LakerTom..2 threads back....Hope your right..
That Elton Brand deal was nothing short of disgrace...

Kobe not opting out..Interesting..Big contract next year..

Hey AK,

Now here’s a twist. In the ESPN article, it states that Kobe and the Lakers are working on an extension. Based on Larry Coon’s Kobe Primer Article, Kobe will make around $7M less if he just signs an extension and not opt-out, thus saving Jerry Buss $14M overall. Is Kobe taking a “pay cut” to help resign LO and Ariza??

Bernie,

Yeah, I saw that, but didn't want to get too into the extension issue and how it potentially affects the payroll until I got a chance to mull over the numbers. In the meantime, I wanted to get the news up ASAP.

Thanks

AK

Would the Lakers entertain a sign and trade for Prince? Could that be done?.....Boozer has changed the landscape.

Have been hearing a lot of idiots claiming the Lakers need a point guard. They have a potential great one - Jordan Farmar. Hope the Lakers give him a chance. Farmar has won at every level.

Dumb radio commentators said Lakers are vulnerable to "speedy" point guards like Aaron Brooks. Not. DFish can't hang. Farmar busts Brooks butt and has been doing it since college days.

Its not clear Lakers win Game 3 versus Rockets if DFish plays. It was Farmar dominating Brooks that allowed Lakers to win easily. The Farmar / Brown combination could be great. Brown is got game too. No handle, but hops and an improving shot.

How many young NBA point guards are better than Farmar? Not many. Rather have Farmar than Rondo.

Todd,
"How many young NBA point guards are better than Farmar? Not many. Rather have Farmar than Rondo."

Rondo? C'mon, I know you like Farmar, but let's not go overboard. I am a much bigger fan of Shannon Brown's game. Farmar has had the advantage of playing in the system and with Kobe for years. Give Shannon some minutes next year alongside Kobe, and he will improve drastically, just like Ariza. The dude got his FIRST real opportunity at NBA minutes this year, and he came through big for us. That's saying something. Give him some more opportunities and he will not disappoint. He is athletic, great at the fast break, makes solid decisions (especially for a first timer in the triangle), can play solid D, seems like a hard worker who is grateful to be on the team, and should have an improved jumper next year. That's really all we need from a PG in the triangle.

I would love to see Fish in an Robert Horry type of role next season. Limit his minutes during the reg season, and play him in the playoffs, especially in crunch time. This would give Brown an opportunity to shine and improve his game, while resting a 36 year old DFish for the playoffs.

Have been hearing a lot of idiots claiming the Lakers need a point guard. They have a potential great one - Jordan Farmar. Hope the Lakers give him a chance. Farmar has won at every level.

Dumb radio commentators said Lakers are vulnerable to "speedy" point guards like Aaron Brooks. Not. DFish can't hang. Farmar busts Brooks butt and has been doing it since college days.

Its not clear Lakers win Game 3 versus Rockets if DFish plays. It was Farmar dominating Brooks that allowed Lakers to win easily. The Farmar / Brown combination could be great. Brown is got game too. No handle, but hops and an improving shot.

How many young NBA point guards are better than Farmar? Not many. Rather have Farmar than Rondo.

Posted by: Todd | June 30, 2009 at 04:51 PM

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What play off games you watch. I saw Brooks eat up Farmar. Yeah Brooksgot help from bets on foul calls on JF but still Brooks beat Farmar to any spot he wanted.

David Lee's about to become David Falk, persona non grata to the Lakers. As in - go take your client elsewhere, as much as we want your client we don't want to deal with you.

Not opting out this summer, I think, is an astute move by Kobe for a variety of reasons.

By staying put, from a PR standpoint, he's off the spotlight (hopefully) when it comes to negotiations with Lamar and Trevor. Decisions with these two can then be made in a bit more vacuum, without Kobe taking a paycut now or being chastised for going for the max deal.

From a winning standpoint, Kobe implicitly places the pressure on the front office and his two FA buddies to get them to work it out among themselves and have a championship-caliber team for next season. If it doesn't work out, ie it's not a contending team in 2009-2010, he can just opt out in the summer.

Financially, it makes sense. Opting out now is not a guarantee that LO and TA will be brought back. Nor is it a guarantee that they won't be traded midway through the season and risk team harmony/chemistry. So might as well hold on to your cards and keep your money.

On one of the past days' topics: Kobe earns every single penny and is deserving of the max deal. However, I just hope that he and the ownership can agree to a reasonable deal that will allow them to have a contending team built around him. Where everyone wins. He can make up the lost salary through his endorsements anyhow. Plus... how many millions do you need to be happy? You can't buy legacy or legend.

KOBE TO TAKE LESS!

Good catch by Bernie. By signing a max extension to his existing contract rather than opting out and negotiating a new max contract, Kobe will be leaving $7M on the table, which works out to $14M considering luxury taxes, for the team to use for other players. While nothing is official yet, I think this was a smart and generous move by Kobe and I hope the biased media will give him his due credit. I know we on the blog will.

One thing the Lakers have always done, notwithstanding a couple of exceptions such as signing the Mailman and the Glove, is to take the long view. So even though the savings from Kobe signing an extension won’t be felt until three years from now, this is more encouraging news that the Lakers are hard at work to put their financial house in order so that they can re-sign Lamar, Trevor, and Shannon. This is not a 1-year problem.

Signing Kobe to an extension would continue a string of savvy moves Mitch has made to prepare financially to keep this team together, including the Andrew Bynum extension which will save the Lakers money over the long-term, the draft day moves to add $3.5M ($7M after taxes) to the coffers while avoiding another $1M ($2M after taxes) in salaries next year, and the Radmanovic trade, which was made to get Ammo’s expiring contract for $5M ($10M after luxury taxes), which the Lakers will surely allow to expire.

It will be interesting to learn down-the-road how the decision came about to try and work out an extension rather than a new contract. One nice aspect is that we don’t have to take any risk of Kobe being a free agent. And Kobe doesn’t have any reduction in pay. His increases from the extension will just not be as great as from a new contract. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no advantage to Kobe to sign an extension so he really is agreeing to take less, even if the extension includes the maximum allowable raises.

Good for you, Kobe. You continue to make me proud to have you as my favorite player.

- - - - -

Tom

KOBE TO TAKE LESS! (PART 2)

Few additional thoughts about Kobe possibly taking less by signing an extension.

First, the extension is actually a nice compromise because Kobe doesn’t have to give up anything he is already entitled to, which he would have to do if he opted out and signed a new contract. Nobody likes to give up something they already have, even if it is for a good cause and may end up benefiting you in the end. I think that was part of some people’s discomfort with asking Kobe to opt and sign for less.

Second, the extension wouldn’t take effect until the two years remaining on Kobe’s contract were completed, meaning that the sacrifice being made by Kobe is postponed and rather than reducing Kobe’s pay during his prime, it would happen primarily in the latter years of the extension as the small increases mounted up. That seems to be an eminently fairer resolution than asking Kobe to sacrifice right now.

Third, the extension indicates that Mitch is really looking at this problem with a long-term perspective rather than 1-year. A big benefit that the Lakers have due to their success is the capital to be able to invest in some big salary and luxury hits for a year or two while getting their ducks in row thereafter to ensure keeping the team together long-term.

Finally, I would have to say that “YOU EVER NOTICE” should not be penalized for Kobe NOT opting out as blitz would prefer. After all, the real issue was would Kobe take less, not really how he would do it. In fact, blitz should apologize to YOU EVER NOTICE.

- - - - -

Tom

Laker Tom - couldn't agree more. I heart Kobe too.
______________________

You can't buy legacy or legend.
Posted by: the don miguel

Well said.

As a matter of fact - I think this is the main point Kobe has in mind. He'll make millions in endorsements, etc - but he can't buy another ring. He knows his best shot at cementing both legacy and legend is keeping this team intact and going for it again next season (and beyond). You can't mess with the amazing chemistry this team has and expect a similar (or better) result. We actually have exactly what we need right now, providing we keep our 3 FA's. If any of these guys leave, I think it will seriously undermine our chances next year no matter who comes in. You can't teach chemistry - you can't bring in a nutjob and expect everything to go smoothly - you can't retrain an "it's all about me" guy into playing a role. And even if you could - why would you want to spend all that time and effort bringing the team back to a level it's already at??? Makes no sense.

We need LO, TA and SB back. Plain and simple. And then we go for # 16.

'Nuf said.

Shannon Brown is basically Russell Westbrook.

blitz,

>>> See right there I called it that Kobe won't opt out this off-season!

LOL. A typical blitz victory, which means only in your mind. If the news that Kobe is working on an extension, then you really lose because the issue that was really being discussed was Kobe taking less. How he chooses to do it is less important than the fact that he is going to take less by signing an extension than he would be opting out and negotiating a new contract. A minimum of $7M less even if he accepts the max raises. Or $14M taking into consideration luxury taxes.

But hey, you were right. He is not opting out. LOL. It’s not about being right or wrong, blitz. It’s just about winning and loving your Lakers.

Tom

C'mon Laker Tom - Blitz is right.

Say it with me:

BLITZ - YOU"RE RIGHT!!!

There now - everyone feels better right?!

WHAT THE HELL???

I'm sitting here watching TV and on comes a commercial about the San Manuel Indian Casino, and MAGIC JOHNSON is playing bingo and then is shown advertising in Staples Center for this casino.

This is just not right.

Is Magic broke? Should we take up a collection?

I'm actually not kidding.

did I get banned??? I made post last night about Kwame Brown and then I couldn't get back on the site the rest of the night, I figured it was down or something. I come home tonight, I still couldn't get on, then I cleared my browser and I got back in.

Seriously??? I got banned?? Geez, fine I won't post here anymore.

Doesn't Kobe realize how ridiculous he is being by not opting out and trying for a max contract right now? Unbelievable!!

Dallas - you are the next victim of the dirty little secret on here no one talks about. Mike T is actually holding the K-Bros hostage. After the Lakers won the Championship, he went beserk - something about "golden calves" and "fools gold" and took the LA Times office by storm, seizing the K-Bros (and Ben) and forcing them to banish all of your posts until you - and everyone like you - posts only positive (and serious) things about Kwa-may and/or cake.

It's now your move....

Ex: "I mean, shoot or get off the pot!"

Coincidentally, that's what the league once told Odom...

Coincidentally, that's what the league once told Odom...
Posted by: Marty
_________________

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!

That's cold, man.

LMAO

I don't know if this was addressed or not but if Kobe opted out and demanded a max extension, how much more would that have been if any? Does he "save" the Lakers franchise by not signing a completely new contract?

why worry about Trevor Ariza? There's a lot of free agents out there that's better than ariza.. TA should not ask for more money.. he should be thankful that he's in Lakers.. Loyalty is what TA needs.

Posted by: Lil_jef_pinoy | June 30, 2009 at 07:56 PM

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Curious to see who and what they want in pay and please don't say Artest.

hey, nice to see a justa sighting- how's that withdrawal treating you? Me, i'm actually getting by by (yes, it's a real sentence) by actually talking to friends and family now. I forgot i liked these people. the things you miss with an addiction.

Well, I have no inside knowledge, no sources and no clue, but since we're an hour away from free agent bonanza 2, electric bugaloo, I have a couple of predictions as to where people might end up.

this can be used for gambling purposes, as it's probably not entertaining, but only if by 'gambling' you mean throwing money away, which the last time I checked is what most people mean by 'gambling'

I predict detroit with get gordon for around 10-12 mil ish, villanueva for around MLE, and resign dice for less than that. They might pick up somebody else, but that seems to be the match ups.

I think portland might be interested in hedo, but that depends on orlando

I think the spurs, rockets, memphis or okc will have at least an offer to make for gortat.

I predict that i have no idea what's going to happen to david lee and nate robinson, although it would be cool if we wanted to offer robinson our mle. probably won't happen though, so that's not a prediction

I predict that somebody will be stupid enough to take zach randolph eventually, but the clippers will still manage to screw it up.

I predict that okc or memphis will take brandon bass

I predict that the magic could quite possibly resign both turkoglu and gortat, but less likely to take turkoglu.

if turkoglu doesn't stay with orlando, he will go to portland, toronto or detroit. or not.

I predict that these predictions are becoming less and less sure fire predictions and just becoming hedged guesses. I predict that i don't care.

I also predict that LO, and SB will be resigned by the lakers. I predict that wherever TA goes, he will get less than most people on this blog are expecting. He will also get less than at least three of the FA's that most people on the blog did not want to give him up for.

now that i think about it, I think david lee might stay with the knicks, as nobody really wants to pay him that much.

if i get more than two of these right, i predict I will be very surprised.

also I see wedding bells for delta burke and major dad, unless one or both of them are dead.

Big deal.. According to the report, Kobe will actually make MORE money if he signs the extension and doesnt opt out.. Cares only about Lamar and Ariza? Give me a break.

:)