Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak insists the team won’t make building a team to win in the short-term around Kobe Bryant a priority at the expense of the future, and Bryant is on board with that, as the Lakers star told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
“It’s a balance of both,” Bryant said. “You always want to set the franchise up for the long term. Mitch and I are on the same page. What he said in the interview is not something that we haven’t talked about before. It’s nothing different. You don’t want to compromise the future of the franchise for one season. You try to balance that.”
There’s more on the Lakers amid the latest from around the Pacific Division:
- Teams around the league are making plans to try to trade for DeMarcus Cousins in case he and George Karl don’t get along, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com said on ESPN radio Sunday and as ESPN colleague Marc Stein notes within his weekly power rankings. Cousins and Karl have nonetheless been complimentary of one another since the Kings put them together last month. Still, a source familiar with Karl’s thinking recently told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck that Sacramento wouldn’t rule out trading Cousins.
- Lakers co-owner executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss is believed to be among those who like Rajon Rondo, as Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes as he argues that the Lakers and other teams shouldn’t pay a premium for the point guard.
- The Lakers chose to sign Wayne Ellington instead of Hassan Whiteside after the big man auditioned for the team this past summer, Whiteside said to TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr has learned how better to navigate leadership boundaries since Mike D’Antoni‘s belief that Kerr wanted his job helped prompt D’Antoni to leave the Suns during Kerr’s tenure as GM in Phoenix, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
This is dumb don’t highlight the article like DMC is getting traded cut the crab he’s our franchise player..
#SacramentoKingsBasketball
If the Lakers end up winning the lottery, trade it (and Young/Hill) for Boogie on draft night! Then sign one restricted free agent (Butler, Leonard or Knight)
that easier said then done lakers need to think of thier future not just the now
Knight is a restricted free agent this summer. Suns have to decide if they’re willing to match any offer he is searching for. Same as Leonard and Butler. Those two are likely max contracts
Unless Suns have a plan b I bet they wil give ups Knight easy. With rose health bull I bet would do anything to keep butler and I just don’t see if Leonard a max player . He good I just don’t see how he worth a max
Young or hill? For cousins… What drugs are you on? Lol
Trade Hill, Young, Kelly, and 2nd selection of 1st round to Pistons for Malone. Boogie can’t handle Mamba’s stern leadership!
He’d strangle Kobe first day.
Kings will not trade Cousins until at least they know the season is lost. So, early Dec ’15. They still wouldn’t trade him to a Western conference foe. Sixers have talent and a top 3 pick. Noel and the pick.