Laker Trades

[ScoobyDoo]

1. Forget about Los Angeles having the great weather, the women Hollywood, it's a major market, etc... I live in LA, I get the appeal.

2. And forget about Stern / the league nixing the deal and whether you think that's jacked or not...

The one thing that truly baffles me is this:

Why on God's green earth do all these Western Conference teams incessantly and relentlessly continue to trade their franchise players to the one team who has consistently kicked their asses and prevented them from winning rings for  decades?

And often times the trades are just horrible to boot. I've never seen anything like it. It's the equivalent of paying a weight trainer to enhance the physique of the playground bully who's kicked your ass for the last 10 years.

I mean if I were GM, there is no way in hell I would ever trade a franchise level guy to another team in my conference if I could get even close to equal value in the opposite conference.

And if there is one team, like the Lakers, who have handed it to me in the playoffs for years, they would be the absolute last place I'd look to trade my guy, cimply out of competitive principle.

It really just boggles my mind...it's the most asinine  thing I've seen.

I do hate the Lakers, yes. But I'd say the same thing if East Coast teams were, every 3-4 years, trading their franchise players to the celtics.

It's like athletic masochism.

I don't get it.       

[PosImpos]

simple -- the nba is a business.

[ScoobyDoo]

Huh?

Wouldn't the main point of business be figuring out a way to prevent your most hated competitor from kicking your ass indefinitely, rather than helping them continue to do so? 

[ManchesterCelticsFan]

I thought it was fishy that the Hornets would rather deal Chris Paul with 2 teams in it's own conference, especially when one is the Lakers, as the OP said, whom beat the crap out of them, time and time again! New Orleans should want to deal him to the Eastern Conference so they have a better shot at making the playoffs and/or going far!

As I've read in another thread, the New Orlean's GM seems like he only cares about the present with this trade and not the future. Otherwise, LA would be giving up Draft Picks and Bynum, not two guys on the down-slide in their 30's!

[ScoobyDoo]

Yeah Manchester, that's what I mean. How many times do teams want to keep shipping their franchise chips to the same team that knocks them out of the playoffs every year, in part because of their former players?

If it were me, I would just refuse to do trade to that team on principle. I find it hard to believe you couldn't get a better option for Chris Paul.

The other baffling thing about that trade to me was, why on earth would Houston want to rent a 32 years old Gasol for 2-3 years? They have very little to put around him.

if you told me Gasol, Scola, Kevin Martin, etc...  Maybe...? But Scola and Martin are gone in the deal.

Where's Houston going with Gasol? Nowhere and why would they help facilitate a trade that likely ends up meaning Howard lands in LA with Paul and the Lakers get another 10 year run sticking it to NO and Houston, among others... 

[LB3533]

Which are these other franchise players did the Hornets trade to the Lakers?

[ManchesterCelticsFan]

Kobe was traded from the Hornets in 1996 for Vlade Divac.

[celtics2]

Well NBA Players want to come to Boston for what reason again?? We are going to spiral down at least not matching Celtic goals for years to come. Mainly because there is no longer a Franchise Player left. Many of us pinned our hopes on Rondo. With offense production going down and no rebounding we're goners. Even with the Super 5 we had starting without Posey there would be no ring. Danny is going to have a difficult job keeping at least respectable.

[ScoobyDoo]

My thread was saying other Western conference teams trading their franchise players...

Memphis - No Pau Gasol in LA, I doubt any rings these last few years

NO - Trying to move Chris Paul there - haven't the Lakers knocked the hornets out of the playoffs like 30 times?

As a GM it would be enough for me that many unrestricted franchise guys end up in LA, I would make no effort to also pad that by moving my franchise guy to them in a trade.

Small trades, fine. Championship chips? I don't think so...

And I'd feel the same way if I were an East Coast GM and you change out the Lakers for the Celts.

Why would you have any interest in feeding the hand that has been beating you since you can remember?   

[j804]

My thread was saying other Western conference teams trading their franchise players...

Memphis - No Pau Gasol in LA, I doubt any rings these last few years

NO - Trying to move Chris Paul there - haven't the Lakers knocked the hornets out of the playoffs like 30 times?

As a GM it would be enough for me that many unrestricted franchise guys end up in LA, I would make no effort to also pad that by moving my franchise guy to them in a trade.

Small trades, fine. Championship chips? I don't think so...

And I'd feel the same way if I were an East Coast GM and you change out the Lakers for the Celts.

Why would you have any interest in feeding the hand that has been beating you since you can remember?   

Hmmm maybe because this Hornets GM Demps is from the Los Angeles area?