Why Kobe might agree to a Deng trade

[LA_Lakers_Rule]

Why wouldn't Kobe be amenable to a trade involving Deng?

I purpose the Lakers would be willing to settle for Deng + Gordon or Safo + Thomas or Noah + 2 first round picks if one of either Gordon or Thomas were excluded in the package. The Lakers would stipulate that if Safo is the player included then Thomas would have to be in the package. If Noah is the player included then Gordon would have to be in the package. And that one of those two players would have to be included and if either Gordon or Thomas were not in the package then 1st round picks would have to be included. Of course to make salaries work PJ Brown would be signed included as well.

What would this leave the Bulls with:
A core roster of Kobe + Hinrich + Wallace + Nocioni + Duhon + either Gordon or Safo + either Thomas or Noah.

The Lakers would prefer Deng + Gordon + Thomas most likely.

It is my guess the Bulls would elect to go with (if given the choice) giving up: Deng + Gordon + Noah + 2 first round picks. (Bulls do not need Gordon with Kobe).

If I were the Lakers I would do my very best to get the Bulls to include Thomas as opposed to Noah + 2 picks but to get the deal done and end this circus I think this would ultimately agree to the trade.

This would leave the Bulls with a starting 5 of Thomas, Nocioni, Wallace, Kobe and Hinrich.

Anyone disagree that the Bulls team would a clear cut contender?

If you don't think so then let me ask you this....

How would the Laker team as it currently is do in the East?

Top 5 right?

On a scale of 10 compare the starting team the Laker currently have to the starting team the Bulls would have if the trade were made:

PF Turiaf (5.5) / Thomas (6.5) - Bulls +1
SF Odom (9) / Nocioni (6) - Lakers +3
C Brown (5.5) / Wallace (8) - Bulls +2.5
SG Kobe (10) / Kobe (10) - Even 0
PG Fish (5) / Hinrich (8) - Bulls +3

Total Bulls +3.5

I realize this is totally subjective, however I did rank Odom a "9" thus advantage to Lakers and I think the rankings are reasonable considering how they compare at their respective positions in their conference thus I don't feel that I scewed the scores in favor of my point at all, imho.

So if the Lakers as they are now (above team) would be a top 5 or better in the East, of course you might argue that as well, but if they are minimally 7-8 in the West and I believe maybe higher then a top 5 or better in the East does not seem unreasonable)...

It this is true or reasonably close to true then wouldn't the Bulls team with that trade be significantly better than a top 5 team in the East thus would clearly contend?

Maybe I'm way off like some say.... If so tell me where I have ranked the player comparisons wrong?

It would appear to me the Bulls would be contenders.

You might ask from the Bulls perspective is the trade worth it compared to staying with the team they have.

Looking at the team they now have compared to the team they would have trading for Kobe.

PF Thomas (6.5) / Thomas (6.5) - Even
SF Deng (8.5) / Nocioni (6) - Bull -2.5
C Wallace (8) / Wallace (8) - Even
SG Gordon (6.5) / Kobe (10) - Bulls +3.5
PG Hinrich (8) / Hinrich (8) - Even

Bulls +1

Clearly a close call which could be why the Bulls are hesitant to pull the trigger but if they understand that they need that extra push that a super-star will give them to get over the hump to seriously contend then the trade still makes sense.

Conclusion if Kobe really wants out he should be able to contend and from the Bulls perspective they should improve as a result of the trade as compared to the team they currently have.
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[Ares24]

good post man!