L.A. Times: What part of “No way” don’t you understand?

Someone in the dispute between Kobe Bryant and the Lakers is out of his/their gourd, which is why, four weeks later, it’s still unfolding daily.

Kobe said today the Lakers not only sold him out but are behind global warming and blacked out everyone’s TVs at the end of “The Sopranos” finale.

The Lakers continued to refuse to comment.

Last week, the story even went international with Bryant issuing trade demands from Spain … before popping up in General Manager Mitch Kupchak’s office Friday … complete with paparazzi, as the Kobe Video Slimeballs, er Guys, hawked his video rant.

So this might be a good time to figure out who’s nuts, him, them or me.

Bryant is now being discreet, he thinks. He has dropped out of sight and is now demanding the Lakers’ surrender through ESPN’s Ric Bucher, one of the few confidantes who have lasted throughout his career.

Continue reading ‘Lakers have no intention of trading Bryant’

L.A. Times: With his trip to Spain behind him and an uncertain future ahead, Kobe Bryant spent Friday morning in a familiar place. The unhappy superstar met with Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak for about an hour at the team’s training facility in El Segundo.

Although it was believed that their first face-to-face meeting since the nine-time All-Star made a public plea to rehire Jerry West didn’t change Bryant’s mind as far as his trade demand, it did open a new dialogue between Bryant and management, sources said.

Kupchak declined to provide any specifics of their conversation, which took place a day after Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett reportedly vetoed a trade to Boston.

“We did meet, and what was said between the two of us will remain between us,” Kupchak said.

Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, was unavailable for comment.

Continue reading ‘Bryant and Kupchak talk, but no change apparent’

HOOPSWORLD.COM: The summer of 2007 was not supposed to be like this.

The Los Angeles Lakers once had visions of grandeur that this summer they’d land the key piece to propel them back into contention.

With three-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant already locked in, this would be the moment they’d pair him up with another superstar.

The list of players was broad (and ultimately unavailable): LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming . . . but one player in particular stood out as the ideal match, Kevin Garnett.

Playing for the rebuilding Minnesota Timberwolves and armed with an opt-out clause, Garnett would have some serious leverage if he ever decided to push for a trade.

The Lakers passed on many opportunities to improve but none with the impact of landing the Big Ticket.

Garnett has that home in Malibu. He’s looked great next to Bryant on All-Star teams. He’s an intense competitor who only played beside a true closer once in his career (a healthy Sam Cassell).

Continue reading ‘Lakers: What Happened?’

Ric Bucher was just on Sportscenter this afternoon and pretty much summed it up that theirs a ZERO chance that Kevin Garnett will join the Lakers this upcoming season. He also mentioned that the Timberwolves see not current players in the Lakers squad that they can rebuild around. Also, stated that the Wolves are not interested with the pieces that the Lakers are offering. Does that mean that the Lakers put an offer to the Wolves but they just weren’t interested what they had to offer?

Does Ricky-boy have an agenda against the Lakers? Since his been throwing out the fact that Kobe will not return to the Lakers next year. Is he credible? Or just a complete tool of BSPN?

Sound off in the comments. Let us know how ya feel!

The Wolves owner speaks out in the latest from the Star Tribune:

Star Tribune: Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor made it clear that a blockbuster trade offer would be the only type he would listen to for All-Star forward Kevin Garnett. And even then, the chances are nothing would happen, Taylor said.

“I’ve talked to Kevin and he is very happy staying here with us,” Taylor said. “He was excited about the acquisition of Juwan Howard [in the Mike James trade with Houston].”

“We’re going to listen to any offer,” Taylor said. “It would just have to be an exceptional deal for us. “I mean you’re right, the odds are just extremely high [Garnett will remain with the Wolves]. I don’t know what kind of a deal it would be, but it would have to be something. … You know it isn’t likely that we’re going to get the No. 1 or No. 2 draft [pick] because of where they went. [The deal would have to be] something like that, but that’s not going to happen. I can tell you nobody’s come close.

If you listened to Taylor, you too would be convinced there is zero chance that Garnett will be traded.

The trade rumors around KG & KB24 have both had the Suns mentioned in them. However, the Arizona Republic chimed in saying that the Suns are NOT a possible destination for either superstars.

Arizona Republic: The Suns have been tossed into the rumors as trade destinations for Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant.

But if Phoenix is to make a move, it is more likely to package its first-round draft slots to move up in next week’s draft. And even that is considered unlikely.

The Garnett scenario is deemed a long shot because sending Amare Stoudemire to the Timberwolves is not an option.

Bryant reportedly listed Phoenix as a suitable destination (along with Chicago and New York), but the Lakers will move back to Minneapolis before they deal Bryant to a team in their conference, let alone their division.

Phoenix remains willing to listen to those interested in Shawn Marion but is not seeking to trade him.

With the draft nine days away, any wheeling and dealing will have more to do with the Suns’ 24th and 29th draft picks. The Suns have to take in a broad scope of evaluations from where they are picking but recently have brought in players commonly pegged as top 20 prospects, like one of Monday’s visitors – Eastern Washington sophomore combo guard Rodney Stuckey – and some of last week’s, including Colorado State’s Jason Smith and Georgia Tech’s Javaris Crittenton.

Continue reading ‘Arizona Republic: KG or KB24 to Suns is “considered unlikely.”‘

According to this afternoon’s edition of Sportscenter, Mark Stein is reporting KG wants to be traded to Phx. They edited the article on ESPN with the new details:

ESPN: And Garnett, sources say, wants to move to a warm-weather city and a team that can claim legitimate championship potential.

All of which should help explain why the Suns are No. 1 on his list.

Another big factor: Garnett and Suns guard Steve Nash, sources say, have become good friends over the past few years, starting in 2005 when Garnett was one of the first players in the league to call Nash and congratulate him on his first MVP trophy.

ESPN: The proposed trade that would have sent Kevin Garnett to Boston, agreed to in principle by ex-teammates Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge, was taken off the table Thursday after Garnett got word to the Celtics that he doesn’t want to play for them.

Garnett, according to sources close to the situation, is hoping for a trade to the Phoenix Suns if he has to leave the only team he has ever played for.

“The Boston trade isn’t happening,” Garnett’s agent, Andy Miller, told ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan. “If a trade were to happen, that’s not a destination that we’re interested in pursuing.”

It appears that Wolves management — McHale and owner Glen Taylor — is prepared for the first time to make a deal that would end the Garnett Era in Minneapolis after 12 seasons. Taylor, according to Wolves sources, has informed Garnett directly of that change in philosophy.

But Garnett will have a stronger-than-usual say in the destination if he is indeed moved before next season because of the ability to opt of his contract in the summer of 2008 and become a free agent just over a year from now if he forfeits his $23 million salary in 2008-09.

Continue reading ‘Wolves-Celtics trade talk? Garnett says forget it!’