Edited 10-19, 1pm Central.  Yes, the below blog contains incorrect facts.  No, I'm not going to correct it.  What I want to know is if this trade can be worked out and what would be fair.  My opinion follows my (inaccurate) analysis.  Now that you are forewarned that the following will contain inaccurate information.  Read at your own peril!!!





Will he or won't he? Kobe Bryant, arguably the best player in today's NBA and without question one of the top 10 player's in the league's history, is rumored to be on the trading block. The controversial superstar is considered to be a bit of a prima donna. After all, he's the guy who whined that his Los Angeles Laker locker room wasn't big enough for both he and Shaquille O'neal and demanded O'neal be traded. After getting his wish, Kobe's Lakers haven't made any progress in the playoffs and now Bryant is demanding they bring in more talent around him or else trade him to a contending team.

The Mavericks and Suns are two teams that have both the chips to deal and the mentality and support of ownership to win now, but GM Jerry West would be a buffoon to deal Bryant to a fellow Western Conference team. It would take more than Paul Pierce for Boston to land him, but the Celtics have few players left after trading the moon to land Kevin Garnett. That leaves the John Paxson led Chicago Bulls as the most likely trade partner for the Lakers should they decide to part ways with Bryant's phenomenal talent.

The Lakers would almost assuredly require that 22-year-old budding star Luol Deng, who averaged 18.8 ppg last season and has progressed nicely in his first three NBA seasons, be included in that potential blockbuster. Deng is Chicago's most consistent and most popular player, and Paxson won't part ways with him unless he gets a big time player in return--such as Bryant or Phoenix's Shawn Marion. This is with good reason, as Deng is viewed as a potential All-Star who can net 25-28 points per game once he reaches his prime.

But come on now, we're talking about Kobe Freakn' Bryant. The guy who scored 82 points in barely over three quarters of play last year in a single game. He was benched for most of the 4th quarter because the lead was considered insurmountable. He draws double and triple teams on every offensive possession. He's the guy that when it's crunch time, the opposing coach gulps when the ball touches his hands. He's a significantly better basketball player than Deng.

If it were only that simple, there would be no reason to write this blog--the trade would have already been made by now. But the Lakers will also likely ask for the 6' 2" defensively challenged Ben Gordon be included in that deal. This poses a problem for Chicago because Gordon is truly one of the most clutch shooters in the NBA today. He's a finisher; a closer you want no business guarding. Although inconsistent, Gordon led the Bulls in scoring last season at 21.4 ppg.

It's been a while since I aced my high school trigonometry class, but Gordon's 21.4 plus Deng's 18.8 is considerably less than Bryant's league leading 31.6 in the 2006-07 season.

And that doesn't take into consideration that the Lakers will also likely ask that a role player like Andres Noccioni, a youngster like Tyrus Thomas, and/or a 1st Round Draft pick be thrown in to sweeten the deal even more.

For my money, I couldn't trade both Deng and Gordon to acquire Bryant's services. If I'm the Lakers, I would have to ask for as much as I could possibly get, but the Bulls couldn't trade their two leading scorers for the game's best player without considerable risk. Doesn't that make them the Eastern Conference's version of the Lakers circa 2006?

I hope the Bulls offer the Laker's the option of these two packages: Deng, Chris Duhon, Noccioni, rookie Joakim Noah, and a 1st Rd pick. Or, Gordon, Thomas, Noah, Noccioni, and a 1st Rd pick. That may very well not be enough, but so be it. They might as well take their chances
that Deng progresses another year and Gordon finds a way to maintain his rhythm over the course of a full 82-game schedule. The Bulls are one of the NBA's deepest and youngest teams, but they aren't yet talented enough to overcome the loss of their two best players.