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Personally I think this would be a terrible move for the Lakers if it happens...
More talent gone...less comin in.
Wizards reportedly working deal with Lakers for Butler
By DAVID ALDRIDGE
Philadelphia Inquirer
LAS VEGAS - The Washington Wizards, stung by the loss of free agent Larry Hughes to the Cavaliers, may be able to stanch the sting.
Sources involved with the discussions say that the Wizards are talking to the Los Angeles Lakers about a sign-and-trade deal in which forward Kwame Brown, the top pick in the 2001 NBA draft, would go to the Lakers in exchange for swingman Caron Butler.
The Wizards have other options on the table that could bring them a much-needed big man in return for Brown, but Butler would make a lot of sense.
Butler has been available during most of his yearlong stay in Los Angeles. If the Lakers move him and, as expected, release forward Brian Grant in order to save money under the luxury tax, they would have precious little to show for their blockbuster trade of Shaquille O'Neal to Miami.
At home in Portland? Nate McMillan looks odd in a Portland Trail Blazers polo shirt.
But here he is, at the Las Vegas Summer League, looking at his backcourt of the future - Sebastian Telfair and first-round pick Martell Webster. That may be about all McMillan has to look forward to in the immediate future because the Blazers are officially rebuilding. Well, that and the $25 million that owner Paul Allen will be sending McMillan's way.
Seeing McMillan with the Blazers and not with the Seattle Sonics - the team he played with and coached for 19 years - is odd. But it also feels right.
"I was just feeling that maybe it's time to go, maybe it's time to change, go a different direction," he said. "At the beginning of (last) season, I had prepared myself. Everybody was saying I was on the hot seat. I heard `dead man walking' and all of that stuff that was said. So I kind of prepared myself for the possibility that if I had to move, it wouldn't be a surprise to me."
But the Sonics surprised just about everyone by winning the Northwest Division and making the second round of the playoffs. And when Ray Allen agreed to an $80 million contract at the start of free agency, many assumed that McMillan would stay. But he turned down what he deemed a fair offer to move about a half-hour (by plane) south. Of course, it's a world removed in terms of atmosphere. The Blazers have put the "t" in turmoil.
Part of the reason for his move is that McMillan wasn't certain about the Sonics' future. Even after agreeing to terms with Allen, Seattle has eight free agents.
But the bigger reason for the move may have been the Sonics' unwillingness to give McMillan a permanent position in the organization after he was done coaching.
"The money was fair for a coach coming in," McMillan said. "But for someone that's been there 19 years - I couldn't risk it. If I'm here 23 years and I walk away or I get let go, you forget about me like (Gary) Payton. Or you forget about me like Shaquille (O'Neal)."
Personally I think this would be a terrible move for the Lakers if it happens...
More talent gone...less comin in.
Kobe Bryant deserves to spend the rest of his career with Kwame Brown as the Lakers' starting center.
Interesting.The Wizards have other options on the table that could bring them a much-needed big man in return for Brown ...
Oddly enough, a straight up trade of Rasho for KBrown would work. Spurs would get rid of Rasho's deal and they would get someone with an expiring contract.
Bynum and now Kwame Brown? Sounds like the Lakers want to be compe ive in 2012.
Oddly enough, a straight up trade of Rasho for KBrown would work. Spurs would get rid of Rasho's deal and they would get someone with an expiring contract.
Course, only problem is Kwame's at ude (e.g. saying he's ill and being caught going out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant
Don't know if Buford, Pop or the players would put up with anyone like that no matter how good they are and this guy for all his supposed talent does not seem to have produced a whole lot. Yet, for some reason, I think I'm hearing that a lot of teams are after him, making his asking price high.
The Spurs have taken on non-Spur type players before if it served their purposes. Tell Holt Cat he can get rid of another $25 mil in long term salary commitment to a player who was out of the playoff rotation and I'm sure he'd be down with it.
WTF exactly are the Lakers thinking?
If Kwame Brown has a lot of potential (which I think he has) I'm afraid that this may be a good move for the Lakers. Butler isn't exactly a gem, you know.
That their draft pick will be a NBA center in about a decade.
Butler... btw not bulter..
Is and will become a sidekick to someone worth it... this kid helped Kobe whenever Kobe decided to give the ballhogging away, even for 4 or 5 games+injury.
I think that anywhere Butler goes, he will contribute more than Kwame, this kid is realizing that he has potential, and he started to show it last year...he just needs to play for something worth it, if he stays Phil Jackson is gonna make him improve his game alot.
If this trade turns out to be a bust (Kwame improving and getting lakers into the playoffs and wizards sinking.), I will give up all hope on the 2nd round t-shirt wearing wizards. They gave away chris and the kings almost won a championship if it wasn't for horry. They gave away big ben and the dude is wearing an nba championship ring. I am not trying to be nostradamus but facts don't lie. Don't screw it up wizardz.
Awful trade. They have myriad small forwards but give up the one that's any good. Kwame Brown is a stiff. Poor widdle Lakers.
Hey hey hey, let Kwame go to the Lakers, that just means another losing season for them, no playoffs, and furthermore, more of the Spurs waxing their asses.
That's awesome. Kobe's Kids, err the Lakers, are becoming one glorious trainwreck.
Someone pass the popcorn.
This might be the stupidest the Lakers have done this side of trading Shaq. Trade a decent, unselfish player like Caron Butler for the most underachieving high school-to-pro player in the history of basketball? And you put him on a team with Kobe, who already has shown himself to be not mature enough to be worth all his talent?
This rumor, combined with the Lakers decision to draft a project this year, rather than a legitimate talent, makes me think they're getting ready to give up on Kobe and give Phil Jackson a chance to trully build a team from scratch, if he can.
I actually think Kwame is quite a talent. There was a reason he was the #1 pick back then. Maybe he was a bust, but he has also shown glimpse of his talent a couple of years ago, posting big numbers on KG and another big time forward (forgot who) in back to back nights.
He needs a good coach and a veteran who will take him under their wings, show him how to be a professional, how to practice, how to approach the game.
However, I am not sold on Jackson developing young talent, never had a history of doing so.
I also think under pop and duncan brown could be good
rember not to many good bigs
he may never live up to the number one pick but this kid is not old and when mj played he did not as much
Well, after the Shaq deal, maybe the next step is to trade Kobe for Jamal Crawford and spare parts.
Interesting the link Michael Jordan has to to both Phil Jackson and Kwame Brown.
If this goes down it will add balance to the Lakers....they have too many SF's...I like butler and I believe he's more talented than Kwame right now. It would suck to see him leave, but the lakers don't have any strong 4's. They could start Mihm at the C with KB and Lamar at the forward spots. I have heard that Daniels will be visiting the Lakers next week so there's your 1 with Kobe playing SG. It's a stretch, but the Lakers were severly unbalanced last year with Lamar playing the 4. We rebounded the ball pretty well, but we had no mass or toughness. If the Kwame can reach 1/3 of his hype he will be good for 11 and 9 next year. We'll see. Honestly, I would rather see how Caron does in the triangle.
Medvedenko sucks!
I agree that the Lakers need more balance, but a headcase project is a pretty dicey way to go after it.
Without a doubt, Brown has a ton of potential, but the Lakers are a terrible landing spot for him. A super-high-profile team with a star that turns 28 next month and has already won 3 les doesn't seem like the ideal place to let him come along slowly without a ton of pressure. I mean, geez, the guy isn't even there yet, and you're already pencilling him in for 11 and 9, up from a whopping 7 and 5 last year.
Well, If Phil can't do it, no one else can. It could be a stretch though. All I hope is that the Lakers shed some of the SF's and get more balanced. This will be the first true year with Kobe being the main option. Last year was an experiment with different systems and players. This year will be more balanced.
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