They’re killing the Kobe/Gilbert rumors…(Photo. Jonathan Mannion)
After this rumor dropped yesterday, various sources today are squashing it. In this morning’s Washington Post, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld says it’s not happening and that they’ve never had conversations with the Lakers about Kobe.
Over in Peter Vecsey’s column in this morning’s NY Post, he not only kills the rumor from yesterday, but also makes an interesting point:
Speculation by Chicago Tribune columnist Sam Smith (erroneously supplied by an obtuse, unidentified GM) claimed there could be a Kobe-Gilbert Arenas exchange on the horizon.
Oh, I see, the Bulls won’t give up their best player for Kobe, but the Wizards are supposed to surrender their franchise player! What, their second- and third-best players aren’t sufficient?
I’m not a talent scout in real life but I used to play one on the Arthur Godfrey Show; and in my view, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are as good, if not better, than what the Bulls are offering - Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich or Andres Nocioni, with Tyrus Thomas and a first-rounder or two (won’t tell me they’ve run dry of lottery Knick picks) thrown into the pot for sweet seasoning.
If you’re the Lakers and you’re definitely dealing Kobe, would you rather have Gilbert or Jamison/Butler or a Bulls package?
Vecsey also goes on to quote a source hypothesizing that the Lakers are just trying to antagonize Kobe into opening up the list of teams he’d be willing to go to just to get out of Dodge (so that the Lakers can go for the best possible package in return) and lists other potential deals/destinations. You can check out the rest of the article here
October 30th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Gee says:
Interesting, to say the leas,t in getting us thinking about it but anyone in their right mind (not their left) knew that trade wasn’t going down.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Captain America says:
There! Killed that stupid rumor dead. Good show, now can we play ball?
October 30th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Myrie in NY says:
C’mon yall….these writers get no respect from me. They’ve been making up there own stories/rumors for years. Sports media (except for Dime.) need to disappear for a few years. Take all the sports writers and talking tv bobble-heads with em. Real fans don’t need them.
Why do writers get more airtime than the athletes and teams these days?
October 30th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
sans says:
The only thing I have ever heard about Sam Smith is that he makes shit up off the top of his head. It would be crazy though if the lakers traded Kobe to get Caron again. Would make having Kwame that much more bitter.