Paxson: No Kobe, so that's that

Prior to Wednesday's season opener in New Jersey, Bulls players faced approximately 1,000 questions about a potential Kobe Bryant trade.

On the late-night "SportsCenter," two segments were devoted to rumors involving the Bulls and the unhappy Los Angeles Lakers star.

John Paxson decided enough was enough.

The Bulls' general manager announced Thursday that a Kobe Bryant trade is not going to happen and was never close to happening. The Bulls will compete with their current roster until further notice.

"The reality is, everybody knows we were having talks with the Lakers," Paxson said at the Berto Center. "In this case, if you've got to give up so much to get one player, that's something I'm not going to do.

"I want to focus on trying to get our guys back on track and end all the rumors swirling around. Because there's not a deal that ever was on the verge of being done, was ever close to being done or is going to be done right now. So that's that."

Despite the different scenarios being tossed about, Bulls sources continually insisted nothing serious was happening. But ESPN and a local radio station made it seem as though Bryant was about to hop on a private jet to Chicago any minute.

One rumored trade that "fell through" had the Lakers ending up with Ben Wallace and Sacramento's Ron Artest, the two primary combatants in the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl.

Did anyone really believe the Lakers would consider taking a 33-year-old center and one of the most heavily punished players in league history?

This process began last spring when Bryant told several media outlets he wanted to be traded. The rumors heated up recently when Lakers owner Jerry Buss suggested he would listen to offers for the high-scoring star.

With Bryant's representatives pushing to get him to Chicago, a number of possibilities were discussed. The Bulls always have been open to the idea of acquiring Bryant, but the Lakers wanted too much in return.

"It's not about not being interested. It's about there's not a deal to be done," Paxson said. "We talked a lot about parameters. We never got down to the nuts and bolts of it because there was never a deal to be done. That's the reality of it."

Paxson shot down recent talk that the sticking point was the Bulls' refusal to include Luol Deng in any deal.

"I've never thought we were at a point where you say anybody's off limits," he said. "A lot of things that were mentioned were not based on any fact whatsoever. That's the unfortunate thing."

Paxson spoke about how complicated it would be to make a deal for Bryant. The Bulls would have to match Bryant's $19.5 million salary. He has a no-trade clause in his contract and would have to approve any trade.

He's also entitled to a 15-percent trade kicker if sent to another team, which Bryant has the right to waive. The Bulls also were wary of having to pay a hefty luxury tax if their payroll soared beyond the $67 million limit.

"The only way I would ever consider a deal is if I could go to (Bulls chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf and say, 'We're a better basketball team from top to bottom.' And on top of that, say to him, 'This is a financially responsible move to make,' " Paxson said.

"I know sometimes that doesn't want to be part of a discussion. People think the owner should throw out money like it's nothing. But that's not the reality in our business."

There is no guarantee that Bryant won't be return to the Bulls' sights before the February trade deadline. For that to happen, though, the Lakers' price would have to drop and the Bulls probably would need to be playing poorly.

Paxson doesn't plan to address the players about putting an end to trade discussions with the Lakers. The Bulls may have looked distracted in the first half of Wednesday's overtime loss to the Nets, but that wasn't the first time they've gotten off to a poor start in a tough road game.

"I know as a player, whenever you hear your name in a trade discussion, it can weigh on your mind," Paxson said. "It sure did when I was playing."

When the Bulls play their home opener tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers, new interview topics appear to be in order.

"I think this sends a message that our guys don't have to worry about anything right now," Paxson insisted.