The Sports Rumors

Mavs Try for Kidd - All Star Saturday Recap

Think about some of the worst decisions you’ve ever made. I can bet that at least half of them, if not more, were made in a rush to judgment, altered state of mind, or a panic. Looking back on those decisions, I think it’s safe to say that they could have been avoided had a little more thought and rationale gone into them. The same goes for the Dallas Mavericks.

Sometimes not making a trade is a better move for a franchise than making a trade in haste. Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers have catapulted themselves from a bottom five to eight seed to a top two team, almost overnight. It is a fact that they pulled of a stunning and lopsided trade. The Suns also made a trade, one that can be viewed as either a great move or a dud, depending on your opinion on Shaq. Two of your biggest rivals have made moves; that doesn’t mean you need to. There is no question that Jason Kidd would be a great addition to the Mavericks and would give them a great chance at reaching the Finals again. But the question is, at what price?

If you believe in selling the farm for a one shot run at the title, I’m sure you agree with trading away Devin Harris, Diop, Stackhouse, picks and cash for a 35 year old point guard. But if you believe in having a team that is competitive perennially, then this trade does not make sense. Fans of all sports have one thing in a common; a short memory. It was only two seasons ago that the Dallas Mavericks were in the NBA Finals. It was just last year that they were the top seed in the West with an incredible record of 67-15! I know they lost their first round meeting with the Warriors, which was as big an upset as any, but you can’t take one series loss and say, “Well, we’ve got to blow this thing up because it’s not working.” Winning 67 games out of 82 doesn’t happen by accident; it is an incredible feat, especially considering that they overcame any sort of hangover from losing in the Finals the year before. This year, amidst all this trade talk, they are only two games out of first place in the west. Obviously, what they have works and where I come from, you don’t fix something that ain’t broke. Period.

Suppose somehow this trade does go through, which at this point looks unlikely given the block by Devean George and the moronic comments to the media by Jerry Stackhouse. (For those who haven’t followed as closely, Stackhouse made public comments about how the Nets will buy out his contract and he’ll return to the Mavs after 30 days. The league didn’t like this and have made clear that they will not allow Stack to rejoin the Mavs.) But take a hypothetical situation and figure that the Mavs somehow find replacements in the deal for George and Stackhouse. Trading away Devin Harris, a 24 year old point guard who is arguably the best defender at his position, is not a good idea. The guy has improved each year he’s played and is the one point guard who has the speed to keep up with Tony Parker. Desagna Diop is also extremely valuable considering the only other center on the roster for Dallas is…. wait for it… Erick Dampier! Now correct me if I’m wrong, but it is the Western Conference that boasts the likes of Yao Ming, Shaq-Amare, Pau Gasol-Andrew Bynum, and some guy named Tim Duncan, right? You want to go to war against those guys with Erick Dampier? I wouldn’t.

Jason Kidd is a magnificent player who creates openings and makes plays that make you hit rewind on the DVR, just to see if your vision is still 20/20. There is absolutely no question in my mind that adding Kidd would help the Mavericks, IF they can hold on to at least Diop. Trading Harris and Diop for Kidd is a bad move and it will set the Mavericks back. The Mavs need to take a deep breath and look at the facts and they are as follows:

*The Spurs may look sloppy because they are in “coast” mode right now, but you never know. One thing you do know is that they aren’t getting any younger.

*The team you have right now is better than the Suns with Shaq. Why? The biggest nuisance for Dirk when playing the Suns was Shawn Marion. He’s not there anymore.

*The Lakers got better, but injuries aren’t being kind to them, and we don’t know what Bynum will be like when he comes back.

Will bringing Kidd in and the shipping away of Harris and Diop make the Mavs better than the Spurs?

No.

Better than the Suns?

Definitely not.

Better than the Lakers?

Highly doubt it.

If the Mavs take all that into consideration, they will avoid looking back at this season two years from now when former MVP Dirk Nowitski is 31 and wondering if they let the actions of others dictate their success; or lack thereof.

ALL-STAR SATURDAY

Dwight Howard is a freak! If you missed the dunk contest last night, you missed greatness. Howard’s first dunk, a toss off the back of the backboard, catch, windmill around the front while still having his head behind the glass made me cover my mouth with both hands, gasp with my eyes wide like a 13 year old girl at a Hannah Montana concert. If you didn’t see the dunk but just watched the reactions of spectator NBA stars like Kobe, you’d be thinking you missed something along the likes of Jordan’s free throw line dunk or one of Dominique’s highlight reels. What made the contest even better was Howard followed that first amazing dunk with even more entertaining ones, like “The Superman”. Gerald Green was amusing as well with “The Birthday Cake”. Anyone who was still skeptical of whether the dunk contest was legit isn’t skeptical today; I can tell you that much.

Jason Kapono can gun it. I knew he won the 3 point shoot out last year but to defend it again this year by tying the record with 25 out of 30 is really impressive. At one point, Kapono buried ten in a row. I really wish Ray Allen was in this contest because there is only one pure shooter who I think is better than Kapono, and he wears 20 for Boston.

The All Star game itself is tonight and I can’t wait. It is the best All Star game of any of the major sports and despite what people may think, these guys get real competitive as the game nears the fourth quarter. One sidenote/grip I have is with the NBA and their handling of the Kobe situation. As you probably know, he was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his pinky. He has made it clear that he wants to avoid surgery and play through the pain so that he can keep his Lakers on track AND so that he can compete for the United States in the Summer Olympics. League rules state that if a player played his last game before the All Star weekend, and intends to play his first game after the weekend, he is required to participate in the actual All Star game. Look, if the guy is willing to risk further injury to his body for his team and for the United States Olympics team, that is admirable and he should be allowed to do that. But risking further injury by playing in an All Star game or facing suspension and fines is taking away from the spirit of the game itself. Everyone knows that Bryant has always tried to put on a show for the fans; see last year’s All Star game in which he was the MVP. It is clear that he is not being selfish and is trying to do what’s best for his team. Give the guy a break and let him sit out if he wants to. It’s not like you’re doing the fans a favor by having Kobe come out half hearted, play for the first two minutes and then sit down for the remainder of the game. Such rules should take situations into consideration, case by case.

Enjoy the All Star game tonight folks and check back tomorrow for my thoughts on that, and much more.

Lakers-Mavs Trade Talks

1:47 PM

I have learned from some of a credible source that the Lakers and Kobe Bryant have decided that it is no longer in the best interest of either side for him to continue to practice with the team. It seems as if trade talks are in the works right now and all indications point to Dallas being the destination for Kobe Bryant. It seems that Kobe has played his last game as an L.A. Laker. More to come as I get it.

1:54 PM

I am hearing that Dirk is definitely involved. The negotiations are between sending Josh Howard, Devin Harris, or expiring contracts. LA is trying to get a player plus contracts. Dallas is obviously trying to send over the least that they can.

October 18, 2007

9:35 AM

Kobe Bryant has returned to practice with the team, after initial reports saying he would no longer do so.  All questions regarding any rumors are being answered with “No comment” and we have not heard from Bryant since yesterday afternoon. Bryant is listed as “Questionable” for the teams upcoming preseason game.

It’s Time to Move On

It seems odd to be writing about a basketball story while we’re in the middle of college football, pro football, and the major league baseball championship series. Especially since the basketball season hasn’t even started yet. But here we are, talking about basketball, and who better to talk about than the most polarizing figure in the game since Michael Jordan. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate Kobe Bryant. You pay attention when his name is in the news. That’s how he’s polarizing. You hear about him and either hate him more or love him more. Either way, you have an opinion on the guy.

This time is a little different though. We saw him shoot off at the mouth about wanting to be traded, then not wanting to be traded, then being indifferent about it. Since training camp has started in Los Angeles, Kobe has been mum on the topics of early summer and has focused his interviews and conversations on the future of the Lakers basketball team. Funny thing is, he is the future of the basketball team and his mood, good or bad, dictates the direction of the franchise.

I predicted in an article I did back in the middle of summer, “Eye of the Storm”, that Kobe would have another explosion and the Lakers would be forced to trade him.

…But in order to advance in the playoffs, Kobe is going to need a lot more than what he’s got. What are the Lakers waiting for?

I still can’t see this feud ending quietly. I don’t see it that way. I am giving this until the second week of September, a little over a month, before we hear from Kobe again, louder than ever. And don’t be surprised if this time, a lot of the same media members who bashed him in May have come around and see his viewpoint. He will have a lot more support this time around and remember, what Kobe wants, Kobe gets.

I was about a month off on the time frame, and granted, Kobe wasn’t the one who brought this to the media this time around, but nevertheless, it’s a story again. The Trade-Kobe or Don’t-Trade-Kobe debates have changed direction to Where-To-Trade-Kobe. It’s no longer a matter of “if” anymore. It’s a matter of “when and where”.

So why is Kobe Bryant all over ESPN and national talk radio again if he didn’t say anything? Because his owner, Jerry Buss, decided to unleash the media frenzy by admitting that he will listen to offers for Kobe. Translation: Kobe Bryant is on the trading block. Now what really irks me about this decision is why it took so long to decide to trade him. There were players like Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd available much earlier, yet the Lakers were persistent upon not trading #24. Now, all of a sudden, they have decided that it’s best to part ways. I absolutely understand the importance of trading Kobe Bryant due to his contract. For those of you who aren’t aware, Kobe is the only player in the league who has the power to veto any trade. He can dictate where he wants to go. Kobe also has an option in two years to become a free agent. If he becomes a free agent, he most certainly will sign with another team and the Lakers will get nothing in return. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to trade Kobe for the most value that they can get in return. Why it took so long to do so? I don’t know and don’t understand.

There were rumors that came out late yesterday afternoon that Kobe was so infuriated by Jerry Buss’ opening up to the media, he emptied out his locker.

a) Kobe shouldn’t be mad at anyone for opening up to the media, because he did it first.

b) Those rumors proved to be false anyway.

The reason I brought it up though was because the Lakers season and team cameraderie, any that they would have had, is now shot. It is impossible to play with the same focus and effort when you don’t know if your star player is going to be with you in a week or not. That’s how it will be for his teammates. How will it be for Kobe? I don’t question his competitiveness or want to win at all. I even took a lot of heat over the summer for saying he is as competitive as Michael Jordan. However, he is still a human being. Take your job as an example, whatever it may be. If you are not sure that you will be working for your company next week or not, will you be able to maintain the same type of focus and enthusiasm compared to if you knew you’d be there for 5 years? If your boss was talking to other companies about swapping you out, even if it is at your own request, you won’t be able to maintain the same level of focus at work. It’s just not possible. My point in all this is that the Lakers MUST move Kobe as soon as possible.

Another reason is, if they hold on to him the rest of the season and begin next year with him on the roster knowing that the clock to him opting out and walking as a free agent is ticking, every single team in the league will lowball the Lakers. The Lakers have leverage right now in trade talks. They aren’t forced by the hands of time, yet. They will be in a year. I think it’s best to trade him now because your franchise will get fresh new players at the start of the season, rather than in the middle. Your city won’t have to deal with the constant rumors month after month. The Los Angeles fans will be able to come to the Staples Center without having to fret and think, “This may be the last time I see Kobe in a Laker uniform.” The other time you can trade him, and still be able to get a fairly good deal, is right before the draft next April. This way, a team can offer you a nice top pick to go along with the players that they package. Only downside of this is Kobe’s veto clause. Translation: He’s not going to allow you to trade him to the Bobcats, even though they are offering you a top 5 pick in addition to players. The teams that Kobe will go to via trade are Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix. All three of those teams are championship contenders so they’re not going to have the sexiest draft choices come April.

So to reiterate: Trade Kobe Now.

There are three teams that he will willingly go to, as mentioned above. I’ll start with the least likely of the bunch and work my way to the most likely. Note that in the NBA, the salaries have to match up for a trade to work. You can’t trade Kobe for 5 years worth of first round picks because the money must match. That thought process is used before suggesting or giving my opinion on trades, like the ones below.

Phoenix Suns

Kobe Bryant for Shawn Marion and Raja Bell.

The Suns would make this trade in a heartbeat but the Lakers would be moronic to do so. The dollars match up but the player talent doesn’t. But then again, you can never put something past an owner and GM who traded Shaquille O’neal for Briant Grant, Lamar Odom, and Caron Butler (then traded the best of the three, Butler, to the Wizards where he became an all star and received Kwame Brown in return).

Dallas Mavericks

Kobe Bryant for Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard

This trade makes sense for the Lakers because they get a top 5 player and a solid complimentary player in return. Dirk will give them the low post scoring that they need. Josh Howard won’t score 30+ like Kobe, but 20 a game isn’t unreasonable. The salaries match up. The snag in this trade is that Kobe will be in the same conference and will most likely become the biggest hurdle for the Lakers to overcome in the playoffs. That’s too much irony for Buss to stomach.

Chicago Bulls

Kobe Bryant for Ben Wallace, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich

Kobe Bryant for Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Draft picks

Either one of these trades would work financially. Los Angeles could address a number of needs, most notably a big man and a point guard in the first scenario. In the second, they could get a lot of young talent as well as draft picks. Either way, they would be happy. I think the Lakers would take this deal in a heartbeat. Believe it or not, the snag in this deal is the short pockets of the Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. He doesn’t like to spend a lot of money and if you bring in Kobe, you’re going to have to resign him to an enormous deal. If you don’t, you’ll have to deal with a lot of competition for the free agent in two years. The other reason Chicago is hesitant is because they spent a lot of time and effort putting together the pieces of their team through the draft.

That being said, I think it’s an absolute no brainer. Those pieces that Chicago put together aren’t going to be good enough to beat a Western Conference team. They weren’t even good enough to be in the finals last year. Ask Lebron James what its like to face Duncan, Ginnobli and crew in the finals. It’s no easy task. Kobe has been there, done that. He’s played with the big boys and he’s played them very well. Adding him to the Bulls would put them in the Finals, without a doubt. They’d also have an extremely good chance to win because western teams usually beat themselves up just trying to reach the Finals.

There comes a time where you just need to part ways, and do so without damaging yourself and the other individuals involved. We all knew this would end badly. Now it’s important for L.A. to swallow its pride, and make a move to save face and cut their losses. If not, the fans will never forgive them for letting Shaquille O’neal and Kobe Bryant leave them and getting absolutely nothing in return for two hall of famers.