Kobe demands a trade.

"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"

Bryant, interviewed by Stephen A. Smith, was asked if there was anything the Lakers could do to change his mind?

"No," Bryan said. "I just want them to do the right thing."

WTF? He was just talking about getting West back in L.A. now he's demanding to be gone? LOL at choosing Kobe over Shaq.

And Dr. Jerry Buss gets a DUI on the same day, lol.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6864820?MSNHPHMA

LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant asked to be traded from the Lakers on Wednesday, a day after calling the team's front office "a mess."

"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said in a radio interview. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"
Bryant, who helped the team win three consecutive NBA championships, has four years remaining on the seven-year, $136.4 million contract he signed July 15, 2004. That was a day after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.

This comes one day after the Lakers star hit the interview circuit to denounce recent reports about him and to voice his displeasure with the team's front office.

Bryant, speaking to 710 ESPN Radio in L.A., said that a report Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times claiming it was his insistence that drove Shaquille O'Neal out of town after the 2004 season made him "beyond furious."



"The real facts are that Dr. Buss requested a meeting with me during the '04 season long before I opted out of my contract," Bryant said on a blog post at his Web site, "and he told me he had already decided to not extend Shaq, as he was concerned about Shaq's age, fitness and contract demands. Dr. Buss thought it was best for the Lakers to make a trade to get value for Shaq while they could."

The Times cited a Lakers "insider" for the information, a fact that doesn't sit well with Bryant.


"Now I hear this Lakers 'insider' said this and that, now I have serious trust issues," Bryant said Tuesday during an interview with AM 570 KLAC in L.A. "I have serious trust issues because they know I had nothing to do with that. They know that, Jerry Buss knows that because it came out of his own mouth."

Bryant said the team used him as a "scapegoat" for the O'Neal story.

"If you make decisions, stand up and stand in front of your decisions" he said. "Don't try to throw me under the bus for something I did not say, did not do."

When asked if he sensed disharmony in the Lakers' front office, Bryant said, "That place is a mess. It's a mess...

"I'm not 'dissing anybody. I want us — us — to get to a point where we're contending for titles."

O'Neal stood behind Bryant later Tuesday.

"I believe Kobe 100 percent," O'Neal said, according to a report on the Philadelphia Inquirer's Web site. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent. I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn't (tell me). He never said a damn word to me."

Kobe also reiterated that he did not demand a trade if the Lakers weren't able to bring Jerry West back to Los Angeles, but he also does not see the use in staying on a roster that's not getting deeper.

"If we're not making any strides here to improve this team right now, to be aggressive in that nature," Bryant said on KLAC, "you know, then what's the point of having me here?"

Bryant was asked if his seemingly strained relationship with the Lakers front office was 'reparable.'

"I don't know," he said. "I got a headache. It's been the worst day. I want to be a Laker forever. I love this team. I love this city. My kids love it here. I woke up this morning training hard, ready for USA Basketball...despite all of this. I finish my training...all of a sudden, I pick up the paper and read this 'Laker insider' thing, and that just absolutely took it to another level."

Bryant had told the Times on Sunday that West, the former Lakers general manager, might be a solution to fix the team's current woes.

"My feeling on Jerry West is I trust him completely," Bryant said, according to the paper. "I don't want to get into people believing me to be bashing anybody. (Current GM Mitch Kupchak) is a great guy. All I can go by is what has happened with this team the last two years, and I know Jerry West is a guy who's great at what he does.

"He wants to win and he wants to win right now. I can roll with that, even if we don't have the complete turnaround we're hoping to have this summer. Just having him back in the nucleus will help."

West, the current GM of the Grizzlies, will complete his contract with Memphis on July 1, but Lakers officials refused comment to the Times on the subject.

Bryant stated in Sunday's Times report that his future with the team did not depend on West's return, despite an ESPN.com report that suggested otherwise.

"I would love for him to be a part of this," Bryant said, according to the Times. "But it's not something where I demand he comes here. All I can do is offer my thoughts. I love being a Laker. I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can."

After winning three straight titles from 2000-2002, the Lakers again made the Finals in 2004, but lost to the Pistons in five games. Shaquille O'Neal left after that season, and Los Angeles has not won a playoff series since.

Kupchak was a protégé of West's when the latter was still with the Lakers. The report said both Bryant and Kupchak remain close to West, who may opt to retire following the completion of his term in Memphis.

West reigned over the "Showtime"-era Lakers of the late '80s before resurrecting the franchise by drafting Bryant and acquiring O'Neal from the Orlando Magic in the span of a week in 1996.



let the stupifying trade ideas begin.....wow the Lakers are a mess

IBSSTWSTCARFKB

wowwwwwww

I didn't think it would get to this point, but I gotta respect the guy for pulling the trigger and not being a KG.

I agree with him about being made the scapegoat on the Shaq business. It's been pretty widely known by people who follow things closely (like most of us) that Buss made the call on Shaq, not Kobe. But if you ask someone that just follows things casually, you'd think Kobe had Shaq traded (I would say that 99% of all sportsradio talk show hosts hold this belief, and they've be perpetuating this fallacy for years now).

Kobe should be pissed that the organIzation hasn't stepped up to correct the misconception to take some of the heat/blame off him. I guarantee you that Joe D would have gone on *insert local sportsradio show of your choice here* and taken personal responsibility for a decision like this.

I wonder where he'll end up? He'd be a great fit with MJ's Bobcats (winning aside) or back home in Philly (if they still had AI to include in a trade).

It's going to be a tough trade if it even happens. In fact, I'm betting there is a retraction/denial by the end of the day.

We should trade Chauncey and Rasheed for Kobe Bryant.

IBSSTWSTCARFKB


YES!!




thanks

That's why I posted it Glenn.

Chris Webber, Flip Murray, Alex Acker, and a future 2nd rounder for Kobe Bryant.

Get 'er done, JoeD!

Chris Webber, Flip Murray, Alex Acker, and a future 2nd rounder for Kobe Bryant.

Get 'er done, JoeD!

I'm pretty sure everything you just listed will give us about 20% of a Kobe. 20 centi-Kobes.

Does anyone out there know what an entire Kobe Unit costs these days?

Your job at a hotel in Eagle Colorado.

I'm pretty sure everything you just listed will give us about 20% of a Kobe. 20 centi-Kobes.

20%?

That's approximately one Kobe leg.

Your job at a hotel in Eagle Colorado.

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen, he'll be here all week, 3 shows a night. If you're driving don't drink, and if you're drinking don't drive.


20%?

That's approximately one Kobe leg.

I'll take it. Strap it onto Sheed. He'll get into position a little faster, but it'll make him run in lopsided circles around the court. The headband will fly off from centrifugal force.

Anything to get the main focus off LeBron. :/

I'll take it. Strap it onto Sheed. He'll get into position a little faster, but it'll make him run in lopsided circles around the court. The headband will fly off from centrifugal force.

lol, i just had an image of Homer Simpson running circles, laying on the floor with a donut attached to the back of his head.

and yes, YouTube is the greatest thing since moldy bread:

jiDza71NJ-c

My eyes! The goggles do nothing.

But yeah, about time SportsCenter will have a you know....sports story.

We could do Rip, Nazr, Delfino and probably picks for Kobe and Farmar, or drop Delfino out of it and include a sign-and-trade of Webber or Flip Murray if he doesn't opt out (even though he has the option of signing anywhere, but he may be willing to help), but I'm sure the Lakers would have no interest in that deal. And there's always the sign-and-trade Billups route, not that we'd have anyone to play PG for us if we did that, and Kobe would be fighting with Tay and Rip for a starting spot. Haha, just think, Kobe the PG.

I'm in no way saying I want to get rid of Rip! Just wanted to clear that up.

Lakers Comment Regarding Kobe Media Comments

Posted May 30 2007 3:36PM

EL SEGUNDO, May 30, 2007 – In response to inquiries regarding Kobe Bryant’s comments in the media today requesting a trade, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss has issued the following statement:

“We are aware of the media reports. However, Kobe has not told us directly that he wants to be traded. We have made it very clear that we are building our team around Kobe and that we intend for him to be a Laker his entire career. We will speak directly to Kobe and until we do that, we will not comment publicly about this.”

translation:

Jerry Buss: "Oh shit. Someone go find my kneepads."

I think that any mention of Chris Webber being traded for anything other than a kielbasa would be overstating his value.

if we can do a deal that doesnt involve chauncy or rip im in. but chicago is still the front runner in any deal, and by a long shot. it all comes down to whether or not theyll move luol, i'd think.

btw, i dont blame kobe at all. obviously not without flaws, but alot of people were taking shots at him and he didnt say a word (alot like joey H). thats how you carry yourself. put up with it, until its time to not put up with it anymore. then strike, like a ninja.

If we were to lose to the Cavs (and I mean lose 4 straight), i'd seroiusly look into trying to make this trade. Losing to the Cavs, particularly after last year's debacle, would signify a clear downward trend for us since winning the title, and an upward trend for the Cavs. I personally think the Cavs are about 2-3 years away from being a great and scary old-Bulls type team. What better way to combat that than Kobe f'ing Bryant?

Let's get KG too (you know, while we're at it).

But them we need to keep Flip.

Hmmm, tough call.

if we can do a deal that doesnt involve chauncy or rip im in. but chicago is still the front runner in any deal, and by a long shot. it all comes down to whether or not theyll move luol, i'd think.

btw, i dont blame kobe at all. obviously not without flaws, but alot of people were taking shots at him and he didnt say a word (alot like joey H). thats how you carry yourself. put up with it, until its time to not put up with it anymore. then strike, like a ninja.

and by rip i mean tay.

Kobe's a very good defender, wouldn't mind having him and Tayshaun to work with against Lebron. Granted, we're never in a million years going to get Kobe, so it doesn't matter.

We won't get him in a million years, I agree. Unless Bus will take Sheed and Billups for him, it won't happen. Kobe/Tay could run the point and we can just play zone most of the time anyway.

Anyway, it will never happen here. As mentioned, teams like Chicago have more to offer.

Christ, Kobe in Chicago...well I guess there's one Jordan comparison I can live with.

Have fun everyone trying to get Kobe here, but it's not going to happen and it's not a win-win for anyone.
If Kobe simply wants to go anywhere else, this can be done much more easily. However, he probably thinks he has the right to be picky about his destination. In other words, he wants another championship next year.
If the Lakers have the power, they should absolutely screw him.
Best fit: Charlotte Bobcats. Back to the town that originally drafted him. Charlotte has two first round picks, plus they may be able to sign-and-trade with guys like Gerald Wallace, Primoz Brezec and Brevin Knight, plus they have cap fodder in Othella Harrington. That gives the Lakers a good draft for needs, plus Wallace who can score and defend, and other parts. Meanwhile, the Bobcats instantly sell tickets, add the most explosive player in the game to a young core of Okafor, Felton and Morrison. They obviously need to find some other players just to fill out a roster, but that's a pretty good start.

kobe's got that no trade clause still. of course he's going to pick and choose. kobe probably wouldnt like the city of detroit, but he'd love the franchise. if all he cares about is getting his rings while he can, then detroit is definitly on the market.

He's not coming here, I don't know why we're discussing Detroit as a possibility. It's just showing how spoiled we really are as fans...

now espn says kobe says he wants to be a laker for life. this is not how a ninja would act.

Meh, nevermind, tired.

k, listened to the dan patrick show espn.com listed. kobe backed down a little. wants to stay, but not as is.

Why tell Stephen A. anything if you haven't made your mind completely up?

Aren't ninja's known for temper tantrums?

I dunno, seemed pretty calm when he was talking to Stephen.


And what's with the ninja thing all of a sudden? Trying to remember but can't...

I dunno, seemed pretty calm when he was talking to Stephen.


And what's with the ninja thing all of a sudden? Trying to remember but can't...
Its because a Ninja brainwashed you to forget his secrets.

It's going to be a tough trade if it even happens. In fact, I'm betting there is a retraction/denial by the end of the day.

Ahem.

Yes, yes, you were right. Gloat away, good sir.

Isn't it next to impossible for a small market clubs to have salary like his? I'm still not sure how Minni is doing it.

with the cap market size isnt the factor it is in baseball. as far as i know, only the cats are constantly looking at their balance sheet and making decisions accordingly.

If Kobe were to get moved he will likely go East, though Minny could trade everyone but KG in order to get them together.

Portland and Seattle with the number 1 and 2 picks. Just sayin... Truthfully, I'd say its a about a half of 1% chance he goes anywhere. But Cold Pizza has something to talk about.

Apparently Phil Jackson told Kobe they are trying to get Jermaine Oneal and possibly Artest to help out Kobe. Previously unwilling to move Bynum they have since softened on that stance.

A Kings laker trade is very possible.

With Artest's value being very low, the Lakers could try to steal him with trading Kwame, Farmar and a future first for Artest and Quincy Douby.

Kings get a backup for Bibby and can adress other needs in the draft while Brown can make the most of his situation.

A portion of Bill Simmons' article


Seven trade possibilities for Kobe
May. 30, 2007 | feedback


Deal No. 7: Houston trades Tracy McGrady, Bobby Sura (expiring contract in 2008) and the No. 26 pick for Kobe and Vladimir Radmanovic.

Comments: The Lakers aren't getting LeBron or Gilbert Arenas, and 'Melo isn't happening (see above). So that makes T-Mac the best under-30 scorer available. Where would he take the Lakers though? They were already a .500 team with Kobe, right? And wouldn't T-Mac inevitably be unhappy going to another rebuilding team? Too big a risk for the Lakers -- the last thing they need is another unhappy superstar. They're already going to have 15,000 unhappy season-ticket holders as it is.


Deal No. 6: Philadelphia trades Andre Igoudala, Sam Dalembert, Kevin Ollie (expiring contract in 2008), the No. 12 pick and the No. 21 pick for Kobe.

Comments: Mildly intriguing. The Lakers get a potential All-Star (Igoudala) and a shotblocker (Dalembert), and also end up with the Nos. 12, 19 and 21 picks in a loaded draft. Kobe gets to come home to Philly and play with Andre Miller, Kyle Korver, and … oh, wait, there wouldn't be any other good players on the team. And not just that, but everyone in Philly hates Kobe. Forget it.


Deal No. 5: Boston trades Theo Ratliff (expires in 2008), Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, the No. 5 pick and its rights to Minny's future No. 1 for Kobe.

Comments: A more logical trade (Kobe for Paul Pierce and the No. 5 pick) doesn't work because Kobe would never agree to lead another youth movement. So could a Jefferson-Green-picks package work? I like the thought of Kobe and Pierce joining forces in a crummy conference, and it's hard to imagine the Lakers doing better in terms of potential cap space, premium picks and players with UPPPPPPPPPPPPPside (in my opinion, Jefferson is the best low-post scorer in the league under 24). Still, it's hard to imagine the Los Angeles Lakers trading their franchise player to the Boston Celtics. I just can't see it. It's too weird. Also, I think my dad's head would explode.


Deal No. 4: Dallas trades Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse (sign-and-trade starting at $7.3 million per) for Kobe.

Comments: I'm intrigued by this one because (A) the Lakers would be competitive with a Howard-Terry-Odom-Bynum nucleus; (B) Kobe would solve all of Nowitzki's toughness/crunch-time problems; and (C) Dallas could probably win a title with Kobe, Nowitzki, the Diop/Dampier combo, Devin Harris and seven guys they found on the street. But would the Lakers ever trade Kobe to a Western contender? And would Cuban ever admit that Dirk was irrevocably damaged by the 2006 Finals and the Warriors-Mavs series, to the degree that he needed to acquire another crunch-time guy? If the Mavs didn't have the testicular fortitude to pull off a Shaq trade three years ago, they won't have the gulliones to go after Kobe.


Deal No. 3: Atlanta trades Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Ty Lue and the No. 11 pick for Kobe and Radmanovic.

Comments: Love this trade for the Lakers because Johnson replaces 75 percent of Kobe's scoring; Williams and Johnson give them two perfect triangle guys; they'd get a quality rookie like Joakim Noah or Al Thornton at No. 11; and they'd even get to dump their one shaky salary in the deal (four more years of Radmanovic at $25 million) for Lue's expiring deal. That's a pretty good haul. Also, the Hawks haven't had someone who could sell tickets since 'Nique; they could build around Kobe, Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia, Shelden Williams, Free Agent Signing X and the No. 3 pick. They could tinker with this deal and substitute the No. 3 and Childress for the No. 11 and Williams and see if L.A. bites on that.

Here's the problem: I can't see Kobe accepting a trade to (A) a young team (even a young team with as much potential as the Hawks), and (B) a moribund NBA city like Atlanta. Seems too far-fetched. But this would be the best-case scenario for the league itself -- sticking Kobe in a big Eastern city, instantly getting another marquee franchise and ending up with a third superstar in a depleted conference. If David Stern has any juice left -- and it's unclear after the tragic events of May 22 -- he'll make this deal happen.


Deal No. 2: Chicago trades Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Victor Khryapa and the No. 9 pick for Kobe.

Additional notes: This deal works as long as the Bulls renounce P.J. Brown's rights; also, it means the Lakers would receive a mammoth (and appealing) trade exception in the deal.

Comments: This seems like the most natural home for Kobe -- it's a big city; they're a contender in the East; there's enough talent left after the deal to make a run, and even the MJ-Kobe symmetry works nicely -- as well as the best possible haul for the Lakers. The deal could work in a variety of ways: Instead of renouncing Brown's rights, the Bulls could include Andres Nocioni as a sign-and-trade (starting at around $5 million per) and renounce Mike Sweetney's rights instead of Brown's. If they wanted to get even more creative, they could make it Deng, Gordon, P.J. Brown (sign and trade -- one year, $10 million) and the No. 9 for Kobe. They could try to substitute Ty Thomas and a future No. 1 for Deng. Etc., etc., etc.

Two big obstacles here: (A) Would the Bulls ever give up Deng? The Lakers would have to get him back in a Kobe deal, right? I feel like he's become slightly overrated over the past season -- he's definitely a potential All-Star; he definitely could become the second-best player on a championship-caliber team, but I don't see him getting much better than he is right now. Do you ever see him scoring 27-28 a game? Do you ever see him being the crunch-time scorer on a great team? If you could land Kobe and keep Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace, Ty Thomas, Chris Duhon and Thabo Sefolosha, then sign one more veteran to help them out, that's a potential 2008 title team. Isn't the whole point to win a title?

(B) Would John Paxson ever roll the dice with a mega-deal for someone like Kobe? He seems to be happier stockpiling young assets and waiting for one of these other teams to offer him the likes of KG or Jermaine O'Neal for 30 cents on the dollar. By making a Kobe deal, Paxson would be shoving his chips to the middle of the table ... something he's been completely unwilling to do. We will see.


Deal No. 1: Phoenix trades Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Marcus Banks and the rights to Atlanta's 2008 first-rounder to the Lakers for Kobe and Radmanovic.

Now we're talking! Some of my favorite things about this trade include …

(A) The Lakers ending up with a nucleus of Marion, Odom, Barbosa and Bynum, along with Farmar, Walton, Turiaf and the No. 19 pick, as well as the inevitable Kwame Brown trade to a moronic team that convinces itself that Kwame's career could be salvaged. That's a pretty good foundation.

(B) Phoenix trotting out a starting lineup of Nash, Kobe, Raja Bell, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. Good golly. Sweet Jesus.

(C) Radmanovic realizing his manifest destiny of playing in Phoenix. It was meant to be from the moment Mike D'Antoni and Nash teamed up three years ago.

(D) Kobe and Raja as teammates. High comedy. The most improbable pairing since Rodman and Pippen 12 years ago.

(E) The most selfish player in the league (Kobe) playing with the most unselfish player in the league (Nash). What a fascinating sociological experiment. If Nash can turn Kobe into a team player, I'm voting him for our 2008 president even though he's Canadian.

Two potential problems: First, it's unlikely that the Lakers would be dumb enough to trade Kobe within their own division, although with Kupchak involved, anything's possible. And second, assuming that Nash has a say in front-office decisions at this point, would he really want to green-light a scenario that has him managing two enormous egos in Stoudemire and Kobe?

Well, lemme throw this at you: What if the Suns then swapped Stoudemire to Minnesota for KG, as I proposed in a May 14 column? That would give them the following crunch-time lineup: Nash, Kobe, Bell, Diaw and KG. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 World Champions! Just send them the trophy right now.

So that's my vote: Black Mamba, you're going to Phoenix to play with KG and Nash. And if it happens, I can guarantee that the 2008 playoffs will be more entertaining than the 2007 playoffs.

(Which isn't saying much, but still.)

Phoenix with Amare, Nash, and Kobe would be downright scary!!!!!!!! I think that some of the lesser teams in the league would simply wet themselves having to go up against that big three.

If David Stern has any juice left -- and it's unclear after the tragic events of May 22 -- he'll make this deal happen.

Ha ha, fuck Stern.

What would it matter? PHX would still lose to SA every year, even with Kobe, somehow.

Phoenix with Amare, Nash, and Kobe would be downright scary!!!!!!!! I think that some of the lesser teams in the league would simply wet themselves having to go up against that big three.

That trade will happne just after I'm named Pope.

Most bullshit trade proposal ever. Yeah why not trade LeBron to the Pistons for Tay and Amir. or deng and duhon for billups?

That trade will happne just after I'm named Pope.

All hail Pope Zip!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not saying that the trade would ever happen. I'm just saying that it would be a scary threesome.

Kings get a backup for Bibby and can adress other needs in the draft .


The draft doesn't have enough rounds to help the Kings out. We are so discombobulated. Some say Maloof is trying(and doing a good job) of tearing the team down so fans won't care if they move to LV. Crazy fan speculation? Probably.

JERMAINE, KOBE MAY TEAM UP
By PETER VECSEY

http://www.nypost.com/img/sl/exclusive.gif
May 31, 2007 -- Kobe Bryant's steady squawking over the last 96 hours about his cheerless existence as a Laker (since re-signing with the team in July of '04) to anybody flashing a media credential or offering a live mike thankfully appears to be almost over.

The Post has learned a championship-caliber collaborator should soon be coming to Kobe's - the city's and the team's - emotional rescue. How poetically peculiar that the player's last name is O'Neal, as in Jermaine, not Shaquille!

Interestingly, the teammates-in-waiting were chosen four spots apart in the '96 draft: Kobe No. 13 by the then Charlotte Hornets; Jermaine No. 17 by the Blazers.

Within the last week, the Pacers and Lakers have laid the groundwork for a trade that would certainly placate both sorrowful All-Stars. L.A. inquired about O'Neal - another fake franchise player pocketing maximum money on the prowl for someone to save him from losing. And was told he was available. Indiana let it be known the Lakers have ample assets (players and/or picks) to make a fair deal.

No specifics were delivered. No negotiating has been done. Still, Lamar Odom would have to be the principal of the package in order to adhere to NBA trade specifications. He's currently on the Laker salary cap for $12,348,596 and has two seasons remaining at 900G per raises.

O'Neal earns Kobe-like numbers: $18,084M this season, and has three remaining at $19.728M, $21.372 and 23,016M. Kobe has an out after two more seasons. Should he exercise it to become a free agent, he'dHe also expressed hope at being a Laker for life. leave $47.8M on the table.

Surely Andrew Bynum ($2.030M/$2.172M/$2.769M) must be included as well. I can't see the Pacers parting with a 7-footer without getting one back.

Obviously, this very real swap talk is why Kobe's blithering abruptly ceased late yesterday afternoon.

For days, he'd avoided returning phone calls from the Lakers. Yet, soon after demanding unequivocally to be traded while a guest on Stephen A. Smith's radio show, Kobe spoke to Jackson, who unquestionably clued him in to what's going on.

A couple hours later, Kobe was back on ESPN telling Dan Patrick he hoped his "quality help issue" could be worked out.


http://www.nypost.com/seven/05312007/sports/jermaine__kobe_may_team_up_sports_peter_vecsey.htm

Apparently, he still wants out:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-kobe31may31,1,3090819.story?coll=la-headlines-sports


Kobe's change of direction has L.A. guessing

By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
May 31, 2007

The morning began with a startling declaration from L.A.'s most recognizable athlete, a demand by Kobe Bryant on a radio show that he wanted to be traded from the Lakers, the only team he has played for since he was a teenager.

Before it could fully sink in with die-hard followers of the Lakers, Bryant's ultimatum zigzagged as he appeared on two more radio shows, an apparent realization by the nine-time NBA All-Star that, well, things just might turn out OK after all and he might like to stay.

Then, late in the afternoon, Bryant told The Times that, sorry for the confusion, but he still wanted to be traded.

http://image2.sina.com.cn/ty/k/2003-07-19/1_6-12-44-378_20030719111735.jpg

kobe "i dont know, i dont know godfather. what can i do? what can i do?"

http://www.facade.com/celebrity/photo/Marlon_Brando.jpg

godfather: "YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN!"

something tells me the mrs is behind some of this. that 4 million dollar ring kobe gave her must have encased his balls.

I would think that if his wife was calling the shots, he'd be inked up by the Lakers for life.
She is probably as much into sitting next to Jack Nicholson every night as she is sleeping next to Kobe.

Looks like Jermaine to the Lakers is very possible but that would probably mean the youth movement for the Lakers stop but continues for the Pacers. Bynum and Odom for Jerms and ??

Tinsley maybe?

Hahaha, The Onion comes through again.


Kobe Bryant is Demanding Things Again (http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/kobe_bryant_demanding)

LOS ANGELES—Although Kobe Bryant is withholding comment on whether or not he recently demanded to be traded from the Lakers, the star forward demanded many other things Monday. "I demand that Jerry West be put in charge of player personnel, that my jersey be retired while I am still active yet I be allowed to continue wearing it, that someone get me another VitaminWater, and that I get Shaquille O'Neal back," Kobe told reporters, fans, and Lakers front-office employees at the Staples Center. "Not that the Lakers get Shaq back, but me. I also demand to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the end of the season; a deal for my own shoe with Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Starbury; and that everyone love me. Now." Representatives of the Lakers, the Hall of Fame, Shaquille O'Neal, the major shoe companies, and VitaminWater say they are working to meet Bryant's demands.

Source: Bryant tells Buss that he wants out
In a meeting in Spain, the Lakers star voices concerns to owner about team's direction.

By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
June 16, 2007

Jerry Buss met with his unhappy $88.6-million employee, Kobe Bryant, for a get-together Friday between owner and superstar in the somewhat surprising setting of Spain.

They had spoken by phone two weeks ago, a few days after Bryant asked to be traded, but this was a longer, more emotional conversation.

Buss wanted to appeal to the nine-time All-Star, reminding him that trades take time to develop and that winning remains the focus of the organization, but Bryant voiced concerns about the direction of the franchise and reiterated his demand to be traded, said a source with knowledge of the situation.

"That's the message that came out of it," the source said.

Team sources vehemently insisted there were no plans to trade Bryant, and they were still hopeful that a peaceful solution could be reached. Bryant and Buss are expected to resume their dialogue in the near future.

Bryant's displeasure has grown steadily since the Lakers were eliminated by Phoenix last month in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers are 121-125 since reaching the NBA Finals in 2004, not including their first-round exits the last two seasons.

Last month, Bryant publicly requested that Jerry West return to the team's front office — an unlikely scenario — and urged General Manager Mitch Kupchak to make trades that would steer the team in a winning direction.

"I'm still frustrated," Bryant said at the time. "I'm waiting for them to make some changes."

The Lakers have contacted numerous teams, but there have not been any blockbuster deals yet — by them or by any other team in the league.

Talks with the Indiana Pacers for six-time All-Star forward-center Jermaine O'Neal have stalled because the Lakers do not want to give up both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to get O'Neal.

Trade talks around the league are expected to heat up as the June 28 draft approaches and could continue into the free-agent period that begins July 1.

Bryant was vacationing in Spain and stopped by to see a practice session of his favorite soccer team, FC Barcelona, on Thursday. Buss had been in China since leaving the U.S. more than two weeks ago. He planned to travel to London before returning to Los Angeles, although it was unclear whether he went to Spain specifically to talk to Bryant.

"What they talked about and what went on between Kobe and Dr. Buss is private and will remain between the two of them," Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return calls seeking comment.

Bryant, who will be 29 in August, has four years left on his contract, but he can void it in two years.

The two-time scoring champion, widely acknowledged as the game's most dynamic player, has the NBA's top-selling jersey and is a significant draw at Staples Center. The Lakers are very cognizant of his importance in driving ticket sales, as well as his effect on corporate sponsors.

Buss, who signed off on Bryant's seven-year, $136.4-million contract in July 2004, released a statement two weeks ago in which he said, "We will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone."

Andrew Bynum ain't shit, I don't know why they're so high on the kid. Because he put one move on Shaq?

We have a space for Kobe now that we traded Delfiino. :)

Kobe for Tay and Rip straight up. I don't think they would do that, and I don't really like Kobe at all, but apparently you have to have a superstar so you can get 103 foul attempts in a game.

As long as we'd get the Kobe who wouldn't settle for long range jumpshots to make him go 13-34, I'll show him to his hotel room any time.

Kobe might be the worst trade requestor in history.

Kobe for Tay and Rip straight up. I don't think they would do that, and I don't really like Kobe at all, but apparently you have to have a superstar so you can get 103 foul attempts in a game.
Kobe's the one superstar the NBa isnt big on as of late. His calls have gone downhill since his "force the young girl to do anal w/o KY jelly" incident.

Can't forget the fact he bent her over a chair. Grimey.

Bulls can get him for such a high price...

Ben,Deng,Gordon, and their pick for Kobe.

That would leave the Bulls with

Who gives a fuck?
Tyrus thomas
Nocioni if they sign him
Kobe
Hinrich

This team gets so much worse

Kobe also wants to go to the Suns. Suns could package Marion,diaw, and banks or barbosa but really, would the Lakers trade with the Suns>?

^^^ The Bulls would never, ever do that, IMO.

Maybe take out Ben and put in Duhon but either way, the Lakers will want Dent and the #9 and need Ben's contract to make it work

I don't see them packaging Deng AND the #9 and filler for Kobe. I wouldn't make that trade, depending on who comes up at the 9-spot.

the Lakers are not that stupid to accept anything else. I think the Lakers could benefit from having Acie Law or a backup 2 guard.

Kobe is going to be worth alot imo.

I'm not a huge Kobe fan, but for the right deal I would certainly trade for him.

Chicago would not do that deal, I agree. I doubt the Suns trade with LA either, plus I think Kobe excells in the half court game moreso than the Suns style.

Can any of you trade wizards come up with a deal that sends KG to the Lakers, Kobe to a contender and enough satisfactory pieces (big contracts, draft picks, a couple of mid-level stars) to Minnesota?

Post it in the "Fun with trade ideas" forum if you can.

In one deal? Probably not. If you send Kobe to a contender you are probably not moving solid picks to Minny from that team. I'll try though.

They probably wouldn't want to trade Kobe to a west team, which leaves very few options. He doesn't fit in Cleveland or Miami (James and Wade). Toronto doesn't have anything Minny would want for KG (no first rounder even). Chicago and us would be the only east options.

Jynx (Knoxville, TN): Do you really think that Kobe can end up in the house that Jordan built? And what teams are most likely to end in the trade in the eastern confeence?

John Hollinger: (2:20 PM ET ) Kobe to Chicago is one possibility, although I worry about Paxson shrinking from the big deal again like he did with Gasol. Two other teams that nobody is throwing out there are Washington and Detroit. Kobe could be just the shake-up the Pistons need, while Washington has a ready-made exchange in place with Arenas. I know Kobe would rather go to New York or Chicago, but he might be persuaded that these markets are big enough to fit the bill.

Matt (Port Huron, MI): What could the Pistons offer to get Kobe? Rip and Rasheed for Kobe and Cook?

John Hollinger: (2:46 PM ET ) I would think something along those lines would be the basic structure of the deal. Rip would have to be in it, obviously, and Detroit would be more than happy to include Rasheed.

If joe's answer to our porous frontline is to make it more porous, i'm done with his sillyness.

This one made me laugh, so true...


Matt (Port Huron, MI): One thing about a Rasheed trade is that whoever gets him will be getting a better player than the Pistons are giving up. Imagine what a normally unmotivated Rasheed would do after getting sent packing from the Pistons.

John Hollinger: (2:55 PM ET ) You're right -- he'll probably behave for the first year and a half or so before he starts acting like an idiot again.

I wonder if there's any way we canmake teams take that into account during trade talks.

"He'll be amazing for a year or two, then he'll still be a huge playoff asset."

Kobe's shot.

97CXaDIPYTg

Ummmmm wow.

I still say that's a picture of the dude's penis.

WHOA! New picture for fool. I didn't see that coming. No more Judas?

Kobe's shot.

97CXaDIPYTg
I love that video

I figure I payed long enough for giving "Maxiell eats babies" to those douchebags over at detroitbadboys. Plus the other day was a "Waters Runs Dry" kind of day.

Is that Bell Biv DeVoe?

Glenn.... seriously?

Hey, they're all part of The East Coast Family.

ABC, BBD, the East Coast Family.

I'm still kind of shocked that they could get mainstream airplay for a song like "Do Me Baby" back in the day.

Good song, though.

Apparently a video exists of Kobe completely trashing the Lakers organization, specifically Andrew Bynum. He also apparently says something to the effect of "go get your Bulls jerseys" in the video, which was apparently filmed about 3 weeks ago.

The two guys that shot the video tried to sell it back to the Lakers (so the Lakers could keep it out of the press), but they declined to purchase it. A Laker fan apparently offered $100K for it and planned to keep it private, but the guys turned him down.

Their plan is to post it on the Internet and charge $1.99 for people to watch it.

This shit is getting good (apparently).

I'm still kind of shocked that they could get mainstream airplay for a song like "Do Me Baby" back in the day.

Good song, though.
"Let's Pretend We're Married", with song lyrics like "I sincerely wanna fuck the taste out of your mouth." actually made it in the Top 100 in 1984 or so. "Do Me Baby" was just Prince getting started.

Apparently a video exists of Kobe completely trashing the Lakers organization, specifically Andrew Bynum. He also apparently says something to the effect of "go get your Bulls jerseys" in the video, which was apparently filmed about 3 weeks ago.

FUCK!

“I know it appears that I’m waffling and being unclear when it comes to my trade demands, but realize that often when someone says ‘no,’ they really mean ‘yes.’ I know it’s that way with women."

Kobe Bryant

^ From Sportspickle. Had me rolling all morning.

“I know it appears that I’m waffling and being unclear when it comes to my trade demands, but realize that often when someone says ‘no,’ they really mean ‘yes.’ I know it’s that way with women."

Kobe Bryant

^ From Sportspickle. Had me rolling all morning.
OH GOD! That's horribly hilarious!!!

"Trailer" for the video

6kt9DBMMwCM

I just can't believe that's the same cute little kid with a beautiful smile and afro saying "fucked"

Kobe video

EbyeiuayunE

I would have taken the 100 grand.

Playing the video game (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/arash_markazi/06/19/kobe/)
Underground Kobe film ain't all it's cracked up to be
Posted: Tuesday June 19, 2007 11:31PM; Updated: Tuesday June 19, 2007 11:31PM

I had to see it for myself. For no other reason than curiosity's sake and, to be honest, an all-too-tempting meeting location near Diddy Riese, the legendary cookie store in Westwood, Calif.

I'm here to see the infamous "Kobe Video," which has taken the world by storm it seems. The 24-second video clip was shot in late May, a few days before Kobe Bryant went public with his trade demands on national radio. It catches Bryant criticizing Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak for not pulling off a mid-season trade that would have sent Andrew Bynum to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd.

"It's been crazy," says Ron, who introduces himself as a representative of "The Kobe Video Guys," a couple of college-aged guys who talk to Bryant in the video but wish to remain anonymous in fear of the backlash they might get from Lakers fans. "Everyone wants to see it."

I meet Ron, who appears to be just out of college himself, wearing a backpack and nervously looking around, inside of a nearby bookstore. "Let's go upstairs," he says, being followed by two well-built dudes who he jokingly (I think) calls his bodyguards. "I don't want anyone else watching."

He then pulls out a laptop from his backpack and places the computer in front of me and hands over a set of headphones. "Are you ready?" he asks after I put the headphones on. "Here it is."

The video, which was taken on a digital camera by a friend who was taking pictures of Bryant talking to the two inquisitive fans, begins with Bryant, standing in front of the Newport Coast Shopping Center and wearing a red shirt and sunglasses. He is talking about the trade that the Lakers reportedly turned down last season that would have brought Kidd to the Lakers for Bynum.

"Andrew Bynum? What the f---?" Bryant says in disgust. "Are you kidding me? Andrew Bynum? F---ing ship his ass out. Are you kidding me? We're talking about Jason Kidd. But they didn't even want to do that. Now we're here in this f---ed up position."

The tandem then asked Bryant what he thought about Bynum's potential. Bryant smiled and started to shake his head as if he was about to go on another tirade.

"You know what man? Let me tell you something. Mitch Kupchak had the nerve to ask me..."

At this point the 24-second video clip ends abruptly and we are left to wonder what Bryant says next. "The Kobe Video Guys" say that Bryant went on to say, "How good do you think Andrew Bynum is going to be in 10 years? Are you f---ing kidding me? I'm trying to win this s--- now."

A week later the duo again ran into Bryant in Newport Beach, after he had made his trade demands public, and pulled out a cell phone and recorded one of them telling Bryant, "Please tell us you're staying." Bryant responded by saying, "Get a Bulls uniform fellas."

As I walked out of the bookstore after watching and listening to the combined 30 seconds of footage, I had the same response most probably had after watching Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton and their far more tantalizing forays into voyeurism.

"That's it?"

"The Kobe Video Guys" claim they chatted up Bryant for about 15 minutes and he talked about his desire to play with Ron Artest and how he could keep him in check if he were in Los Angeles. He also hoped the Lakers could make a deal for Jermaine O'Neal in the off-season, which made it seem like he wanted to remain with the Lakers at the time, but we are only left to imagine what that must have sounded like as he stood in the parking lot in front of the Sharky's Mexican Grill.

While the "Kobe Video Guys" say they feel the public has a right to see the video, only time will tell when and if that will actually happen. After unsuccessfully peddling the clip to different media organizations, including ESPN and Basketball News, the group set up a website, thekobevideo.com, where they plan on showing it for a $1.99 fee. As is usually the case with these fly-by-night endeavors, however, there is a catch.

They claim to have turned down a private party's offer of $100,000 to buy the rights to the video so that it can be destroyed. They say the private party is not connected with Bryant or the Lakers (although they did unsuccessfully contact the team to gauge their interest) but is just a big fan with deep pockets who doesn't want to see Bryant's image with the Lakers tarnished. It seems a little late in the game for that, but never-the-less, the group claims they turned down the sure-fire money and decided to set up the web site in the hopes of recouping the six-figure offer the hard way by making it public.

In a perfect example of wanting to have their cake and eating it too, they will not show the video to their customers until they reach the designated threshold of 50,000 orders to recoup the $100,000 private party offer they turned down. If the threshold is not met, they say they will refund all their orders and sell it to the private party, who sounds just dumb enough to buy it again despite the contents of the footage already being public.

Who knows if Bryant will be traded or if anyone outside of this "private party" will be able to buy the appropriately-timed video clip? The only thing that was certain to me as I braved the rush-hour traffic on the 405 freeway back home was that the famous $1.25 ice cream cookie sandwiches from Diddy Riese were still the best value in town, "Kobe Video" included.

What does Kobe really want?

That's a bit of a trick question, given that Bryant didn't exactly hold firm to a position when we last heard from him directly. You undoubtedly haven't forgotten Kobe's whirlwind media tour May 30, during which he flopped back and forth between asking to be traded and hoping to retire a Laker in a daylong stream of interviews.

But the best read one can make, some three weeks later, is that Kobe wants to be like Mike.

Or, rather, like LeBron.

Bryant wants to be in the East, basically. Ratings might have been down during the Finals, way down, but Bryant obviously didn't miss LeBron James getting to the championship round with a team that has as many roster holes as the current Lakers do.

The working list of teams Bryant is willing to be traded to, as reported by ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher, includes only three teams: Phoenix, Dallas and Chicago.

This would appear to be another of way of saying he's willing to go only to Michael Jordan's old team because Bryant has an unrivaled ability to pick his destination by possessing the NBA's only active no-trade clause and because he knows the Lakers would do anything to send him out of their conference.

Can't say it better than Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said it: Even if it were willing to part with, say, Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix still would have to throw in the Grand Canyon to persuade the Lakers to send it Bryant.

(As for MJ's daunting legacy? You should know by now that living up to those standards might dissuade others but only will make Kobe want this more.)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=KobeKG-FAQ


Interesting theory. The east is so wack that he could very well compete for a shot in the finals on a mediocre team much like lebron did. theres some other interesting stuff in the link. I thought that stood out.

So why does he say he wants to go east, and then only have 1 east team on his list? That makes no sense. Why wouldn't Detroit and Toronto be on his list? I'm not saying a trade is easy, but that's Mitch's job, not Kobe's.

There aren't many towns big enough for Kobe and his ego.

He's also got an MJ complex.

By saying that he wants to go to Phoenix, Dallas or Chicago, he's saying "I want to go to Chicago".

There aren't many towns big enough for Kobe and his ego.
I don't see how that would be the case. Sure, Indiana might not be the place you want to be, but there should be a lot of acceptable markets still. If he really doesn't want to play in Toronto, Detroit, Washington, etc because of the market then he doesn't really care about winning and he should shut his damn mouth. He's whining because they won't contend in LA. So either you care about winning or you don't Kobe. End of story.

It was also rumored that Kobe's agent (Pelinka) contacted the Magic to see if they were interested.

Kobe and Dwight Howard together would be interesting.

I don't think they have the salaries to send to LA, though (S&T Darko? lol)

They could do it with Darko and Turk, but why would LA? Orlando doesn't even have a pick to offer them. Mitch would get instantly fired.

If Kobe goes to Chicago, FUCK THE FUCKING BULLS EVEN MORE. GOD DAMNIT.

Well the Bulls will obviously lose alot if they end up getting Kobe. If i were the Bulls, I'd keep the core and try to find a post player via draft using 9th pick or trading a small combination of Ben Gordon, Duhon, and Nocinoi.

Paxson fucked up during the deadline though.

The only way LA deals Kobe and doesn't get #9 is if they send back Deng and Gordon or Hinrich. Or maybe Thomas, Deng and Duhon. I think it will take a lot of players, so I'm not worried about Chicago being dominant. They would become Ben, Kobe and one of their big 3 backcourt. That's pretty good still, but is it any better than the Lakers are now? Maybe a little bit but Ben will only get worse.

They should have moved Gordon and the pick for Gasol long ago. They would have been in great shape right now.

They should have moved Gordon and the pick for Gasol long ago. They would have been in great shape right now.
IIRC, they wanted to, but Memphis wanted Deng and that's where it stalled.

The only way LA deals Kobe and doesn't get #9 is if they send back Deng and Gordon or Hinrich. Or maybe Thomas, Deng and Duhon. I think it will take a lot of players, so I'm not worried about Chicago being dominant. They would become Ben, Kobe and one of their big 3 backcourt. That's pretty good still, but is it any better than the Lakers are now? Maybe a little bit but Ben will only get worse.

They should have moved Gordon and the pick for Gasol long ago. They would have been in great shape right now.
I think a ben wallace/ kobe bryant combo would do some damage if they retain or obtain a second scorer.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers26jun26,1,6107504.story?track=rss&ctrack=2&cset=true

Hello KG to LA...

Any way you can just post the main points of it? I'm not signing up for it.

Any way you can just post the main points of it? I'm not signing up for it.
Basically they are in talks to deal Odom and Bynum to get KG in a 4 way trade with Indy, Minny and another team.

If KG starts the season in Minnesota I'm going to die laughing, and assume he's just fucking doomed. This is the price you pay for stupid loyalty.

If the Lakers can find a way to get KG without giving up Kobe, then color me impressed.

Also, no mention in that article of what Indy would be giving up or what Minny would be getting back. Kinds spotty info, but thanks anyways Muhme.

I have to assume that Jerm O'Neal and maybe Troy Murphy are involved from Indy, along with picks from all parties ending up in Minny, along with some big contracts (Murphy?)

If KG starts the season in Minnesota I'm going to die laughing, and assume he's just fucking doomed. This is the price you pay for stupid loyalty.
with the check he earns, i doubt doomed would be my first thought of kg. i'd think shawn kemp every month he sees the child support bill.[smilie=peepwall.gi:

Any way you can just post the main points of it? I'm not signing up for it.

Try bugmenot.com for passwords: http://www.bugmenot.com/view/latimes.com


Lakers in trade talks to get Garnett
Trade discussions involve sending Odom and Bynum for the Timberwolves star in a possible. Bryant is not part of the possible trade.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
2:35 PM PDT, June 25, 2007

The owners of the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves have begun talks for a trade that would involve sending Kevin Garnett to the Lakers, league sources said today.

A multi-team trade discussion is underway involving the Lakers, Indiana, Minnesota and possibly a fourth team, with the Lakers getting Garnett and the Pacers getting Lamar Odom and teenage center Andrew Bynum from the Lakers. Another minor player will probably be added to make the deal work financially.

Another source said the Lakers are dealing directly with Minnesota, in a swap that wouldn't necessarily involve other teams.

Jerry Buss and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor spoke by phone for 20 minutes Friday. Buss reportedly ended the conversation by suggesting that Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale would continue the discussion today.

Such a move could address the concerns of Kobe Bryant, who has demanded to be traded for more than four weeks.

Bryant met with Kupchak for about an hour Friday, a day after Garnett rejected a trade that would have sent him to Boston.

Bryant did not step down from his desire to be traded. However, Kupchak, Buss and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson met later that day to discuss options based on the assumption they would still have Bryant, The Times has learned.

Garnett, 31, has never formally asked for a trade while signaling his distress in recent years as the Timberwolves fell from top-notch status. Minnesota, the No. 1-seeded team in the Western Conference in 2004, lost to the Lakers in the West finals and hasn't made the playoffs since then.

The Timberwolves finished 33-49 in 2005-06 and 32-50 last season, tied for 12th in the West with Portland.

Garnett can opt out of his contract after next season. He wants an extension, which Buss reportedly told Taylor he was willing to offer. Garnett is due to earn $22 million next season and $23 million in 2008-09, the last year of his contract.

Garnett, a 10-time All-Star, averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocked shots last season while showing few signs of slowing down, other than spending the last five games of the season in Los Angeles — he has a home in Malibu — to rest a sore right quadriceps.

Bynum, 19, started his second NBA season with a flurry, including a memorable game against Minnesota in November in which he had 20 points,14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

But Bynum struggled during the second half of the season and finished with averages of 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. The Lakers have been criticized by Bryant for not trading Bynum at the February trade deadline to get Jason Kidd from New Jersey.

Odom, 27, was acquired three years ago as part of the trade that sent Shaquille O'Neal to Miami.

Odom averaged 15.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season and missed 26 games because of knee and shoulder injuries. He had a torn labrum in his left shoulder repaired last month and is expected to return in time for training camp in October.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Well here it is

nVtL0UQuW1I

lol @ the last line.

On ESPN they were talking about the Celtics being the fourth team and giving up Paul Pierce. Minnesota was to receive picks and Pierce, O'Neal to Boston, KG to LA, and Odom and Bynum to Indiana.

Basically they are in talks to deal Odom and Bynum to get KG in a 4 way trade with Indy, Minny and another team.
Thank you, sir.