Bryant can force Lakers' hand, but at what cost?
The Bulls open the season in New Jersey on Wednesday, but the future of the franchise may be determined 2,800 miles to the west.
As of today, the Bulls are nowhere near making a trade for unhappy Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The Bulls don't want to give up anything close to what the Lakers are seeking in return.
"Chances are very slim," Lakers coach Phil Jackson acknowledged Saturday. "This is not fire-sale time."
The question is, when the Lakers' season begins will Bryant put everything he has into winning games? Or will he be moody, petulant and anxious to force a trade to a new town?
It's no stretch to believe the Lakers could get off to a good start, causing Bryant's summer trade demand to be all but forgotten. Keep in mind the Lakers were 26-13 last year in mid-January, they have Chris Mihm and Vladimir Radmanovic back from injury, and young players such as Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Ronny Turiaf played well in the preseason.
On the other hand, two prominent NBA players (Ron Artest and Allen Iverson) have abandoned their teams and sought trades in the past two years. If Bryant is serious about forcing the Lakers' hand, he can get it done.
Jackson addressed that very topic over the weekend.
"Obviously, he hasn't thrown his heart and soul into performing on the floor," he said. "That hurts me a little bit."
Bryant's response was terse but defiant.
"That (should be) the least of his concerns or anybody's concerns," Bryant said. "I'm ready to play. Period. You don't have to worry about me."
Obviously, this has the potential to be a huge distraction for the Bulls.
Ben Gordon might wonder if not signing an extension by Wednesday's deadline ends up punching his ticket to Los Angeles. What if the price for Kobe drops in late November, but the Bulls can't make a deal until Dec. 15 because that's the earliest date Andres Nocioni and Joe Smith can be traded?
If the Bulls get off to a good start, general manager John Paxson will be reluctant to drop Bryant into a unified locker room. Otherwise, if it ever gets to the point where the Bulls could put Bryant on the floor with Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Ben Wallace, they'd probably make the trade.
Whether that day will come before the February trade deadline is anyone's guess.
• There are three days left for Gordon and Deng to sign contract extensions and avoid becoming restricted free agents next summer. The Bulls' offers are in the range of $50 million over five years.
Gordon and Deng are smart enough to realize very few restricted free agents sign offer sheets these days. Other teams figure it's a waste of time if those offers are likely to be matched. So, the two players won't gain much leverage by waiting.
The Bulls' offers are not likely to increase by Wednesday. But if Gordon or Deng say they'll sign for $55 million, would the Bulls agree? Good question.
• During all the recent Kobe Bryant talk, I've been surprised by how many people refer to Bryant as the "best player in the NBA" or the "league's best player since Michael Jordan."
No disrespect to Bryant, but last year's playoffs should have settled that issue. The best player in the NBA right now is Tim Duncan, and I don't see how anyone could argue otherwise.
Duncan and the Spurs have won four of the last nine championships because he excels on offense and defense, and he knows when it's best to defer to his teammates. There is more to basketball than scoring points.
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com