The Celtics now have one Ticket, a purchase made with the intention of traveling to the same destination that Mr. Money had in mind.  Needless to say, this is pretty gosh darn huge.  "Big enough to make David Stern stop weeping about Oden and Durant playing for two teams nobody ever sees" huge.  "Big enough to make Bill Simmons stop weeping about acquiring Ray Allen" huge, especially considering Jesus Shuttlesworth reportedly played a big role in pitching Beantown to Garnett.  Hell, it's even "big enough to overshadow the Lakers signing Coby Karl" huge. 

OK, the acquiring of George Karl's undrafted son might have flown under the radar under any circumstances (although it's actually a more inspirational story than KG getting traded).  But when it comes to inspiring Laker fans to sing a tune with an excellent guitar riff, the newest Laker likely won't cut the mustard.  Karl's presence also appears a long shot to prevent Kobe from licking old wounds, a reaction that could make things rather unpleasant.  Thus, it begs the question of where to go from here.

The good news is that Kevin Garnett is rumored once again to be on the move.  The bad news?  The rumors don't put him in L.A.  Instead, Boston looks like the destination du jour, with Danny Ainge's draft-day acquisition of Ray Allen having apparently made Beantown seem more palatable to The Big Ticket.  At least he'll be out of the conference. 

Also, on the housekeeping end, we'll be in Seattle on Monday.  HQ will know, so hopefully everything goes smoothly.

-- BK

We could use a new thread anyway, so check out cbssportline.com's list of the 20 best free agents still available.  Anyone of interest to y'all and more importantly, do you think the Lakers can actually get this cat... and how?  In most cases, "how" would be the more pressing question over "who." 

By the way, I've got it on good authority that whichever team signs the 18th ranked guy, if they're not willing to pay the cost of shipping his wheels, deal's off. 

And wouldn't you know it, five minutes after I put this post through, the Heat agree to all terms involved with bringing the Smushcalade to Miami.  The driver, too.  Congrats to Smush.

-AK

The Hoopshype, that is.  BK and I were part of the site's Bloggers Corner answering questions about the Lakers.  Check out what we and others had to say.  I'm expecting my statement that Mitch should have let Kobe go in 2004 and used the cap space to build around Slava to be somewhat controversial.  But hey, sometimes a man's just gotta speak his mind.

-AK

Just in case anyone ever wants to clarify something, here's a link to Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ.  It's long and occasionally difficult to understand, but also covers just about conceivable question you might have regarding what is and ain't kosher with payroll, trades, contracts, etc.  I also assigned it a category along the side, so you'll know where to find it down the road.

A couple other helpful tools:

ESPN Trade machine

RealGM Trade checker

Hoopshype salary

Carry on.  Or rock on.  Whatever's your preference.

AK

Which explains why "The Today Show" wanted him to drop by and tell it.  Make sure to click the launcher on the right so you can watch the video.

Tim Donaghy's story?  Not quite as inspiring.  Which explains why David Stern had to face the press and explain what the league did and didn't know heading into this shocking mess.  Unfortunately for the NBA, the Commish's conference still leaves questions upon questions to answer.

-AK

OK, the chant is probably a little much, considering America was pretty much guaranteed a victory no matter how yesterday's US Hoops intrasquad scrimmage shook out.  But don't tell that to Kobe Bryant, who swelled with pride after his Blue team emerged victorious in squeaker fashion.  Pride over his 26 points.  Pride over his D on LeBron James down the stretch.  And pride when it comes to pulling that patriotic tank top over his head, a simple act of putting on a shirt that Bryant considered long overdue, especially for an old-school cat like himself.  Another act Kobe might consider long overdue was his teaming up with Jason Kidd, a duo-ization that tickles the Mamba a red, white and blue shade of pink.  But even if he can't help but picture the pair doing their thing in Laker unis, Kobe's leaving that subject untouched.  Or any purple and gold topic, for that matter.  The New Jack Bauer would prefer the talk remain international hoops-centric, or at the very least, not "What does Kobe want-centric."

Derek Fisher officially met the media Friday afternoon, once again a Laker.  But given how things have gone this summer, Kobe Bryant again dominated conversation across the hoops universe (you know, aside from the allegations that a referee had helped fix games, calling into question the integrity of an entire professional sport).  Kobe took no steps Friday to clear up the whole Lakers-or-no-Lakers question when he met the media as a member of USA Basketball.  He admitted his Grand Radio Tour sent mixed signals, but feels this isn't the time to clarify his position, even when given a few cracks at it by an old friend.  Still, he said lots of nice things ... just not the nice thing. 

Fisher began the news conference with an emotional opening statement, thanking the NBA, the Utah Jazz and the Lakers.  He also offered some insight into what his family has experienced throughout this trying journey.  From there, he took some questions from the media, listed below.

-- AK

On his daughter Tatum:
"Tatum's status right now is moving in the right direction and in a great direction.  We've had three rounds of treatment, and she's progressively gotten better each time when we've been back to New York.  We're due back in New York soon to get a follow-up evaluation to the last last treatment, really give us an accurate idea of how she's doing.  But she's doing great, moving in the right direction now and we feel comfortable that right now, three rounds of treatment, where we can settle into and we'll be able to transition into observation and evaluation here in Los Angeles.  Our doctor will remain our treating physician if there are any treatments that become necessary again in the future, but we've found a collective group of doctors that we need here in the Los Angeles area, so that we'll be able to transition into very soon." 

Terms weren't disclosed, but I'm fairly certain that is not what Chris Mihm got from the Lakers when he re-signed today. Assuming the Lakers are serious about only carrying 14 dudes this season, barring a trade or another transaction, the roster is officially full.  Especially now that D-Fish has, as expected, cleared waivers and will officially sign tomorrow. 

Obviously, the devil is in the details regarding the Mihm signing, but assuming the Lakers didn't go hog wild with years and money, it certainly doesn't hurt.  Even coming off an injury, Mihm is almost certainly the best big remaining on the FA market (unless I'm missing a blue-chipper somewhere).  I'm sure more info will come out tomorrow at D-Fish's news conference.  Click below the jump to read the news release from the team.  SLIGHT UPDATE: The deal is for three years. 

Or maybe not.

EVEN BETTER UPDATE: Terms are in.  Two years, $5 million.  That's a very good figure for the Lakers.  No harm, no foul.  If he's healthy, Mihm will be much more than a $2.5-million value.   

-- BK

Then set your alarms for 3:01 p.m. PST tomorrow (unless you're one of them fancy lads who can tell time by looking at the sun, and if that's the case, bully for you) because that's the precise moment the Lakers can sign Derek Fisher to a contract.  He'll have theoretically cleared waivers 60 seconds earlier, so unless another squad grabs Fisher off the wire at his old price -- less likely than a purple and gold reunion with Isaiah Rider -- .4 is back at his old stomping grounds.

On an unrelated note, here's what Kobe will be up to this weekend.  To the best of Lakersblog's knowledge, Bryant hasn't requested a trade from this team.

-- AK

Here ... and lookee here.  Interesting that the articles come on the heels of yesterday's discussion about how seriously one should take SPL success.  I think it's safe to say that an entire shaker of salt may not be necessary, but a few grains should be kept in your pocket for a rainy day.  But we can all agree that praise beats razzin' every time, so it's certainly encouraging, if nothing else.  In the meantime, neither article refers to Crittenton as "The Critter," so for the time being my team of legal eagles (and by "team" I mean "BK") can hold off preparing multibillion-dollar lawsuits.

What doesn't garner praise, however, is Derek Fisher's (theoretically) imminent contract.  At least not from SI's Paul Forrester.

Finally, thought y'all might be interested in how Mo Evans is assisting Ron Artest and others in a Kenyan humanitarian effort.  We're gonna try to track him down once he's stateside to get some more of his perspective.

-AK

Because I didn't get a chance to watch any of the Summer League action on NBA TV, mostly due to conflicting Dodger games/blog work.  For that matter, I also didn't make the trip to Vegas to check out the action, although that was because I know myself too well.  And because I know myself too well, I'm perfectly aware I would have spent about five minutes at Thomas and Mack watching the starters, then hightailed it to the nearest poker room once the scrubs entered and written post-game reports based purely on box scores.  Call me crazy, but I imagine The Times wouldn't consider this a "constructive" use of their money.  Thus, I decided to stay in L.A. and keep my job.

 

A Friday evening game in the Vegas Summer League isn't exactly a grand, global stage upon which to make bold statements of revenge, but Von Wafer, former Laker and first-ballot member of the Lakers Blog Hall of Fame, he of the slight head tilt and unapologetically frequent shot, went off for 22 points in 19:53 in Denver's 120-88 pasting of L.A. (summer version) in Sin City.  True to form, Von took three more shots than any of his teammates, despite playing fewer minutes than every other starter and first-man-off-the-bench Bracey Wright.  That's why this space loves him.  A bunch of dudes, including Jordan Farmar and Javaris Crittendon, had 13 for the Lakers. 

In other news, Steve Blake is heading back to Portland for what looks like a short, relatively inexpensive deal.  Shorter and more inexpensive (by a lot) than I expected -- two years and an option, worth a max of $12 mil.  Assuming it was even possible (Blake has strong ties to the Portland area and the Blazers), would the Lakers have been better off bringing him in over Derek Fisher?  Substantially younger, probably a better defender, solid PG skills?  He doesn't have Fisher's gravitas, but at this point in their respective careers, is Blake a better player?  Or maybe you're a Jason Hart guy (2 years, $5 mil with Utah).  Or Chucky Atkins (2 years, $6.6 mil with Denver) ... OK, maybe not Chucky.  But are you someone who thinks the Lakers paid with their hearts instead of their heads? 

To quote the great Jerry Maguire, "We live in a cynical world."  Given the circumstances under which he left Utah, it's natural that L.A.'s impending signing of Derek Fisher would generate some discussion back in Beehive Country.  The Jazz are taking him at his word that his request to be released from his contract had nothing to do with wanting out of Utah and everything to do with his daughter's medical care.  His teammates say they'll miss him and wish him well.  Still (see earlier film quote reference), Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune wants to believe him but can't help but wonder ... is it possible Fish had less-than-pure motives?   It's a testament to the monumental respect Fisher has around the league -- well and honestly earned -- that this isn't a question getting asked with more volume.

So Mitch has made a play to improve the Lakers' backcourt.  Doubtful that it would satisfy Andy Martinez, the "next Lakers GM," who has spent time at the Vegas Summer League toting signs and heckling Kupchak.  I'm not convinced this guy would do a better job than the seat's current occupant, but it's highly likely he'd add energy to our yearly interview with the GM.  (Funny stuff as well in this blog about former S.C. guard Nick Young's mom, for those Trojans fans looking for an update on their guy.)

BK

First, the gridlock.  As you approach Jefferson Blvd. heading north or south on La Cienega, you'll encounter HEAVY construction.  "Sections of one lane" construction.  I'm not sure what's being fixed, but I don't understand why work so intrusive couldn't and shouldn't be done at night.  Unless they're looking for C.H.U.D., of course.  If that's the case, all is forgiven, because those suckers can wreak havoc if left to their own devices.

Why the Public Service Announcement?  Because the resulting traffic caused me to arrive late to Luke Walton's news conference and I missed some Q&A.  Granted, these events typically yield standard copy, so I doubt I missed anything particularly controversial.  Except when Walton said, "If they trade Kobe, big deal.  Dude's a flash in the pan, and it's more shots for me."  (I missed that because I made it up.)  Walton's happy to be back, but did note one downside to his new contract.  Asked if the Lakers were catering the news conference with Joey's BBQ (as they did on draft day), Walton joked how "they were only catering because they wanted me back.  Now that I'm back, no more business from the Lakers."  Walton will now shift to Business Plan B, convincing Sasha Vujacic that the BBQ sauce contains the same base ingredient as "the cream" and "the clear."

Here's (about half of) what Walton had to say:

Wow, that's a horrible header.  I must be rusty.  Anyway, it looks like a week to clear waivers is all that's separating Derek Fisher from a return to the Lakers.  The 33-year-old former purple and gold point guard will ink a three-year deal worth about $14 million.  He won't be an elite-caliber W.C. point guard, but he provides a major boost over last season's rotation.  More importantly, the Lakers are in serious need of another veteran who can bridge whatever gap there is between the younger players (though can this be the year we finally retire the whole "Lakers are a young team" line/excuse?) and Kobe, and give 24 a ballast in the leadership realm.  Someone who has his ear and his respect and won't be afraid to speak his mind. 

Speaking of Bryant, Steve Dilbeck of the Daily News is upset he's not, well, speaking.  Dilbeck would like him to clarify his stay-or-go position.  For what it's worth, I think Kobe is doing absolutely the right thing by saying nothing provocative (and almost by definition, anything he says would qualify).   There is no response to The Big Question or its inevitable follow-ups that wouldn't restart the media wildfires that have finally, mercifully, died down. 

The Bulls are interested in Chris Mihm, but if he wants big money from Chicago, Mihm likely won't get it.

BK

Because as of last night, NBA free agents can officially sign new contracts.  Luke Walton is a presumed given to lend his John Hancock any second now (assuming he hasn't already), but the lucky fella landing the Lakers' midlevel exception remains undecided for the time being.  Old friend Derek Fisher, however, is a strong possibility to land a nice chunk of that pretty penny (a price likely too high to throw a Phoenix-auditioning Chris Mihm's way).  Fish's rumored deal won't gobble up the entire MLE or last the maximum amount of years, which works well for a guy appealing as a mentor for Jordan Farmar and Javaris Crittenton.  If you ask Farmar, it's his starting spot to lose, despite any vet importation or upstart rook playing well in Vegas.  And none of these guys pose a threat to his PT, should they end up (or remain) Lakers.

This may have flown under the radar last season, but the point guard position wasn't exactly the Laker calling card.  And with questions surrounding Jordan Farmar or Javaris Crittenton's credentials and Smush Parker perhaps in line to become the next Theo Papaloukos (with any luck, William Henry will also get the theme music), L.A. is on the lookout for a dude worthy of manning the 1.  The Lakers being able to afford the services of Mo Williams was a long shot, given the beau-coup bucks Milwaukee can offer to re-sign their player.   According to the rumor mill, Mo's only willing to cut his price if it means playing in South Beach.  D-Fish, however, might be a realistic option, assuming his switching of agents doesn't mean anything anti-Los Angeles.  Another former Laker, Devean George, hasn't really been discussed as an option for a second go-around, which explains why it's not happening.  Finally, Ron Ron is a cat who pops up in gossip regarding the Lakers, and Sacto's experienced mucho issues with the small forward.  But Artest is now saying he'd like to remain a Cow Town player for the rest of his career.   

And as everyone knows, once this guy makes a statement, you can bank his mind never changing.

-AK

Ever wake up in the morning and think, "You know, I just don't throw up in my mouth on a regular basis nearly enough?"  Well, if that's your dilemma, problem solved.

I could have gone my entire life without knowing this book existed.  Unfortunately, my ignorant bliss lasted a mere month.

-AK

Fans of the "Howard Stern Show" will recognize the immortal words of Crackhead Bob relaying an apology.  Whether Kobe Bryant was inspired by the classic contrition from the shock jock's regular guest isn't certain, but in any event, Bryant revealed yesterday that he dropped by Mitch Kupchak's office a couple weeks ago to apologize for some recent outbursts.  The behavior in question included radio tour rants, floating the idea of replacing Kupchak with Jerry West and his amateur video cameo, but it appears that "The Kobe Video" was the true impetus for Kobe's words, which Bryant insisted be delivered in person.   So does that mean Bryant no longer desires a change of address?  Hard to say.  Bryant neither repeated his trade request nor confirmed he was back on board, stating that he's concentrating on his upcoming Team USA games, his workouts and the kids.

A question left earlier today from reader "Jeff":

"Since Darko was brought up ... I'd like to hear you guy's All-Endless writing material team. What five guys (two guards, a center, two forwards) would you most like to have purely for the fact that there would never NOT be any dry news days?  Skill matters not, purely entertainment value on (Von Wafer) or off (Ron Ron, Jackson) the court. Any players, any team, only rule is they must be active."

As most would imagine, this is the type of question that I'm willing to spend hours upon days upon weeks poring over.  Hell, I'd apply for a grant and take a year off to do research if I thought the request had the slightest chance of getting approved.  But since I'm betting against such generosity from the state of California, I've decided to budget my time a little more wisely and field my team in a more reasonable fashion.    

This will hopefully ease your minds.  While I sincerely congratulate Mr. Carroll on a hard-earned windfall, you can't tell me Walton isn't worth at least 500K more per season.  ESPN's John Hollinger would agree.

Again, doesn't mean that 5 mil a season shouldn't sound staggering for a role player who may come off the bench.  It just means that salaries are all relative in today's NBA.

-AK

Some of y'all wanted a new thread to keep any Laker talk separate from good vibes being sent Derek Fisher's way.  Flea's open letter to Kobe is as good a topic as any.

And go...

-AK

Former Laker Derek Fisher will be released from his contract with the Utah Jazz to help take care of his young daughter, who'll be undergoing chemo treatment for eye cancer detected during the '07 playoffs.  Fisher said he's not retiring, but acknowledges that basketball is a secondary priority right now, which creates a need to step away from the court. 

D-Fish has always been a favorite of BK and mine, among the elite when it comes to NBA players we truly respect on and off the court.  We wish the best to his family.

-AK

But the re-signing of free agent Luke Walton nonetheless represents front-office activity, as well as the retaining of a triangle-friendly piece that doesn't count against the cap.  From here, attempts to land a household moniker continue, as well as the search for just the right guy to award some purple and gold MLE cash.  Point guard Steve Blake could be such a fella, although it remains to be seen whether the whole enchilada will fill him up.  Speaking of enchiladas, Chris Mihm's agent is talking up a pricey plate of Mexican food.  The Lakers aren't likely to foot the bill for such a meal, but they are interested in negotiating.  So, for that matter, are the Bulls.

Despite his pleas, the Lakers are still a ways off from trading Kobe Bryant.  And for the alarmists (and historians) in the crowd, that's probably a good thing.

Luke Walton: 6 years, 30 million bucks.  Assuming nothing nutty happens, 'tis official.  And fairly predictable.  He wanted to stay.  The Lakers wanted to keep him.  Bird Rights.  Lengthy contract, but the money's not ridiculous by today's NBA standards.  There you have it.

No word yet as to what they're offering Smush, but the contract is rumored to be front-loaded with magic beans.

-AK

Things will undoubtedly start heating up in the next few days, but for one morning, at least, the news is fairly mellow.  While they try to make trades and figure out what to do with their mid-level exception, the Lakers will spend the summer on Kobe Watch, doing the dance to try and satisfy him, since he's not going anywhere soon.  Even those in New York, where they feel entitled to get every star in every sport on the planet, some seem to understand ... while others imply that maybe, just maybe, Isiah could put together a good enough package to bring Kobe to the Big Apple.  (Mini Question of the Day:  Is there any offer Thomas could make for Kobe that would work for you?) 

All that's certain is the Lakers will be big players (in actual moves or in ultimately fruitless conversation) in what stands to be a busy summer.

BK