and some interesting thoughts for his destinationat:
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/17388?new=true

and the interview
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=podcast&id=2886974

Wow. Where do people think he will end up? My guess is Chicago because they have the salaries and young players to make a more attractive trade for the Lakers.

Would New York be an option? Obviously they pay a tonne of luxury tax, but could something be worked out? (Admittedly, they wouldn't have much besides David Lee that any team might really be optimistic about.) I'd just like to see New York win a few games and stop being so embarrassing.

He has now gone back on the trade request after a chat with Phil.

Garnett for Amare isnt going to happen. Would you trade Orlando shaq for Malone? No? same thing. Ones about to enter his prime while the others just about to leave it.

Kobe to phoenix, how exciting that seems, probably wouldnt happen. Theyd have to ship him out of the west, surely?

Stephen a Smith!!!

Supposedly the chat with Phil entailed that they were going to acquire Jermaine Oneal.

Hopefully my Pacers can get good value for JO now that the Lakers have a pretty bad bargaining position.

Who would the Pacers want for Jermo though? Lakers have Odom, Walton, maybe Bynum, but what else?

The problem is any team he gets traded to will have to give up its best players/player to get him. So he will never be able to play with someone like Garnett, because he is the only one from the team who is worth trading for Kobe.

PLUS there is a 'trade kicker' in Kobe's contract that means any team taking him in a trade has to pay him $16 mil straight off the bat, on top of his normal contract! Ouch!

If I were the bulls I wouldn't trade for him. I would maybe trade Nash for him if I were the Suns, but only due to Nash's age. But I read that the Lakers would need to take back some yong talent, so I can't see that trade happening either.

So I don't see Kobe getting traded only because no-one would trade for him!!

It's going to be a very interesting off season, let's just say that much!
From all reports, Kobe is unhappy with management and as long as the current management stays then Kobe wants out of there. Kobe's asking for Jerry West to come back and run the show, which won't happen because currently Buss senior has his son running the show, so Buss will get rid of Kobe before getting rid of his son!

JO isn't a championship winner. He's a good player but a massive injury risk, and I don't think Kobe would stay even if they got him. They'd probably have to trade Odom or Bynum to get him, which mitigates any real improvement.

From a marketing perspective, I'm sure Stern would love to see him go to the Knicks. Something incorporating Lee, Frye, Francis and his fat expiring contract (in 2 years) and a future pick.

I think the most likely scenarios involve:

Phoenix, as they have Marion (and his big contract), Barbosa and a draft pick to offer. The Suns get the last piece of the puzzle- an unstoppable scorer who commands a double team, freeing up the rest of a very capable supporting cast, and someone with that killer instinct that would have probably got them past the Spurs in that final game. The Lakers get a solid foundation to rebuild around. Plus, imagine the pure comic value of having Kobe and Bell as team mates.

PHX:
Nash
Kobe
Bell
Diaw
Stoudamire

Lakers:
Barbosa
?
Odom
Marion
Bynum


Chicago: They could offer one of their big 3 (Hinrich, Gordon, Deng- preferably Gordon, as Kobe would be a logical replacement) PJ Brown's expiring contract and Nocioni or Sefashola for Kobe. Maybe incorporate Big Ben and his stupid contract and try to get Bynum too. It would resemble the mid 90's Bulls, in a very good way.

Chicago:
Hinrich
Kobe
Deng
Thomas
Wallace/Bynum

Lakers:
Parker
Gordon
Nocioni
Odom
Bynum/Wallace


New Jersey: A sign and trade with Vince Carter and someone like Boone thrown in. Lakers keep bums on seats with a highlight reel player, even though he's only 3/5ths of what Kobe is.

As an outside thought, What if Portland offered either their most prized #1 pick and some contract fodder, or Randolph, Miles and Roy for Kobe and Walton?

Blazers:
Jack
Kobe
Walton
Aldridge
Oden/Durant

Lakers:
Parker
Roy
Odom
Randolph
Bynum

That could help both teams straight away.

Personally, I'd love to see that Phoenix or Chicago scenario.

I've also heard a rumour of Pierce heading to the Lakers... Could Boston be making a play for Kobe?

As for the Bulls trade, PJ Brown's contract has already expired, so they would have to give up someone like Wallace. (Kind of funny they traded for Brown as a trade piece and then never used it, so they basically gave away tyson chandler who is now in the US squad).

Carter will opt out too, so they would have to do a sign and trade, and throw in some other medium contract like Jeffersons, as I can't see them paying VC 20 mil a year.

The suns trade could make sense, but I think the Suns wanted to clear Marion for salary reasons, not to get rid of him, so taking back Kobe's 20 mil plus a year will hurt more on the salary cap.

The Portland trade is a great idea, but I think the timing will be out. kobe is in his prime, everyone else is 2-3 years away from theirs. And also Portland will NEVER trade the no. 1 pick.

Great food for thought though Spanish Inq...

With the top two draft picks going to the already stronger western conference. Trade Kobe east. But he has bacck pedalled a littel since the Stephen A Smith interview.

Donnie Nelson from the Mavericks have come out and said they don't see a scenario (whatever that means???) of obtaining Kobe.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/053107dnspomavs.3556f01.html

I've heard 2 JO to the Lakers trades. Both options have the pluses. I'd be going with Option 2.

OPTION 1: JO and Murphy for Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, Sasha Vujacic OR Brian Cook and pick #19

or

OPTION 2: JO and Greene to Lakers for Bynum, Kwame Brown and 3 cheap fillers Brian Cook, Vujacic and Mo Evans + pick 19

The Suns are looking at getting rid of a high priced contract, that either being Amare of Trix. There's another thread somewhere here in the past week with information about at alleged chemistry issues on the Suns and they seem to revolve around Amare.

I wonder what sort of physiological impact these demands will have on a trade. Will the Lakers overspend on getting Kobe that help. If Kobe leaves the Lakers then I'm guessing the franchise will lose a lot of dollars.

Here is a link to the actual interview given on the Stephen A. Smith radio show (it's only the last 5:30):

http://store.kb24.com/auction/kobe_stephenasmith.mp3

Here is the ESPN interview

http://store.kb24.com/auction/kobe_danpatrick.mp3

Heres the link to another interview (transcript)

http://www.insidesocal.com/lakers/2007/05/kobe_transcripts.html#more

you havent heard of marion trades? Obviously you dont look on the realgm boards after every phoenix loss

Hey all.. i no the kobe topic may be gettin a little old.. but i thought this may be of interesting read.. and give you another perspective..

http://news.kb24.com/

happy reading