Kobe-To-Bulls Trade / Week 9

I wish I could enjoy all this Kobe-to-the-Bulls talk. But I can’t. It’s not going to happen. Kobe has made it pretty clear that he doesn’t simply want to play for the same mediocre team in a different city. He doesn’t just want to swap jerseys and continue chucking up 40 shots a night on a team destined to barely make the playoffs. He wants to contend. He’s not doing that in Los Angeles with a supporting cast of the likes of the underachieving duo of Odom and Kwame. Or Luke Walton, who can pass, but that’s about it. Or Derek Fisher, a good scorer of the bench on a good team, running the show. Or Andrew Bynum, who is at least 2 years away from being pretty good, and maybe just pretty good.

Kobe wants to go to the Bulls, but he doesn’t want to be shipped off for Luol Deng, the Bulls best player, or Ben Wallace, the Bulls best…over-the-hill, undersized center. He says he will veto any deal that includes either of the two. Kobe wants his cake and eat it too. He wants the whole cake with extra icing and a tall, chilled glass of milk to wash it down. And he apparently doesn’t want to leave the Lakers anything but crumbs. And that aint gonna fly. No matter how much Buss and Kupchak want him gone.

I was curiously using the ESPN.com Trade Machine to try and make a deal work between the two teams, and it’s nearly impossible. One trade had me sending Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, Viktor Khryapa, and James OnCurry for Kobe. That means that the starting lineup on the Bulls would be Hinrich, Kobe, Deng, Joe Smith, and Wallace. And coming off the bench? Thabo Shefolosha, Nocioni, rookie Aaron Gray and Adrian Griffin. Now this team is pretty good, but they have absolutely nothing down low. Even less so than now, which I thought was impossible. And the Lakers aren’t really getting much in return besides an undersized streak shooter who can’t play defense (Gordon), an energy guy who is limited offensively besides being the most annoying personality on the planet (Noah), a backup point guard (Duhon), a dunker (Thomas), and two rookies. For the best player in the world? The Lakers aren’t stupid, and they aren’t that desperate.

That’s why I’m not holding my breath. The only way this happens is if the Bulls give up several draft picks, if Kobe concedes on his demands, or if a third team gets involved. Rumor has it that the Kings are shopping around Ron Artest, but even his talents don’t come close to even 50 cents on the dollar.

So, as much as I would love to see Kobe stroking fadeaways a la MJ in a Bulls #24, it’s more likely that I start liking the current Bulls #13.

Week 9 NFL Picks
Last Week: 6-7 (yikes!)
Overall: 58-42

TENNESSEE over Carolina
TAMPA BAY over Arizona
Washington over NY JETS
NEW ORLEANS over Jacksonville
San Diego over MINNESOTA
ATLANTA over San Francisco
Green Bay over KANSAS CITY
DETROIT over Denver
Cincy over BUFFALO
CLEVELAND over Seattle
OAKLAND over Houston
Dallas over PHILLY
PITTSBURGH over Baltimore
Game of the Week:
New England over INDY