NBA Trade Rumors: Could Los Angeles Lakers Trade Kobe Bryant to New York Knicks?
Although the trade deadline is still four months away and the season is just one week complete, trade rumors are floating around already.
Among the biggest rumors, according to many NBA insiders, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should consider trading Kobe Bryant to an Eastern Conference team.
At first, this may seem crazy and extremely unlikely to happen, but the New York Knicks may just be the team to make the trade.
Knicks team president Phil Jackson coached Bryant in Los Angeles and won five NBA Championships with him. There's no doubt that Bryant and Jackson have been one of the best coach-player combinations of the 21st century, and a reunion may not seem too farfetched.
The Lakers are off to a franchise-worst 0-5 start this season. Jeremy Lin is struggling to find his groove with the offense, Julius Randle is out for the season and Jordan Hill is the team's second option. The Lakers have the worst defense in all of basketball, allowing 116.8 points per game. The Knicks haven't showed much promise this season in the Atlantic division, either. The triangle offense hasn't shown up yet, Jose Calderon is injured and the Knicks defense is failing to get stops.
During this previous offseason, Carmelo Anthony opted out of his contract and chose to become a free agent. Many people thought he would join the Lakers, but instead, he chose to return to the Knicks. Anthony and Bryant have a good relationship with each other off the court, but would it work on the court?
Both Bryant and Anthony take a lot of shots per game. Neither are considered very good passers, but it would be interesting to see the two superstars play together on the same NBA team.
The biggest obstacle in this potential trade is money. Bryant is scheduled to make $23.5 million this season and $25 million next season. Of course, the Lakers will always love what Bryant has done for their franchise, but their front office would love nothing more than to save nearly $50 million over the next two seasons. The Knicks may not even want to make the trade. With a new head coach in Derek Fisher, the Knicks may not want to invest elite money in a 36-year-old veteran who is past his prime.
On the other hand, the Knicks may want to explore this option.
Fisher is extremely inexperienced when it comes to coaching, but he has played with Bryant a lot. Fisher, Bryant, Jackson and Anthony could combine to be the most entertaining team in the Eastern Conference. Shot distribution would be an early issue, but Bryant's drive to win combined with Anthony's scoring skills has great potential. Bryant is still averaging 27.6 points per game this season, and he is shooting over 40 percent from the field. What better way to prove doubters wrong than to end the Knicks title drought, which dates back to 1973?
The Lakers haven't done a lot to help Bryant, or build for the future. Losing Pau Gasol was a devastating blow and the Lakers don't have reliable big men to compete in this tough Western Conference with teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. Choosing to play with the Knicks does have the advantage of playing in a subpar Eastern Conference, while also continuing to play in a big media market location. Bryant and Anthony as teammates at Madison Square Garden would be a must watch for any sports fan.
In the past, we've seen Bryant clash with Lakers management before. He even demanded a trade back in 2007, and he doesn't always get along with teammates. Sometimes trade demands are just used as leverage, but Bryant may want to play elsewhere this season and next season as well. With so few options around him on the squad, Bryant should consider all options.
Even Michael Jordan finished his career as a Washington Wizard.
Only time will tell if this potential trade will eventually happen. Basketball fans have never seen Bryant play for another NBA team before, and playing alongside Anthony would certainly be something exciting to watch.
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