- most recently in 1997.

With promising young players including Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, there was reason for great optimism had Bryant signed. Now, they'll have to go in another direction.

Quentin Richardson, the Clippers' shooting guard, signed a six-year offer sheet with the Phoenix Suns worth $45 million that could be worth an additional $3 million with bonuses.

The Clippers surely wouldn't have matched had they signed Bryant. Now, they might.

"I've had conversations with Quentin, his agent, we will continue to talk," Baylor said. "We still have 14 days left (to match the offer sheet)."

credit: ESPN.com

So Kobe's a Laker. And to all those who doubt the word of Syco on the Lakers, as a Laker fan myself, I have to back him up on this. LA isn't some schmoe town where they don't take basketball seriously. You know Buss won't be happy just sitting back and watching the team that won 3 championships in 4 years, as well as the countless others they won beforehand, slip to the 6th or 7th seed in the West. It's just not possible for the Lakers not to make big moves. They might not get the ground-breaking free agents like they did with Shaq, but they'll get good players that can produce, or have the potential to be good. And don't be fooled, the Lakers have talent around Kobe. The Shaq deal is proof of that. Hell, we don't even know if the Lakers are done THIS season, let alone the next couple seasons.

As a Laker fan, I still believe that the Lakers didn't get enough in return for Shaq. As good as Odom and Butler are, they still don't match the ability of Shaq. But because of the way BOTH sides acted on the situation, it had to be done. Don't get me wrong, I like Shaq, but he seemed all too greedy about the fact that he wasn't getting paid enough when he was still on contract. If I had somebody like Kobe on the FA market, I'd try everything to get him to sign, then worry about the guys that are actually ON contract.

Yeah, the rant's over now lol.

Edited July 15, 2004 by Livid

[Guest bukkake bandit]

The Nuggets/Nets trade is done.

And...Derek Fisher is signing with the Warriors. That's a surprise.

[edcq]

who was involved in the nets trade?

[Guest bukkake bandit]

Three first round picks the Nuggets had. One of their own along with a 76ers and Clippers pick.