Sounds like a pretty obvious oversight for your "writers' dream team".

If you are like me, and do not wish to throw up in your mouth on a regular basis, just take Jorenema with a grain of salt.

By the way, autographed copies of the book are available from me for under $50. How many do you want?

Kobe is breaking down, he'll be a Laker this coming season.

TRADE SCENARIO

1) Brian Cook
FOR
Bob Sura (HOUSTON ROCKETS)

2) Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, & future draft pick
FOR
Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, & a sign-&-trade of Mario Austin (CHICCAGO BULLS)

Who is Mario Austin, you ask:
from draftexpress.com "Mario Austin, Chicago Bulls- The lone American player on this list might also be the highest paid player of anyone here besides Navarro. Austin made close to a million dollars net with Hapoel Jerusalem, and is now a free agent drawing fantastic offers from Euroleague teams. Pini Gershon, the Israeli head coach of Olimpiacos, reportedly offered him 1.5 million dollars net (the equivalent of a 3 million dollar NBA offer) already, which he has not accepted at this point. Austin has developed into one of the best low-post threats in all of Europe over the past few years, and is seemingly exactly the inside offensive presence Chicago is lacking at this point, even if his defensive skills leave a lot to be desired. The problem is its going to cost them in a big way, and their focus seems to be more on resigning Andres Nocioni at the moment. Austin’s agent Doug Neustadt did not want to say much besides the fact that his client’s “value in Europe is extremely high.” Austin will not be playing summer league for Chicago again, but he will work out privately for them. "

and check out his stats:
http://www.ecomtrade.co.il/hapoeljerusalem/player_e.asp?id=130 &
http://www.ecomtrade.co.il/hapoeljerusalem/player_e.asp?id=130&mode=2

LINEUP:
PG Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Javaris Crittenton
SG Kobe Bryant, Bob Sura, Sasha
C Bynum, Kwame
SF Walton, Radmanovic, Evans
PF Mario Austin, Ronny Turiaf

We can use the MLE on another big man or two.

HOW ABOUT IT?

You know, personally I'd love to read a book about the Kirilinko couple. Thought would be a lot more steamy, to read about Kirilinko and the many women he's slept with.

Hal9000, Edwin, Jorema,
C'mon you guys, THINK. I know from reading your posts that you all care about the Lakers. I know you all want the Lakers to be better than they are now, but some of the stuff you're proposing isn't smart and most of it is simply not possible according to the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, (CBA).

The free agent acquisitions you say the FO should be making are simply not possible. The Lakers are already over the salary cap. The CBA rules prohibit a team from offering a contract to any free agent if they are already over the cap, or if that contract would take them over the cap. There are exceptions. You may offer your own free agents anything you wish, up to the Maximum allowable yearly salary, even if you are over the cap. That's why we were able to resign Luke and most likely why we'll be the team that signs Chris Mihm. (If the Lakers don't sign Mihm you'll know he still has medical issues.) Another exception is the Mid Level Exception, (MLE) that each team is allowed every year regardless of where they are at in relationship to the salary cap. The NBA establishes each year what the dollar amount of the MLE exception will be for the following year. This past year it was about $5.5 Million and it's likely to increase a bit this year. The team can use this money on one or more players, but cannot offer more period. There is also a veterans exception that teams are allowed to sign older players, but it is fairly minimal at about $1.2 million.

If you take the time to read up on all this stuff (http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm) you will understand why the Lakers hands are pretty well tied at this point.

This is why I'm advocating trading Kobe. He's our biggest chip. Kobe is the only way we will be able to get some fresh young talent. It's not that I don't like Kobe, I do, it's just that I'd rather have new young guys to add to our current roster and try to improve that way.

Laker LArry, your link doens't work.

Laker Larry

You are absolutely right about our hands being tied at this point, but I disagree about trading Kobe this year. It would aount to nothing more then a fire sale. I have no problem trading anybody if it helps the team contend but I do not see that deal out there unless Kobe included more teams he would go to. The Suns need an interior player, the Bulls have said they will not give up Deng for Kobe or KG and the Knicks? are you kidding me? Anyway, next summer will possibly be the biggest free agent summer in history. That could open up alot of sign and trade possibilities for Kobe or other Laker players. I think this year, we need to add a guard and play the year out, see what the young guys are going to be like. It will also help us establish a better idea of what we need from a Kobe trade or any other trade.

MH

What? No comment about Kobe not being chosen one of the new "7 Wonders of the World?"

What has blog humor come to?

Javaris can get up...They are actually running the triangle at summer league and they are not looking too bad

Coby Karl with five quick points

J. Walter,

Kobe is no longer one of the wonders of the world...since he changed his number to 24. He WAS the 8th world wonder lol.

ok, that is definitely vomit inducing. This, however is just plain wrong:
http://www.jackiechristie.com/uncut.html

Is it a porn ? Worse?
Yikes.

Posted by: buce sanchez | July 08, 2007 at 03:31 PM

damn man, what up with the profanity? im gonna be be sick....

Farmar is looking very bad.

Crittenton is playing better. Even with a clutch shot almost endin the buzzer.

Javaris hit the clutch shot.

Farmar made a crutial foul.

What the opposite.

Jorema

I would love to make a significant trade this year but I also try to remain in what is realistic. At this time the T-wolves have not accepted our deal. And we have thrown in just about every thing we have to trade. We came close with that 4 team deal but Boston backed out. The Pacers would trade if we are willing to give up every tradeable assest and take on a bad contract of theres. Of course we would be even worse if we did tha, but hey all you want is a deal, right? Lakers also contacted the Kings about Artest but the Maloof brothers do not want to TRADE WITH THE LAKERS We cant FORCE someone trade with us.

Of course there is free agents but from reading your posts I really do not think you have an understanding of how the salary cap works. Not counting our own guys we have around 5.8 million we are allowed to spend with our MLE. Rashard Lewis signed for 15 mil, Billups 60 mil over 4 yrs. nocioni? with the bulls around 8 mil. Gerald Wallace is asking for 10 to 12 mil. Even Blake is asking for 6 mil. So seriously what is your plan? I am sure the front office would love to hear something that would work. And oh by the way, make sure the teams you propose we trade with actually need what we have to offer. To many people on this blog propose trades that make no sense for the other team. Good luck, cant wait to read your plan.

MH

Faith,

You can watch SPL on NBA.com, you need to register if you aren't already, click the watch link for your desire team and like magic you have live summer league action.

Laker Larry,

Since you're re-educating us about salary caps, pls. read my reply in the previous thread with series of questions.

Now explain here why the team from 1 - 16th on the link below could discuss trades, changes while the Lakers have no movements except re-signing Walton? FYI, the Lakers are currently # 17th team on salary cap @$56M as of this date and #14th after Walton deal is recorded.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm

I think it's not salary caps but FEAR TO TRADE BYNUM, FEAR IN TAKING RISKS, NO INTENTION TO FOLLOW KOBE"S SUGGESTIONS and it is possible nobody wants to join the LAKERS, IT BECAME A LOW CLASS TEAM below the Clippers. Only this blog is giving props to Lakers at this time. Why don't you ask other Laker fans that you know among your peers or at work, not necessarily in this blog what is their impression of the Lakers at this time? Let us see if they share the same impressions you have with the F/O.

Since we are in this thread about the Christies, perhaps it's good idea if we get Christie @$1M from MLE, you also get Mrs. Christie free in a 2-1 deal. She could light the fire under Sock's butt before each game.

Faith you can watch the Laker summer league of today in NBA broadband.

michael h - "And oh by the way, make sure the teams you propose we trade with actually need what we have to offer. To many people on this blog propose trades that make no sense for the other team."

AAAAAAMEN!!!!!!

LakerLarry,

Let me make sure I've got this right. Are you saying that because of the CBA trade rules, the JKidd trade for LO, Bynum and Kwame that the Nets proposed to the Lakers was illegal?

Or if Wolves are caught up on ODOM then lets keep him
Bynum
Brown
Radman
cook

for

KG

farmar
kobe
walton
odom
KG

problem is kb, kg, lo bring us almost to the cap with just three players, but how sick would we be?

Edwin,
The problem with Bynum is that his salary is too low, because he is still on his rookie contract. So he will get less in a trade then he is worth. Therefore, you need to combine him with other pieces, preferably players whose contracts are greater than their value. That would have to be Kwame, Vlad, or Lamar. Vlad's contract is not that big, though, so other pieces would still need to be included. In Lamar's case, that would mean giving away both Lamar and Bynum, so it would need to be for someone pretty good. There are only a few players who would be worth that trade, and those teams most likely don't want Lamar and Bynum. Kwame is attractive for his expirng contract, but that still only comes to 11-12M. Plus Kwame is very questionable because of the surgery. Again, the teams aren't likely to want him.

So no trades by management at this point is probably a good thing. The trades that the Lakers would like don't give enough to the other teams, the trades that the other teams would do would take away too much from the Lakers. The problem is that the Lakers roster is not very good.

At thie point the best thing to do is to sit tight, try and pick up Artest for Kwame or Vlad + ?. IF that doesn't happen, see how Bynum, Farmar, Walton, Turiaf, and Vlad develop, and see about trading Kwame mid-season.

Well said David Peterson. I've said exactly the same thing once before.

It's not that LO isn't a great guy. In my humble opinion he's a laker through and through...but he's 3rd option at best, and not what we need. The problem with this team doesn't just lie on the defensive end (our biggest problem imo, and we've yet to address it), it's also the fact that we have no one to make the defenses honest on Kobe on the offensive end.

On any given night, open shots can be had...because opposing teams couldn't possibly be dumb enough to leave Kobe one-on-one, sometimes getting doubled is not enough...but we have yet to find players that will make the opponents pay for such an act. Ironically we're an offensive minded team...all our players are "Shooters" but no one, not one of them can consistently hit their shots. It's not for lack of opportunity either. We also cannot be a fast breaking team, we're horrendously unathletic, not to mention slow footed. And in an open field, I'm doubting our capability in hitting the open shot consistently. I should say that I believe Vlad can be that consistent outside shot (that's why we paid him the big bucks) if he can only get his head out of you know what.

Aside from the floor aspect, we have no tradeable assets. It's really sad to think about, but more and more it's becoming fact. In a perfect world we can trade Cook, Sasha, Vlad, etc. and get to keep LO (as a third option), Socks, etc. but we can't. For the simple matter that they are our ONLY tradeable options. That's sad.

These are the things wrong with this team (and I haven't even expounded on the defensive side...our greatest flaw)...and these are things I'm looking for the front office to fix. If they can't get KG...obviously disappointing, at least address the team's holes...and I'm sorry but no, drafting Crittendon (who I'm coming to see may be something), Sun Yue, and Marc Gasol will not do (though I'm hearing good things about Crittendon in the defensive end, mama likes!).

Michael H,
if you think I take what the "blog" says as truth and end-all be-all you're crazy!

Just so you know, I have ESPN Insider and I regularly read the blog so I see about 90% of all Laker articles written as I also check SI.com , Foxsports.com, CBSSPORTSLINE.com, and MSNBCSPorts.com. Not only that, I listen to all the podcasts with Ric Bucher, Stephen A., Colin Cowherd, Marc Stein and every person imaginable.

Believe me, I am well informed. and if Andrew Bynum was "soooo good" and had "soooo much" potential than the TWolves wouldnt blink on the KG trade and the Pacrers wouldnt blink on the JO trade.

Think to yourself: Why do you think it took trying to do a 4 team deal? BECAUSE ANDREW FRICKIN BYNUM ISNT THAT GREAT IN MCHALE'S or anyone else's eyes!

JO was a bust at 19 huh? Who are you kidding and what NBA were you watching?

At that time, Portland was intent on winning now and trying to beat the Lakers which is why they traded a guy who couldn't get the playing time to develop behind Sabonis/Rasheed Wallace/Brian Grant for a guy who could help guard Shaq in Dale Davis.

That team was trying to win NOW and never played O'neal more than 13 mins a game in his first 4 seasons.

Dont get me started man, cuz you know I know that I know what I'm talking about!

The key factor here is that Bynum averaged 20 mins a game for the Lakers. He has been given ample opportunity to show some significant promise.

He could make a quantum leap next year or he could turn out to be OK and submarine any trade value that we have now for you.

Are you a risk taker? Do you want to cash your chips now and move Bynum and whatever pieces for some stars or do you really want to wait and see with Bynum.

I'll only take the latter if that's our final option YET I cant see why we still have bloggers saying "he's only 18, he can still be great, Kobe, KG, Howard those are extreme examples!"

Well, if I want a star shouldnt I see something extreme? ...

somebody back me up...please ...

Commentary: Bryant still has growing up to do

http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/articles/8376727.html?showAll=y&c=y

Garnett and Dirk? Keep dreaming

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/070807dnspomoore.3775357.html

Newsday: KG Talks To Golden State Are Legit

http://getgarnett.com/blog/?p=497