Lakers' Future Can Be Great If They Act Now

I’ve been playing NBA Live 08 with Kobe Bryant on the Bulls for a few weeks now while patiently anticipating what had appeared to be an inevitable trade.

ESPN's Chris Sheridan reported Thursday morning that the Bulls are making Luol Deng available in a trade package, which will edge a trade closer before Kobe can exercise his veto.

But as of Thursday afternoon, John Paxson loudly said the trade talks are dead (for now).

There is virtually zero chance that Deng will be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and this is likely why Paxson made such a public decree. Not only to show the Los Angeles Lakers that he is willing to walk away from acquiring Kobe Bryant and more importantly to show the player he (and the entire organization) thinks so highly of that he will be in Chicago indefinitely.

The only logic of including Deng in a trade package (which Kobe would likely veto anyways) would be to let the Los Angeles Lakers realize that it is an impossible scenario and in order for them to rebuild, they will need multiple talented players instead of one very good, but ultimately a lunch pale small forward with zero star power.

It was curious, however, that the Bulls were not more aggressive in signing Deng to an extension. The decision not to extend Ben Gordon was expected, but it was somewhat surprising for them not to extend Deng. Signing Deng or Gordon would have made it extremely difficult for a trade to occur involving either player due to that newfound poison pill status. And assuming a trade does not occur, leaving one guy without a contract (Gordon), while extending the other (Deng), could have generated considerable locker room friction.

The discount Deng would have given the Bulls on October 31st will surely not be seen again in July, but nothing else beyond that was lost.

Meanwhile the Los Angeles Lakers, while not really gaining anything by rushing into a deal, would actually do well to deal Kobe Bryant for the Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah package.

Since the Los Angeles Lakers are sealing their own fate by not dealing Andrew Bynum (first for Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal in June and apparently now again), they may as well enter into a full rebuild mode immediately. In this era of the NBA, a full rebuild mode only lasts as long as you get lucky in the lottery and cease attempting to prop the franchise up as a fringe playoff contender.

This isn't 1996 anymore and they won't all of a sudden find "the new" Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant on Jerry West's doorstep in a single summer.

Maybe they could have had their Kobe and eaten Andrew Bynum too if they hadn’t made post-Shaq blunders such as signing Vlade Divac and Aaron McKie, trading for Chucky Atkins and by only getting Kwame Brown back for Caron Butler.

But unless there is a sea change and they finally do trade Andrew Bynum, they should do the above Bulls’ package before Thomas develops too quickly and Paxson changes his mind while Kobe Bryant's value decreases as the situation becomes more toxic.

Team for remainder of 2007-2008

PG: Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar
SG: Ben Gordon/Javaris Crittenton
SF: Lamar Odom/Luke Walton
PF: Tyrus Thomas/Joakim Noah
C: Andrew Bynum/Kwame Brown/Ronny Turiaf

Their two-year run of making the playoffs is over, as these Los Angeles Lakers are not a team that will win more than 30 games this season, but it does give them a shot at a top-three pick in the 2008 lottery.

Their top choice at this point would likely be the multi-dimensional O.J. Mayo, who would come in with great fanfare after his one season down the road at USC. He fashions himself as the next Magic Johnson (even wears 32) and could now potentially play in L.A.

Derrick Rose is another big point guard who has the makings of a perennial All-Star and like Mayo, would be about as good of a backcourt complement for Gordon (an undersized shooting guard) as there exists.

But Michael Beasley is the pick who gives the Los Angeles Lakers’ new era the most upside, especially if Javaris Crittenton shows flashes of high potential. He would give them a big who can become a superstar scorer from anywhere on the floor.

Team in 2008-2009 and beyond

PG: Javaris Crittenton/Jordan Farmar
SG: Ben Gordon/Sasha Vujacic
SF: Michael Beasley/Luke Walton
PF: Tyrus Thomas/Joakim Noah
C: Andrew Bynum/Ronny Turiaf

*They can either let Odom's contract simply come off the books after the 08-09 season, or possibly move him to a desperate team looking to make a playoff run for a package of young talent.

This team, or even one that is smaller and substitutes Mayo or Gordon into the backcourt, would immediately be on an ascent plan as optimistic as the ones in Portland and Seattle.

Lottery luck isn’t a foolproof strategy, which could leave them instead with a Nicolas Batum or Chase Budinger, though an Eric Gordon (Eric Gordon & Gordon) is a decent alternative.

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