Lakers: Unless Kobe Restructures His Contract We're Not Winning Again

[Koolaid_Man]

I'm not even sure it can be done and even if it could I'm not saying he should..I'm just recognizing the fact that unless we get lucky (like the Spurs did making the finals this season) it's unlikely we get to six with his exorbitant salary. It's just like KG's first 7 yrs in Minny...he made all the money and never won...I'm not sure what bag of tricks my guy has left but after the back2back he basically stopped working hard in the gym and tried to win more les on his rep..I saw when he started to do this...I've been following him my whole career...(oops his whole career) and I could tell he slacked off in the gym a bit and just wasn't as focused and driven...Every year he used to come back with something new to his game...he would bulk up or do something extreme..but after we defeated Boston contentedness settled upon him and he tried to coast...I never said anything to anyone about it but I saw what he was doing...he was just tired and wore down...but I'm hoping he can pull out that old 2006 poisonous snake vial and drink it down just like True Blood...we need him one more time...just one...pass Magic and all his hating ways and I'm good....forever

Amen

[Thebesteva]

Kobe ed the Lakers over by not taking a pay cut. I think in a league where guys like Dirk and Lebron are taking pay cuts to win, it's amazing to me that a guy worth approximately $200 million dollars wants to max out every penny from the Lakers before he retires.

Look over at Tom Brady, the guys compe ive nature kills him so much he took pay cuts to win. If Kobe does not restructure his contract then he will not win. But I guarantee you, I would bet my life on it, that Kobe will come back next season and deal with alot of 'nagging' injuries. Then he will see the Lakers are not really playoff contenders anymore much less le contenders and he will miss alot of games next year then announce his retirement.

It's gonna be such a lame ass year next year for Laker fans IMO.

[Koolaid_Man]

Kobe ed the Lakers over by not taking a pay cut. I think in a league where guys like Dirk and Lebron are taking pay cuts to win, it's amazing to me that a guy worth approximately $200 million dollars wants to max out every penny from the Lakers before he retires.

Look over at Tom Brady, the guys compe ive nature kills him so much he took pay cuts to win. If Kobe does not restructure his contract then he will not win. But I guarantee you, I would bet my life on it, that Kobe will come back next season and deal with alot of 'nagging' injuries. Then he will see the Lakers are not really playoff contenders anymore much less le contenders and he will miss alot of games next year then announce his retirement.

It's gonna be such a lame ass year next year for Laker fans IMO.

be careful guy..this is not a pile on Kool's guy thread...I'm just making a small observation... I don't he restructures..he's calculating what the final Nessa Payment will be...so I don't think he'll restructure

[StrengthAndHonor]

I think Kobe will take a pay cut. He's not dumb, his agent knows it and the Lakers brass knows it. He's what? 37 going into his next contract.? My guess is $15 mil yr/3 yrs or $40 mil/2 yrs.

[AchillesHeel]

Kobe can't re-structure his contract, because it is not allowed by the CBA.

Kobe's contract will be up, and the Lakers will give him a blank check and he'll put whatever number he wants on it, probably like 60 million for 2 years.

[Riddler]

I think Kobe will take a pay cut. He's not dumb, his agent knows it and the Lakers brass knows it. He's what? 37 going into his next contract.? My guess is $15 mil yr/3 yrs or $40 mil/2 yrs.

Riddle for you. When has Kobe EVER been unselfish?

[StrengthAndHonor]

Riddle for you. When has Kobe EVER been unselfish?

HAHA
Good one. But tbh, this is not up to Kobe, at age 37, he has no bargaining power, I'm sure the Lakers are also ready to move forward with a new face of their franchise. Like I said, Lakers will give him a rich offer given his legacy and importance in LA. If Kobe thinks its too low, he can test the FA market at which point he'll realize no one is crazy enough to offer more. He'll come back crawling to the Lakers, unless he feels slighted and plays for less riding coattails/ring chasing.

[Thread]

I grudge him nary a thin red cent. Last Thursday nite is a lesson, a primer, a living testament of what rings mean and how they can be & are conveyed. Whatever Bryant can get is jake with me. Without him we're stuck at 14PERIOD & I ain't here. It was Kobe who made the old man get up out of his rocking chair and act like somebody. Just because Media didn't grab me by the nose and lead me to that truth don't mean it didn't happen. It happened, just like that.

I ain't forgetting that. I ain't ever forgettin' that.

[Thread]

Riddle for you. When has Kobe EVER been unselfish?

17 June 2010 when you rose up to see him launch at the key. And he didn't. He straightened out Artest faster than a rabbit gets ed.

[StrengthAndHonor]

So, it was Kobe who cured your erectile dysfunction?

[Thread]

So, it was Kobe who cured your erectile dysfunction?

I wish.

[djohn2oo8]

HAHA
Good one. But tbh, this is not up to Kobe, at age 37, he has no bargaining power, I'm sure the Lakers are also ready to move forward with a new face of their franchise. Like I said, Lakers will give him a rich offer given his legacy and importance in LA. If Kobe thinks its too low, he can test the FA market at which point he'll realize no one is crazy enough to offer more. He'll come back crawling to the Lakers, unless he feels slighted and plays for less riding coattails/ring chasing.

Still, the Lakers would take A LOT of heat from the fanbois to where if Kobe were to play elsewhere, the Clippers would be the most bandwagonned team in L.A

[Clipper Nation]

I think Kobe will take a pay cut. He's not dumb, his agent knows it and the Lakers brass knows it. He's what? 37 going into his next contract.? My guess is $15 mil yr/3 yrs or $40 mil/2 yrs.

if you really think Kirby will sacrifice for the team....

[whitemamba]

if you really think Kirby will sacrifice for the team....

like he needs more money?

[Bynumite]

As long as we have Jim Buss and D'antoni running the show, Kobe's salary is the least of our concerns tbh.

[Clipper Nation]

like he needs more money?

He doesn't NEED it, but he clearly wants it, judging from how he's currently raping the Lakers to the tune of $30 mil a year

[spurraider21]

He can't restructure but he can sign for whatever he wants in the summer of '14. But ur stuck with the 30 million tab for the 13-14 season unless they "amnesty THAT"

[whitemamba]

He doesn't NEED it, but he clearly wants it, judging from how he's currently raping the Lakers to the tune of $30 mil a year

before the new CBA, you were ranked by salary tbh.. higher salary better player. Kobe got the highest salary obviously

[Thread]

As long as we have Jim Buss and D'antoni running the show, Kobe's salary is the least of our concerns tbh.

He insisted on Bynum. They he insisted on Bynum again. Without Jim Buss we're stuck at 14.

Take that Media nose ring outta yer snout & act like somebody, gd it!

[Clipper Nation]

before the new CBA, you were ranked by salary tbh.. higher salary better player. Kobe got the highest salary obviously

Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Gilbert Arenas were among the best players in the game by that logic....

[Bynumite]

Without Jim Buss we're stuck at 14.

Now we're stuck at 16 with clowns running the franchise.

[whitemamba]

Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Gilbert Arenas were among the best players in the game by that logic....

bait

[Thread]

Now we're stuck at 16 with clowns running the franchise.

A "clown" does not insist on Bynum not once, but, twice and takes 2 rings because of that insistence.

You're an ingrate.

[mercos]

Its very hard to put together a good team with one player making $30 million, no matter who it is with the new luxury tax deal. If next year is the last year of the deal, you eat that $30 million hit gladly if you are a Laker fan given all Bryant has done for the franchise. Next year looks like a lost cause anyway. If the Lakers are smart, they let Dwight Howard walk and prepare to make a big free agent push in 2014. If they can make a big splash in free agency, I'll bet Kobe resigns to a more franchise friendly contract in order to chase ring number six.

[AchillesHeel]

Its very hard to put together a good team with one player making $30 million, no matter who it is with the new luxury tax deal. If next year is the last year of the deal, you eat that $30 million hit gladly if you are a Laker fan given all Bryant has done for the franchise. Next year looks like a lost cause anyway. If the Lakers are smart, they let Dwight Howard walk and prepare to make a big free agent push in 2014. If they can make a big splash in free agency, I'll bet Kobe resigns to a more franchise friendly contract in order to chase ring number six.

I agree on this. They'll be stuck in mediocrity with Dwight, unless he learns to shoot FTs and actually learns to post up without fouling.