Is Steve Nash’s Contract Key to LA Lakers Landing Another Star?

The Los Angeles Lakers roster may look radically different next season, but there will be at least one constant in addition to franchise face Kobe Bryant. According to the Los Angeles Times‘ Mike Bresnahan, the organization is planning to keep veteran point guard Steve Nash:

For financial reasons, the Lakers currently plan to keep him next season, The Times has learned, eating the remainder of his contract ($9.7 million) in one swoop instead of waiving him and spreading the money out over three years.

That’s consistent with what Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding indicated nearly a month ago, writing, “The Lakers would rather be done with the entirety of Nash’s $9.7 million salary next year if they’re not planning on spending much next season, as opposed to stretching that money across the next three seasons if they waive him and suffer future burdens.”

The news will no doubt provoke a mixed reaction from Lakers fans. This may be the best thing for the franchise’s long-term star power, but it could also mean a fairly subdued summer, a failure to rebuild rapidly. 

While Nash has certainly endeared himself to fans leaguewide, his contributions to the Lakers have fallen far short of expectations. The 40-year-old superstar has played in 12 games this season and in just 50 games a season ago. When actually playing, he’s remained a formidable shooter, but his use value has diminished without the ball constantly in his hands.

He averaged just 6.7 assists last season, the fewest since 1999-00.

Nevertheless, another season with Nash in purple and gold may be a small price to pay for a legitimate shot at someone of Kevin Love’s ilk.

Cutting Nash would leave the Lakers with a cap hit of a little over $3 million in each of the next three seasons, including in 2015 when Love becomes a free agent. The only certifiable superstar who will be available in 2014 is Carmelo Anthony, and the chances of him leaving the New York Knicks decreased markedly with the arrival of Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations.

The Lakers will owe Bryant an even $25 million for the 2015-16 season, but they have little else on the books, giving them tremendous cap flexibility when Nash’s contract expires in full—perhaps enough flexibility to attract two stars at the same time. Bryant may not be the draw that he once was, but the notion of two younger stars coming in to win him one more ring would be quite the story.

Love remains the target that seems most attainable. He is reportedly intrigued by the idea of playing in a bigger city, Los Angeles or otherwise, according to ESPN Los Angeles’ Dave McMenamin. But the Lakers have a history of doing whatever it takes to build a winner, and that’s probably not lost on Love. The franchise also has every incentive to hurry things along with Bryant arriving at the end of an iconic career. 

Guys who like big cities usually like to be part of big stories, and none would be bigger than one or two last hurrahs for the league’s most accomplished personality since Michael Jordan.

Signing Love isn’t a slam dunk, but nor is it at all unlikely. He was born in Los Angeles and played his college ball at UCLA. Most importantly, the Lakers can turn a great player into an unrivaled superstar. Regardless of the whole “win one for Kobe” subplot, Love would be a treasured centerpiece on a storied club. It’s hard to beat that.

The more open question is whether the Lakers could find someone else to team up with Love and Bryant, especially in 2015. There’s always the possibility that LeBron James could terminate his contract early, and a Kevin Love sighting in L.A. may be all the impetus he needs.

Much will of course depend on how things go in Miami between now and then. How will Dwyane Wade‘s knees hold up? Can the Heat continue to attract ring-chasing veterans to fill in the gaps? Has younger talent such as Norris Cole already reached its ceiling? Is Ray Allen’s defense too great a liability to keep him on the floor for long stretches.

Despite having won back-to-back titles, the Heat have enough questions that it’s not unreasonable to dream about James once again packing up his talents and moving on. A lot can change in a season’s time.

Short of James, Rajon Rondo could also be a free agent in 2015 if the Boston Celtics don’t lock him up. The dream of teaming Bryant with a pass-first point guard could be alive and well, especially if Rondo tires of Boston’s rebuilding act and opts to pursue greatness with his franchise rival. Rondo hasn’t been linked to the Lakers in the same way Love has, but that doesn’t mean his arrival would make any less sense.

There are also smaller names that could make big impacts—particularly Kemba Walker or Brandon Knight, two young point guards who can flat out score. While Walker’s Charlotte Bobcats have finally entered the playoff picture, he may well see a brighter future in Los Angeles—not to mention legitimate star potential. And it likely wouldn’t take much to convince Knight that there’s a better place than Milwaukee.

Again, those names don’t carry the star power you’d expect from a Lakers spending spree, but don’t count them out. They don’t play in huge markets, and they’re still young. That doesn’t mean they can’t become Lakers-caliber stars in the right situation.

Lost in any discussion about star acquisitions is the fact that stars usually like to play for teams where solid role players will accompany them. Think of it as the Shane Battier effect. 

The $3 million Los Angeles manages to save by keeping Nash around also makes it more possible for the Lakers to go after those kinds of role players. That’s why there’s such a premium on cap flexibility. It’s not just about having the money to pay Kevin Love—it’s about having enough money to build a team around Kevin Love.

Los Angeles’ shopping list will include names big and small. General manager Mitch Kupchak understands that team-building is about assembling a mosaic, finding pieces that actually fit together with one another. This isn’t just about adding star power. The Lakers have to add the right star power and complementary pieces that will help those stars shine.

Having dead money counting against the cap would make that more difficult.

Moreover, rushing to sign the first available free agent in 2014 would be a mistake. This is no time to spend money for the sake of spending money. The more money Kupchak has to spend, the more reason he has to be judicious, to wait for the right opportunities to emerge. Patience is always a virtue, but all the more so when trying to get a return on $15 million investments.

In turn, Lakers fans will have to be patient too. Their team should be better in 2014-15 by virtue of health alone, but it won’t be the season everything changes. It will just look a little more like the 2012-13 campaign—mediocre.

But one season of mediocrity is better than a decade’s worth. That’s why keeping Nash one more season is essential. When the time comes to spend, the Lakers will do it the right way. There’s too much on the line to do it any other way.

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Pros and Cons of Lakers Re-Signing Pau Gasol

The question of whether to re-sign Los Angeles Lakers free agent Pau Gasol has been debated all season long, and it will continue to be, until he actually makes his mark on the dotted line somewhere else.

And, if he and management do somehow come to a meeting of the minds, that will also be debated, for the duration of his new contract.

This is the never-ending conundrum for the two-time NBA champion—a man who is revered by Lakers Nation, but who also brings a sense of battle fatigue from years of endless trade rumors and two seasons of feuding with current coach Mike D’Antoni.

To most observers, it would seem as if the 7-footer has one giant foot outside the door already. The Lakers are clearly in a rebuild mode, and the veteran free agent, now in his 14th season, can’t possibly be in their long-term plans.

As Kevin Ding for Bleacher Report writes: “Both the Lakers and Gasol, who’ve had a working relationship marked by a refreshing sort of maturity, understand it’s time to part.”

Ding leaves the door ever-so-slightly open for the Spaniard to return, in the event of a coaching change.

So what are the pros and cons of re-signing this sublimely talented big man?

 

The Case for Gasol Staying

Despite the Lakers’ abysmal record this season, their starting center is showing that he still has game. D’Antoni’s small-ball offense may not suit his style, but he’s averaging an impressive 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 blocks through 59 games, at an economical 31.5 minutes per game.

Moreover, his per 36 stats are higher than at any other time during his L.A. stay—at 20 points and 11.2 boards.

There’s also the matter of support from superstar teammate Kobe Bryant, who will be intensely motivated next season, after a long, frustrating layoff.

Ric Bucher for Bleacher Report recently reported on the Mamba’s confidence that his longtime running partner would be re-signed.

For those who missed it, Bryant told me before last week’s battle-for-L.A. bragging rights between the Clippers and Lakers that on a scale of 1 to 10 he’d put the chances of forward/center Pau Gasol playing for the Lakers next season at an “8.”

With the right coach, a top five draft pick, a healthy Bryant, Gasol and Nash, plus a couple of modestly priced, yet effective, pickups in this summer’s free-agency market, the Lakers could at least be competitive once again.

In such a scenario, the offense would switch back toward the inside-out game that has worked so well in the past, with Gasol utilizing his superb court vision and passing skills to release the ball out of the low post to the open man—namely Bryant.

Plus, at the end of the 2014-15 season, Nash’s $9,701,000 will come off the books, per Spotrac, allowing the Lakers to get right back into the free agency chase, with a much deeper class, including Kevin Love.

 

Reasons Not to Re-Sign Gasol

The first and most obvious detriment for Gasol staying is the case of sticker shock—he may not be able to duplicate his current $19,285,850 on the open market but he can still command a healthy price and a multiyear deal. It’s easy to theorize about him taking a pay cut to remain a Laker but is there any evidence to support that?

Even bringing him back at a discount would seriously hinder the Lakers’ ability to sign other meaningful free agents.

And why on earth should he pass up one last big paycheck and perhaps a unique opportunity somewhere else? Who knows, maybe Phil Jackson can conjure up some salary space and form a new triangle for Gasol and the New York Knicks.

There’s also the simple case of age and health.

The man from Barcelona has logged a lot of miles, both in the NBA and overseas. His knees are creaky, his questionable defensive skills have declined even further with the passage of time and bringing him back is just forestalling the inevitable.

You can also add a puzzling case of vertigo that has sidelined the center for the past week. It’s oddly apropos for a dizzyingly dyslexic season—the Lakers lost Friday night on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 143-107. That is not a typo.

 

What’s the Conclusion?

You can make a case for trying to keep the four-time All-Star, but it’s a little like trying to slip through a rapidly closing door. Gasol deserves the gratitude of all Laker fans—for his years of service, his patience and civility and his tremendous skillset.

He is a future Hall of Famer and someday his jersey will hang from the Staples rafters.

Time cannot be defeated, however, it can only be cheated—fleetingly.

Once upon a time, Gasol was the NBA rookie of the year. He can still enjoy his last moments in the NBA sun, hopefully with a team that is already a title contender.

The Lakers, however, are looking to the future and that means fresh legs and an aggressive, all-out rebuild campaign.

It’s time to let Pau go and say “Thanks for the memories.”

And get started on making some new ones.

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Kobe Bryant Tweets He’s Willing to Mentor Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins

When he finally returns to the hardwood at the beginning of the 2014-15 season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will have a new young teammate, via the Lakers’ 2014 first-round draft pick. 

Though the draft may still be months away, Bryant has already voiced his approval of two big-name prospects: Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. Responding to a fan on Twitter, Bryant said he would be willing to mentor either player:

This makes sense, as Bryant will be chasing his sixth championship in Los Angeles over the next few seasons—he signed a contract extension in November that will take him through the 2015-16 season. The 35-year-old guard isn’t getting any younger, and he will need a second star at his side if he wants to compete in the rugged Western Conference. The quicker Kobe’s young teammate blossoms, the better it will be for both Bryant and the Lakers.

But don’t make the mistake of believing Bryant’s interest in mentoring young teammates will lead to a career in coaching. He expressed zero interest in a post-retirement coaching position in an interview with CNBC: “Well, you know, you have to find something you’re passionate about. And I’m passionate about playing the game. Coaching…I just don’t have that obsession to be a great coach.”

Of course, Bryant’s endorsement of Parker and Wiggins does not necessarily guarantee that the Lakers will draft either player. While Bryant likely has the ear of the Lakers’ brain trust, he is not among the group that will make the final decision. 

Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding outlined the major players helping general manager Mitch Kupchak with this all-important pick:

The Lakers’ research for this precious pick will obviously not be conducted by Kupchak alone, and there are two familiar names who will be part of the process. Jesse Buss, the youngest of Jerry Buss’ six children in the trust that owns the majority of the Lakers, is the team’s scouting director. Ryan West, son of Lakers legend Jerry West, is the assistant scouting director and is often out in the field seeing college players firsthand.

Per the website Tankathon, Los Angeles currently has a 21.5 percent chance of landing a top-three pick and a 6.3 percent chance of drafting No. 1 overall. Parker, Wiggins and Kansas big man Joel Embiid are usually considered the three top choices among the 2014 class, and the Lakers have approximately a one-in-five chance of getting one of them.

Regardless of whom they draft, the Lakers will look to Bryant to take their brand-new toy under his wing. It’s better for everyone involved.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Expresses Doubt Kobe Bryant Can Break Scoring Record

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn’t worried about his scoring record, but he is concerned about the health of hobbled Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

Bryant, who leads all active players in career scoring, sits three spots—and 6,687 points—behind Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA‘s all-time leader in the category. For the 35-year-old to even think about sniffing the 19-time All-Star’s mark, Bryant will have to first fix a body that’s apparently failing him.

“Kobe is very dedicated and has worked on his body,” Abdul-Jabbar said, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “But he’s having major failures and not just minor stuff. Spontaneously breaking a bone is not a good sign.”

Bryant’s 2013-14 campaign consisted of just six appearances. A torn Achilles kept him off the floor until early December and a left knee fracture killed his comeback only six games later.

The Lakers did grant the five-time champion a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension before his initial return, meaning he’s almost assuredly at least two seasons away from retirement.

Assuming he plays all 82 games in each of those campaigns and then walks away for good, he would need to average almost 40.8 points a night to match Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring total. Bryant has never scored more than 35.4 points per game (2005-06) and hasn’t averaged more than 28.3 since 2006-07.

In other words, Abdul-Jabbar has no reason to sweat. And he knows it.

“It’s going to be tough. The problem for him is if he’s going to break the record, he would have be the focus of the offense,” Abdul-Jabbar said, per Medina. “But what does he have to worry about? He can walk away and be satisfied. He has the jewelry and the stats.”

Bryant does have rings, but not as many as he’d like. He’s still one short of matching Michael Jordan, former Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson’s first title-producing scoring guard.

That’s perhaps why the Mamba is so put off by the idea of L.A. saving its cap space and delaying its rebuilding efforts for another season.

“Oh, yeah, let’s just play next year and let’s just suck again. No. Absolutely not,” he said earlier this month, via Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “It’s my job to go out there on the court and perform, no excuses for it. Right? You’ve got to get things done. Same thing with the front office. The same expectations they have of me when I perform on the court, it’s the same expectations I have for them up there.”

Then again, maybe having a patchwork roster around him wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Not as far as the career scoring race is concerned, at least.

If Jodie Meeks can have a 42-point eruption surrounded by these players, maybe Bryant has more monstrous nights in his future than we think.

Not enough to catch Abdul-Jabbar, of course.

But I think that’s one piece of basketball history Bryant would be willing to live without. Assuming his body doesn’t make that decision for him first.

 

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.

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Kobe Bryant Tweets He’s Willing to Mentor Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins

When he finally returns to the hardwood at the beginning of the 2014-15 season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will have a new young teammate, via the Lakers’ 2014 first-round draft pick. 

Though the draft may still be months away, Bryant has already voiced his approval of two big-name prospects: Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. Responding to a fan on Twitter, Bryant said he would be willing to mentor either player:

This makes sense, as Bryant will be chasing his sixth championship in Los Angeles over the next few seasons—he signed a contract extension in November that will take him through the 2015-16 season. The 35-year-old guard isn’t getting any younger, and he will need a second star at his side if he wants to compete in the rugged Western Conference. The quicker Kobe’s young teammate blossoms, the better it will be for both Bryant and the Lakers.

But don’t make the mistake of believing Bryant’s interest in mentoring young teammates will lead to a career in coaching. He expressed zero interest in a post-retirement coaching position in an interview with CNBC: “Well, you know, you have to find something you’re passionate about. And I’m passionate about playing the game. Coaching…I just don’t have that obsession to be a great coach.”

Of course, Bryant’s endorsement of Parker and Wiggins does not necessarily guarantee that the Lakers will draft either player. While Bryant likely has the ear of the Lakers’ brain trust, he is not among the group that will make the final decision. 

Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding outlined the major players helping general manager Mitch Kupchak with this all-important pick:

The Lakers’ research for this precious pick will obviously not be conducted by Kupchak alone, and there are two familiar names who will be part of the process. Jesse Buss, the youngest of Jerry Buss’ six children in the trust that owns the majority of the Lakers, is the team’s scouting director. Ryan West, son of Lakers legend Jerry West, is the assistant scouting director and is often out in the field seeing college players firsthand.

Per the website Tankathon, Los Angeles currently has a 21.5 percent chance of landing a top-three pick and a 6.3 percent chance of drafting No. 1 overall. Parker, Wiggins and Kansas big man Joel Embiid are usually considered the three top choices among the 2014 class, and the Lakers have approximately a one-in-five chance of getting one of them.

Regardless of whom they draft, the Lakers will look to Bryant to take their brand-new toy under his wing. It’s better for everyone involved.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Expresses Doubt Kobe Bryant Can Break Scoring Record

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn’t worried about his scoring record, but he is concerned about the health of hobbled Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

Bryant, who leads all active players in career scoring, sits three spots—and 6,687 points—behind Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA‘s all-time leader in the category. For the 35-year-old to even think about sniffing the 19-time All-Star’s mark, Bryant will have to first fix a body that’s apparently failing him.

“Kobe is very dedicated and has worked on his body,” Abdul-Jabbar said, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “But he’s having major failures and not just minor stuff. Spontaneously breaking a bone is not a good sign.”

Bryant’s 2013-14 campaign consisted of just six appearances. A torn Achilles kept him off the floor until early December and a left knee fracture killed his comeback only six games later.

The Lakers did grant the five-time champion a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension before his initial return, meaning he’s almost assuredly at least two seasons away from retirement.

Assuming he plays all 82 games in each of those campaigns and then walks away for good, he would need to average almost 40.8 points a night to match Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring total. Bryant has never scored more than 35.4 points per game (2005-06) and hasn’t averaged more than 28.3 since 2006-07.

In other words, Abdul-Jabbar has no reason to sweat. And he knows it.

“It’s going to be tough. The problem for him is if he’s going to break the record, he would have be the focus of the offense,” Abdul-Jabbar said, per Medina. “But what does he have to worry about? He can walk away and be satisfied. He has the jewelry and the stats.”

Bryant does have rings, but not as many as he’d like. He’s still one short of matching Michael Jordan, former Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson’s first title-producing scoring guard.

That’s perhaps why the Mamba is so put off by the idea of L.A. saving its cap space and delaying its rebuilding efforts for another season.

“Oh, yeah, let’s just play next year and let’s just suck again. No. Absolutely not,” he said earlier this month, via Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “It’s my job to go out there on the court and perform, no excuses for it. Right? You’ve got to get things done. Same thing with the front office. The same expectations they have of me when I perform on the court, it’s the same expectations I have for them up there.”

Then again, maybe having a patchwork roster around him wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Not as far as the career scoring race is concerned, at least.

If Jodie Meeks can have a 42-point eruption surrounded by these players, maybe Bryant has more monstrous nights in his future than we think.

Not enough to catch Abdul-Jabbar, of course.

But I think that’s one piece of basketball history Bryant would be willing to live without. Assuming his body doesn’t make that decision for him first.

 

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.

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Kobe Bryant: ‘I Don’t Have That Obsession to Be a Great Coach’

Kobe Bryant is thinking about the future.

Though the Los Angeles Lakers franchise cornerstone signed a two-year extension in November that will keep him playing through the 2015-16 season, the 35-year-old Bryant has already turned his attention to post-retirement ventures.

Unfortunately, any fans who might be clamoring for Bryant to stay on the bench after he hangs up his sneakers shouldn’t hold their breath. Bryant expressed zero interest in a post-retirement coaching position in an interview with CNBC: “Well, you know, you have to find something you’re passionate about. And I’m passionate about playing the game. Coaching…I just don’t have that obsession to be a great coach.”

Bryant’s attitude—that the business world is far more intriguing than coaching—is in line with that of most modern NBA superstars. There was a time when more Hall of Fame players transitioned from the court to the bench. Lenny Wilkens and Bill Russell are two of the most famous examples of legendary player-coaches.

Even many of the greats who came to the fore in the early ’80s—Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson—tried their hand at coaching at one point; even if Magic only coached the Lakers for 16 games.

But it was players like Magic and especially Michael Jordan who showed later generations of big-name players that they could use their star status to make hay in the world of business. And with the kind of money they make, it should come as no surprise that Magic and Michael have become beacons that other NBA retirees wish to follow.

Nowadays, there is only one surefire Hall of Famer currently serving as an NBA head coach: Jason Kidd of the Brooklyn Nets. But there are other legendary players—like current Charlotte Bobcats assistant Patrick Ewing—looking for their first head coaching gig.

Per Ryan Carreon of the Deseret News, there may be some merit to the idea that quality players make quality coaches:

According to a study done by researchers at Cornell University and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, former basketball players who had long careers, or were selected as All-Stars, had statistically higher winning percentages as head coaches.

“Having a former All-Star player as your coach is worth about six extra places in the NBA rankings in team winning percentage,” said Larry Kahn, a professor of labor economics and collective bargaining at Cornell’s ILR School. “We were surprised at the strength of the statistical evidence.”

As for Bryant, he has the name value—especially in China, the world’s largest market—to succeed in any business venture. As with everything he does, it would be unwise to bet against him.

 

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Will Kobe Bryant Help or Hinder Los Angeles Lakers Rebuild Through Free Agency?

Kobe Bryant finds himself in unfamiliar territory with the Los Angeles Lakers, injured and aging, desperately trying to win another championship that’s predicated on the performances of players the team doesn’t yet have.

Adjustments don’t come much more abruptly for a player who, for so long, was the Lakers’ primary championship lifeline, second to no one, least of all to teammates existing only in theory.

Time is a funny thing, though, fickle in its impact, yet overwhelming in its end result. It cannot be tricked or outrun, cheated or defeated. Inevitably, it gets the best of everyone, like it has Bryant in the last year. 

Make no mistake, the lionhearted Bryant has the will and work ethic of 20-year-olds and the self-confidence and fearlessness of clairvoyantly accurate crystal-ball gazers. But while heart is there, the self-reliance, whether Bryant admits it or not, can’t be.

If the Lakers are to extend his championship window into next season and beyond, they must rebuild through free agency this summer and next. Never mind NBA-ready draft picks or extensive, worthwhile projects. The Lakers need stars—partners who define Bryant’s twilight through winning and title contention, not natural regression.

Pairing Bryant with that second and third superstar is, historically, easier said than done, simpler financially than in reality.

 

Past Impact

Past sidekicks, even when they’ve actually worked, have seldom worked. Pau Gasol is the exception; Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard are the examples. 

Egos clash in any environment where multiple personalities fancy themselves alpha dogs. Each time that’s happened in Lakerland, Bryant has come out on top, no matter how long it’s taken. 

Non-negotiable pecking orders have generally worked for the Lakers. Bryant has five rings as proof. Breakups and shifts in direction haven’t always been optimal—think of how many titles Kobe and Shaq could have actually won together—but the Lakers’ and Bryant’s championship ambitions have always survived. 

Here’s where the uncharted territory comes in.

Past loyalty and stubbornness depicted as competitive fire are no longer all right. Bryant won’t win a sixth championship on his own. He won’t win one with only Gasol by his side, and not just because the latter may leave this summer.

For the first time in his career, Bryant’s legacy, his reputation—much like his body—is a deterrent. Free agents won’t flock to Los Angeles with the sole intention of playing under the 35-going-on-36-year-old Bryant.

Howard’s free-agency decision is still a stark reminder of how much things have changed.

Who leaves the Lakers? Who willingly leaves the storied, championship-winning Lakers?

Howard. And he left because of Bryant.

“You need to learn how it’s done first,” Bryant reportedly told Howard last summer, per Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, “and I can teach you here.”

While Howard’s perception of himself exceeds that of many other stars, there are few luminaries who want to hear such things from an aging stud who has yet to prove his career won’t succumb to age and injury like so many before him.

If Bryant wants to win again before retiring, he needs to understand that, and we know he wants to win.

“But I think we need to accelerate it a little bit for selfish reasons, because I want to win and I want to win next season,” Bryant told Darren Rovell for SportsCenter‘s “Sunday Conversation,” per ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Dave McMenamin.

To win selfishly, Bryant must, for the first time, allow the team to rebuild selflessly.

 

What He Must Avoid

The Lakers are already at a slight disadvantage because of Bryant’s lofty extension, which has him earning at least $23.5 million in each of the next two seasons.

Once they hand out another max contract, once they convince another star to join Bryant, there won’t be much left work to with. That’s the hand they dealt themselves. That’s the hand they must play.

What they need from Bryant, now that his cost has been determined, is concession, an admission that he needs whomever the Lakers want and not the other way around.

If he struts into free-agent meetings over the next two summers—assuming he’ll be present—and starts babbling on about how he can teach Kevin Love or Carmelo Anthony how to win, or LeBron James or Chris Bosh how to win more, it’s not going to look good. Maybe he gets away with it when speaking to Anthony, a known friend and fellow volume scorer, but there’s little hope of it flying with anyone else.

Not only does it sound ridiculous for an ebbing veteran to preach winning and success to younger superstars in their prime, but it’s another indicator of Bryant’s refusal to let go, of his inability to accept that times have changed.

As fiercely competitive, loyal and yes, talented, as he is, Bryant is equally territorial. 

“I got a question earlier about whose team this is,” Bryant told reporters at the Lakers media day in October 2012, before Howard even made his team debut, per McMenamin. “I don’t want to get into the, ‘Well, we share …’ No, it’s my team.”

More rants like that aren’t going to help the team, nor will they help Bryant. All they could potentially do is cost the Lakers free agents, and Bryant his shot at a sixth championship. 

Anything Bryant says to recruits must include “your team” or “our team.”

There can be no “my,” no “I.”

 

Help Can Still Be On the Way

Bryant isn’t useless or strictly harmful to the Lakers’ free-agency plans.

Or rather, he doesn’t have to be.

Health will always be an issue beyond his control, but it’s one prospective targets could overlook given his well-documented work ethic. Those championship rings still hold some weight, too. Stars are attracted to shiny objects. Stars who already have such shiny objects are attracted to more of those shiny objects.

But Bryant can help out even more by accepting, by understanding why players will come to Los Angeles.

Helping him close out his career on a high note could make the lists of reasons, but it’s unlikely to topple everything else. Love, James, Anthony, Bosh, Rajon Rondo and whomever the Lakers chase will join the Purple and Gold to win, to be the face of winning.

Extending a hand, offering them his unconditional support goes a long way. Addressing life after his retirement is even better. Sell them on Durant’s 2016 free-agency excursion, on how winning as the top dog in Los Angeles belies winning anywhere else.

On how he needs them to win, and how he’s a doorkeeper to an even better era.

Bryant can help. He can help by asking for help, not demanding it or offering it.

By leaving his ego behind, the Lakers’ swift rebuild stands a greater chance of becoming reality, lending necessary merit to Bryant’s final championship quest.

 

*Salary information via ShamSports.

Follow @danfavale

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Los Angeles Lakers TV Ratings Down Almost 50 Percent from Last Season

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ place in the standings isn’t the only thing to take a massive hit in Kobe Bryant‘s absence. The franchise’s rankings in TV ratings have suffered as well—to the tune of a nearly 50 percent decrease over last year’s position, according to Variety‘s Rick Kissell. 

According to Kissell, “the 57 telecasts of Lakers games on Time Warner Cable SportsNet have averaged 199,000 viewers — down a whopping 49% from last year at this time (390,000).”

That’s a shame for the fans who missed a record-setting 51-point third quarter on Tuesday night.

But on more nights than not, the absentee fanbase has been understandable. The Lakers’ lackluster defense ranks 29th in the league, and with Bryant and Steve Nash playing in just 17 games (combined), there’s been precious little star power to attract fans to their television sets.

If there’s good news for the Lakers, it’s that things can’t get much worse.

In addition to Bryant’s return next season, the organization will be flush with cap space. Whether it spends it all this summer remains an open question, but it’s hard to imagine the team coming up entirely empty—and even harder to imagine its 2014-14 campaign will be this bad.

Kissell notes that, “Four of their last seven losses have come by 20 points or more and the three most recent Lakers games have averaged a meager 72,000 viewers.” That pales in comparison to last season’s viewership.

The Lakers have long been known as one of the nation’s premium media markets, but the demand for their services is apparently more elastic than it might seem. Not even fans of the Purple and Gold have patience for this particular product.

It’s unclear exactly how many of the faithful have turned their attention to the Los Angeles Clippers, but Kissell reports that the their viewership is also down from a year ago. It seems that when the Lakers aren’t clicking, Los Angeles’ interest in basketball takes a general downturn.

In January, the Los Angeles Times‘ Ben Bolch noted that the Lakers’ ratings were down 37.5 percent through their first 40 games. The fact that the decline has only steepened suggests that fans became even less interested as playoff hopes faded into oblivion.

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Despite Injury, Kobe Bryant’s Contract Still Makes More Sense Than You’d Think

Kobe Bryant’s bloated contract with the Los Angeles Lakers seems like a mistake now that he’s been declared out for the season, and his body seems too broken for him to play through much of the next two, either. But it’s still, ultimately, with its reason.

The Lakers may be in pain now and in the short term future, but the team is willing to wait as they design something more lasting than what the current day’s options allow for. And Bryant’s outsized contract is an essential, if prickly, part of their longview strategy.

Many thought it was a bad choice even before Bryant’s body gave way so evidently to old age. For skeptics of the decision, Bryant’s injury only compounded the folly of his deal. And their point isn’t hard to see: at $48.5 million over two seasons, Kobe might be making as much as a million dollars per game if his health continues to restrict his availability. Maybe more.

From Grantland’s Zach Lowe:

Making Bryant the highest-paid player in the NBA over the next two seasons is, objectively, not a smart thing. He’s 35 years old, and he has not played a single minute of in-game basketball after suffering a traumatic injury that has devastated nearly every player who has suffered it and managed to stay in the league.

This is not to mention how much that figure hampers the Lakers as they try to attract free agents or make trades for quality players. Bryant’s pay, alone, makes up more than a third of the NBA’s hard $58.679 million salary cap.

His hit on the team’s salary load is a rare holdover from the league’s previous CBA—the Lakers haven’t adjusted to a changing NBA financial context, preferring to pay Bryant a figure commensurate with his older days. And it’s taking up room that could be offered to other superstars—as it stands the Lakers only have room to bring in one more max contract; not two.

But, still—Kobe’s is a contract worth defending.

Consider it a necessary gesture, made in the effort to extend the good will and capital of Dr. Jerry Buss’ reign in L.A. Recently deceased, Buss was the mastermind behind one of the most successful franchises in the history of sports. Mixing the basketball lore of the Lakers with the glitz and entertainment value of Hollywood, Buss created an indelible brand that made his team a superstar magnet for decades.

Shaquille O’Neal, Phil Jackson and Pau Gasol only scratch the surface of NBA legends who’ve been convinced to come to the Lakers, leaving legacies with other organizations behind them to win titles in L.A.

But Buss’ brand is in jeopardy now that he’s passed and handed it down to his daughter Jeanie and son Jim. The team needs to send a signal to a new generation of superstars. Upcoming free agents like Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony need to see that the Lakers still respect the stars and take care of their own. Kobe’s contract says just that.

“Kobe, by signing that deal, will have played 20 years for one organization,” Jeanie Buss told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.  “I guarantee that won’t happen again. … We don’t draft players at 17 anymore. To have the kind of longevity that he’s had, makes it extremely special and I think that Lakers fans understand that.”

The contract is a payment toward the glamour that makes the Lakers known across the world.

Admittedly, the move is still quite the gamble—the price of prestige is expensive, but does it have to be this expensive?

Maybe not.

Consider, however, the historical alternative of the Chicago Bulls’ handling of their own crumbling dynasty, and you may think differently.

The Bulls famously tore the band-aid off following their sixth and final Michael Jordan-led championship in 1998. Effectively running Jordan, Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen and all but Toni Kukoc and Bill Wennington out of town, the Bulls’ front office was convinced their historically great streak was not just dumb luck and that they had the know-how to build another winner.

The Bulls, of course, were wrong. They didn’t make the playoffs again until the 2004-05 season and couldn’t crack the second round until 2006-07.

More importantly, the team lost its power on the market. By not lauding Jordan, Jackson and Pippen in the perhaps excessive fashion that the Lakers now demonstrate with Bryant, they became an unpalatable destination for free agents. Jordan is now all but disassociated from the Bulls, a fact that will stick in the craw of the team’s fanbase forever.

And Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade only begin the list of stars to deny the Bulls their services since then. The Bulls have only been able to rebuild by drafting and developing well—a long haul that Lakers fans likely won’t tolerate.

It’s hard to see a similar fate befalling the Lakers. By crowning Kobe the king of their nostalgic basketball empire, they’ve done a lot to preserve the brand Buss left them. Jeanie and Jim might have made a lot of mistakes in his absence—they’ve had to pay Mike Brown quite a lot not to coach the team—but they were at least smart enough not to alienate one of the most beloved characters in Lakers history.

The team’s calculated patience allows for them to lose another season to pay the royal tax that is Kobe’s contract. It can be costly to be at the top—it might even mean the Lakers losing another season, a price they seem willing to pay.

It might be a brave new NBA, beset with different financial realities than the ones of the Showtime era. But not enough has changed to undo star power as the deciding factor in who does and doesn’t win titles in this league—and my money is on the Lakers to reboot with prime-time players anew, and to become title contenders again within a few years.

Kobe’s outrageous deal is an investment in that direction, and a smart one at that.

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