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Los Angeles Lakers Off-Season News
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Lakers Have Taken the Summer Off
This is the wrong off-season for the Los Angeles Lakers to be watching from the sidelines. They need to make a move not only to excite their fans, but also to rejuvenate disgruntled superstar Kobe Bryant.
Boston and Minnesota created plenty of excitement when they completed a blockbuster trade involving All-Star forward Kevin Garnett. The Celtics dealt Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations and two first-round draft picks to the Timberwolves for Garnett. In exchange, Minnesota received Boston 's 2009 first-round selection and will also get back the first-round draft pick the team dealt to the Celtics in a 2006 trade.
The Lakers, who for the second straight year eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs, need to generate the same type of excitement. The spotlight shone brighter on the team after Bryant, who averaged an NBA- best 31.6 points per game in 77 contests this past season, publicly expressed his displeasure with the club.
Luke Walton and Chris Mihm re-signed with the team during the off-season, while Derek Fisher, who won three titles with the Lakers earlier in his career, re- joined the squad through free agency. Meanwhile, guard Smush Parker left L.A. , inking a deal with the Miami Heat this summer.
If the franchise wants to win with Kobe , the front office needs to get him help. Indiana 's Jermaine O'Neal is available, and the All-Star forward has said he would welcome a trade to the Lakers.
The Pacers missed the playoffs for the first time since 1997 this past season, and may be thinking of completely rebuilding their squad. Trading O'Neal, who led Indiana in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg) during the 2006-07 campaign, would be the first step in the process.
Reportedly the Pacers want both Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom included in a deal for O'Neal. The Lakers wish to hold onto the seven-foot Bynum, who will turn 20 on October 20th, but he would most likely have to be included in a package for O'Neal.
What about Bynum, Kwame Brown , Jordan Farmar, Vladimir Radmanovic and a future first-round pick to Indiana for O'Neal? The Pacers would get a pair of young players in Bynum and Farmar, while Brown (who is in the last year of his contract) and Radmanovic would best enable the deal to work under the salary cap rules. L.A. would then possess a dangerous threesome with Bryant, O'Neal and Odom, helping to satisfy everyone including Kobe and the Laker fan base.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak needs to make a move and Indiana is the right trading partner. Acquiring O'Neal would have Los Angeles eagerly talking about the Lakers and the upcoming season.
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