UPDATE (11:32 pm): The LAT's Mike Bresnahan reports Kobe "is expected to sign a three-year extension on top of his existing two-year contract at some point in July... Bryant would make a guaranteed $47.8 million over the next two years and could earn another $86 million to $91 million with the extension, depending on NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011. BK

So sayeth ESPN's Chad Ford, citing his sources.  I'll poke around for confirmation or more reports of the same nature, but for now, that appears to be the word on Kobe Bryant. 

Well, in addition to who WON'T be coaching the team next season, perhaps we also know who won't be sitting in front of a table with Rob Pelinka, Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss dwelling over the semantics of contract language.  Not during this particular month, at any rate. 

I'd like to say it's one less thing to worry about, but with the free agent madness officially underway in five hours, I imagine expressing sentiments even kissing cousins to "Don't worry, be happy" will go heavily ignored.

More info as it arrives. 

(UPDATE: The report also states that Kobe and the brass will spend this summer working on an extension.)

AK

As July 1st fast approaches and Lakers fans are soon to begin surfing the wave of rumors hitting Los Angeles, here's one recently floated scenario you can put to rest.  Should health issues require Phil Jackson to hang up his white board, Mike Krzyzewski ain't the dude stepping in. 

For that matter, it doesn't sound like Coach K is much interested in taking the purple and gold reins at any point.  During his annual meeting with the press, Kobe Bryant's Olympic coach said he's "not going to the Lakers."  For that matter, he doesn't plan on bolting Duke until he's ready for a lifestyle that doesn't include coaching. 

Granted, we've heard many a coach say he's staying put until hell freezes over and without warning, the devil's lair is suddenly cool enough to suit Frosty the Snowman's needs.  But I'm willing to bet there's a reasonable amount of sincerity to Coach K's statement.  Between the cushiness provided by his Godlike status in Durham, the strong no-win potential that comes with following PJ, and the percentage of college coaches- even titans- that struggle at the pro level, in my humble opinion, K should be fitted for a strait jacket if he wanted to flip gigs.  That's just plain silly.

Speculation Season remains in full blast, if a bit more narrowly focused.

As you were.

AK

Photo: Mike Krzyzewski Credit: AP Photo/Gerry Broome

At 9:01 pm, the NBA's free agency period will officially be underway, and with few young-and-on-the-rise players available on the market, Trevor Ariza has quickly become one of the more intriguing names on the market. His agent, David Lee (you may remember him from such negotiations as "Let's Get Andrew Bynum an Extension!"), says if cut Ariza "bleeds purple and gold."  Of course, if the Lakers aren't able to field a competitive offer- Lee thinks interest in TA will be substantial (while you'd hardly expect him to say otherwise, he's likely correct)- Ariza can bleed whatever color he wants but will still be buying his Band-Aids in another city. 

Remember, though, not to read too much what Lee, or any other agent, says.  He's doing his job.  For that matter, as it is around the trade deadline where we always caution against reading too much in to any rumor, July 1 marks the start in another NBA silly season for deals and signings alike. 

Writes Kurt at Forum Blue and Gold:

Back in the day, the common knock against class president elections was they were just a big popularity contest.  Well, the process that allowed that smarmy punk to buy himself an office with some puffy stickers and a few Hershey's Kisses has much in common with ESPN's ESPY Awards.  Except unlike elementary school, this popularity contest is hosted by Samuel L. Jackson and shuts down traffic on Hollywood Boulevard between Highland and, if I remember correctly, Orange. 

The list of nominees is plum littered with Lakers.  Kobe's up for a few awards, including Best Male Athlete.  Pau Gasol gets a nod for Best International Male Athlete, while Phil Jackson gets two (one of which, and this makes total sense when you think about it, is for Best Coach/Manager).  And as a group the Lakers are up for Best Team.

Voting seems to require registration, so if your distaste for becoming part of Disney's corporate machine outweighs your desire to help Lakers win stuff, you may be out of luck.  If not, vote early and as often as allowed. 

BK

As Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojanrowski reports, that's the worry circulating throughout the Houston Rockets' front office.  The fractured foot that put Yao out of commission during the Western Conference Semi-Finals vs. the Lakers has been stubborn to heal, and beyond a recent "out indefinitely" statement, Wojnarowski suspects concerns over Yao missing the majority of next season.  Or even worse, being forced into early retirement.  Obviously, more information needs to be presented before hitting the panic button- Rockets GM Daryl Morey is withholding public comment until more tests are completed- but I have to imagine it's a tense vibe over at HQ. 

And with this story, I ask two questions...

1) If Yao could miss a large chunk of time, does this development potentially shift an already radically altered NBA landscape?  Could that make Houston think twice about committing long-term to Ron Artest.  Are they more likely to move T-Mac for help or just let his 22 mil expire and blow the whole baby up?  Keep whomever they can to remain competitive?  Is there a team in particular you picture swooping in to become a player?

2) Does Yao's situation make you more nervous about various Lakers, whether Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Sasha Vujacic or DJ Mbenga, representing their country in Olympic play?  BK and I have both stated past opinions that it's damn near impossible to fault a player for his patriotism, nor should their NBA employer forbid anyone from suiting up in the offseason.  But all things being equal, are you now more inclined to hope those purple and golders take a pass and save their best for the NBA hardcourt?

In any event, best wishes to Yao for a full recovery.  He's a class act, a great competitor and has been terrific for the league.  I hope Wojnarowski is just caught up in worst case scenarios and not predicting the future.

AK

(Photo: Reuters)

The fun begins late tomorrow night, as the NBA's free agent free for all officially kicks off. 

Here's the list of guys who will or could be on the market.  LA's priority is bringing back Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza.  Which leads to today's Question of the Day:

Is there anyone on the list linked above you'd choose instead of Ariza or Odom? 

The big names are guys like Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Gordon, Chris Andersen, Ron Artest, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, (presumably) Carlos Boozer, and Morris Almond.  Okay, maybe not him.  But I love the name.

(UPDATE, 6:13 pm: Yikes!  I realize I forgot Hedo Turkoglu, who is obviously an intriguing and talented player.  If this is a conversation to be had, he should be in it.  BK)

Don't worry too much about money-  think of the player.  Would you swap out X for TA, or Y for LO?  And so on?  Would you pick two from that list and let both Odom and Ariza walk?  What say you?   Personally, I'd keep last year's team intact.  I'm not a fan of how Kidd fits in, didn't want Artest last year either, and think Gordon's high volume shooting doesn't work with LA.  (Plus, and this is a fairly significant point, my understanding is the Lakers have a decent two guard already.)  Marion is an intriguing name, but only if he came with a time machine.  Last year's version in Miami/Toronto didn't play all that well but did manage to continue to cement his reputation as a malcontent.  Why bring that into a well-functioning locker room? 

But what say you?

BK

(Photo: Andrew Bernstein, Getty Images)

It's your weekend ear candy!

The Draft has come and gone, the NBA's vanquished (everyone else) have started making moves to try and corrall the victors (your purple and gold), and it's almost time to kick off what guarantees to be a busy free agent season in El Segundo. Who better to kick around these topics and more, including life behind the purple and gold velvet rope, than with Lakers.com's Mike Trudell?  Nobody, that's who. All that, and a little Kobe talk to dovetail with yesterday's post.  Synergy.  (If you'd just as soon avoid that, skip the last 10-15 minutes or so.) 

Enjoy!

BK

First Things First:

• Read this.  It answers all sorts of questions. 

Second Things Second- Central Tenets of My Belief System That Frame Points to Come:

1. All the individuals to be discussed below are, relative to you (I presume) and me (this I can confirm), rich.  They will, no matter what happens this summer, remain so.  Or ought to, at least.  This is not a crass, "pity the poor school teacher, fireman, and blogger" bit of pseudo-moralistic twaddle (yes, I said twaddle).  Just a statement of fact.
2. The higher the dollar amounts involved, the more I consider "sacrifice" to be relative.  Take 15% from my paycheck, and it's going to hurt.  Take 15% from a guy making $5 mil, and it hurts less.  Take it from a guy making $25 million, and it becomes closer to a rounding error.  Not that the money doesn't matter or have real value- it most certainly does- just that the blow is softened by what's left over.
3. Do not compare NBA contract negotiations with with "real world" scenarios of how you and I would respond to similar questions in the workplace.  They just don't apply. 
4. Owners are entitled to make a profit, and a healthy one at that.  They also have a responsibility to deliver a winning product whenever possible, particularly when a franchise has the means (i.e. they make money) and place a burden on their fans (i.e. game costs approximately 60% higher than league average, inflated a great deal by tickets that are, generally speaking, really freakin' expensive). They are obligated to spend, rather than pocket, all that booty.
5. Owners are also entitled to set a ceiling to the payroll.  For profitable teams with a history of winning, say... the Lakers, it should be appropriately high.    
6. Basketball players have a limited window to earn gobs of money from the game, and can't necessarily be vilified for taking full advantage, but as the dollar amounts grow the more other considerations (happiness, family connections, winning) ought have room to enter the equation.  Money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys a whole lot of stuff, including flexibility and options.

(By now, you can probably guess where this is going...)

All in all, you'd have to call it a success.  Big time.  In a bad draft, the Lakers turned the 29th, 42nd, and 59th picks into $4.5 million, two second rounders in 2011, and a big they had on their board in the mid-30s in Chinemelu Elonu of Texas A&M.  (That he likely won't make the team isn't the point.)  That's a solid haul.  Put it this way: That cash, with just a little more on top, could mean a multi-year deal for Shannon Brown.  Or most of a season from Trevor Ariza, and so on.  You get the point.  All for guys that wouldn't play a role next year. 

A few quotes from Mitch Kupchak...

On the trade of Patrick Beverley to Miami for $1.5 million and a pick in 2011:  "Basically, it's keeping in line with our philosophy with the draft today.  We ranked the players in the draft and we ended up getting the guy that we thought would be the 34th best player in the draft, we ended up getting him at 59.  Guys drafted in the 30s still have a hard time making the team, but we're pleased with what we did from a business point of view, trying to manage our roster, and we got a player that we thought was undervalued in the draft at 59.  So we're pleased with what we've done, and now we've got to move on to our next challenge."

UPDATE (9:30 pm): A little quoteage from Mitch Kupchak on Chinemelu Elonu--

On their plans for Elonu:  "Our next step is summer league.  Guys that are drafted in the 50s, they're not going to sign long term guaranteed contracts.  So he'll have a chance to come to summer league, and we'll evaluate him (there) and if he's as good as we think he is, than (he could) come to camp and (maybe) end up with a contract." 

If nothing else, my fiancée will be excited about this pick.  Like Chinemelu Elonu, she also attended Texas A&M.  From there, however, the similarities rapidly decrease.  She's not much on the hardcourt.  He's a 6'10" lefty F-C and Nigerian native that Jay Bilas really digs.  The ESPN analyst described the kid as a hard working, athletic rebounder with a particularly good nose for the offensive glass.  He also thought Elonu could have been a first rounder next season, had he stuck around College Station.  A potential "steal," even.

Granted, it's hard to know if Elonu will even be a part of the Lake Show's future.  But that the very least, Mitch Kupchak can look Bilas in the eye.

More info from BK in El Segundo ASAP.

AK

(Photo: AP)