Detroit Bad Boys - Kobe Bryant nearly traded to Detroit Pistons (in 2007)A community of Detroit Pistons fans since 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48119/detroitbadboys-fave.png2015-02-23T08:54:49-05:00http://www.detroitbadboys.com/rss/stream/37679192015-02-23T08:54:49-05:002015-02-23T08:54:49-05:00Kobe Bryant confirms he rejected trade to Pistons
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<p>The deal was confirmed by the man himself to involve Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.</p> <p>On the Grantland Basketball Hour, featuring noted Boston homer Bill Simmons and noted Detroit homer <span>Jalen Rose</span>, there is a segment where they answer questions in the mailbag. In the most recent edition of the GBH, <span>Kobe Bryant</span> was a special guest. When the mailbag rolled around, several interesting questions came out. (<a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-grantland-basketball-hour-kobe-bryant-on-russell-westbrook-and-the-thunder-his-plans-for-the-future-and-more/">The mailbag segment is the fourth video on this page</a>.)</p>
<p>What would you do differently about being Dwight Howard's teammate?... <i>Nothing. </i><span>How many championships should Kobe and Shaq have won?... </span><i>At least five, maybe six. </i><span>Should the </span>Lakers<span> count the five championships the team won while in Minneapolis?...</span><i>Yes.</i></p>
<p><i></i><i>Is it true you rejected a trade to Detroit in 2007?... </i><span><i>"Yes."</i></span></p>
<p>Here's what Kobe said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(About the Lakers) And I said, I gave you a list of teams that I'm comfortable being traded to. That wasn't one of them, so no.</p>
<p>Simmons: So who was on the list?</p>
<p>Kobe: Not Detroit.</p>
<p>Simmons: Chicago?</p>
<p>Kobe: Chicago. Chicago was my number one choice of destination.</p>
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<p>Kobe also went on to confirm that essential pieces of that trade included <span>Tayshaun Prince</span>, Rip Hamilton and a boatload of draft picks. <a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12361600" target="_blank">Here is the video</a>. The Detroit question comes up at 3:10. Jalen appears very disappointed and surprised that Kobe declined a trade to his beloved hometown (Jalen's, not Kobe's), but let's examine, what would have happened if Kobe had waived his no trade clause and joined the <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pistons</a>.</p>
<h3>The curious case of <span>Allen Iverson</span>.</h3>
<p>If Kobe comes to Detroit, does Joe Dumars then make the trade that sends <span>Chauncey Billups</span> to the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nuggets</a> for a washed up Iverson? In short, no, because the whole point of the Iverson signing was to bring some superstar appeal back to Pistons basketball after a period of frustration. With Kobe there, Chauncey probably stays, and they try a quick rebuild in the hunt for Detroit ring No. 4.</p>
<h3>The starting 5.</h3>
<p>By trading away 40% of your starting 5, it becomes a question of who steps in. Obviously Kobe comes in at shooting guard, but who steps in at small forward? Do the Pistons play small ball and start a rookie in <span>Rodney Stuckey</span> or <span>Arron Afflalo</span> at the two and try Kobe as a small forward? Do they swing another trade? <span>Amir Johnson</span> and <span>Jason Maxiell</span> are on the roster, as well as experienced veterans <span>Lindsey Hunter</span> and <span>Antonio McDyess</span>. Although Johnson's value and potential was yet unrealized, the other three each could have netted a solid small forward. Or perhaps the Pistons start to realize potential.</p>
<h3>Future drafts.</h3>
<p>With Kobe Bryant on the roster, it's unlikely that the Pistons miss the playoffs the next few years, and therefore force their draft pick to climb from the lottery into the twenties. Detroit had the 29th pick in the draft, and selected <span>D.J. White</span>. But the next few seasons their draft position was 15th or higher. Kobe was on a seven-year contract at the time, signed in the summer of 2004, and would have been locked in until the 2011 offseason. If he was with the team the whole time, the 2010 and 2011 drafts look a lot different.</p>
<p>Let's postulate that the Pistons finish with a record good enough for a top 2-3 seed in the East those two seasons. That would put the Pistons, at best, roughly at the 25th selection. Let's take a look at who was drafted with picks 25-30 in 2010:</p>
<p>25) <span>Dominique Jones</span><br><span>26) </span><span>Quincy Pondexter</span><br><span>27) </span><span>Jordan Crawford</span><br><span>28) </span><span>Greivis Vasquez</span><br><span>29) </span><span>Daniel Orton</span><br><span>30) </span><span>Lazar Hayward</span></p>
<p>Hmm, stellar choices. There's not a chance in hell that the Pistons draft <span>Greg Monroe</span> unless they trade up the draft. Instead, Monroe probably goes to someone like the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a>, <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jazz</a>, <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pacers</a> or <a href="https://www.atthehive.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hornets</a>.</p>
<p>Again, in the final year of his hypothetical contract, Kobe leads the Pistons to a top seeding. They have the 25th pick (at best) in the draft. Who were the late first rounders in this edition:</p>
<p>25) <span>MarShon Brooks</span><br><span>26) </span><span>Jordan Hamilton</span><br><span>27) </span><span>JaJuan Johnson</span><br><span>28) </span><span>Norris Cole</span><br><span>29) Cory Joseph<br></span><span>30) </span><span>Jimmy Butler</span></p>
<p>This draft is considerably stronger down the tail end of the first round (funny enough, current Piston Reggie Jackson was the 24th pick by Oklahoma City. Again, <span>Brandon Knight</span> is not a Piston, and we likely select a Cole, Joseph or Butler. Would Jimmy Butler be the player he is today if he spent the first few years of his career playing for coaching royalty such as <span>Lawrence Frank</span> and <span>John Kuester</span> instead of <span>Tom Thibodeau</span>? Probably not. (Although John Kuester at least probably doesn't get a chance to coach with Kobe.)</p>
<p>Also, without the selection of Brandon Knight, the Pistons don't eventually go on to acquire <span>Brandon Jennings</span> in a sign and trade with Milwaukee. Knight becomes the PGOTF at probably Charlotte, while the Pistons have selected Daniel Orton and Norris Cole in the last two drafts (if they stick with a point guard).</p>
<p>Looking retrospectively, perhaps Kobe did us a favor by not rescinding his no-trade-clause and being sent to Detroit. Also, I even forgot to mention, in the trade, as I said before, we were including draft picks. We don't know what picks, but <a target="_blank" href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/2/18/4003444/lakers-trade-rumors-2013-kobe-bryant-detroit-pistons">it's very likely at least one first rounder</a>, which makes some of the aforementioned analysis extra moot because we don't have a pick.</p>
<p>Personally, it may have been better for the Pistons' future (which is the present, stay with me) to not acquire Kobe. We were able to acquire Monroe, a solid combo guard in Brandon Knight (who we turned into Jennings), and Andre Drummond. I didn't even get to Drummond because his draft was the year after Kobe's contract expired. If he signs that extension, we probably pick someone like Festus Ezeli or Miles Plumlee. KCP would not be in blue, red and white, but rather his spot would be taken by someone like Andre Roberson or Archie Goodwin.</p>
<p>We don't know how good Kobe would have made us, and for how long, but this long struggle to rebuild is finally bearing success, and, in hindsight, perhaps it was a good thing Kobe refused to be traded to Detroit in 2007. We would probably have trotted out a lineup of Kobe and 4 role players, and turned into some version of the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brooklyn Nets</a>, with no future because it was mortgaged in a past ill-advised trade. Perhaps players like Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson would have found success here, but we'll never know.</p>
<p>I'll take a Drumroe that hasn't even scratched the surface of its potential over a 30-year-old Kobe who would go on to make close to 80 million dollars but soon enter a rapid state of decline. It was a long road, but the future looks bright in Motown, and we didn't mortgage it on Kobe.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2015/2/23/8089429/kobe-bryant-trade-detroit-pistons-confirmed-horses-mouthBen Quagliata2013-02-20T15:04:01-05:002013-02-20T15:04:01-05:00"Kobe would have looked weird in Pistons jersey"
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<p><span>Tayshaun Prince's</span> reaction to the news that he was nearly traded to the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a> in 2007 in a deal that would have sent <span>Kobe Bryant</span> to the <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pistons</a> (from <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20130220/SPORTS03/130220036/1051/sports03">Vince Ellis of the Free Press</a>):</p>
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<p>" ... Kobe would have looked weird in a Pistons jersey. The man has been in the league 16, 17 years. It would be weird seeing him in another jersey, but I'm pretty sure everybody is saying that about me, too. If that was to happen, who knows? Who knows? I'm not going down that road, because it didn't happen."</p>
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<p>I've <a href="http://live.drjays.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/alg_iverson-foulcall.jpg">seen stranger things</a>, but whatever.</p>
<p>• <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/2/19/4003878/pistons-lakers-trade-rumors-kobe-bryant-nba">Check out DBB's posts from 2007 about the rumor</a></p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/2/20/4009912/lakers-trade-rumors-nba-kobe-bryant-pistons-tayshaun-princeMatt Watson2013-02-18T23:37:13-05:002013-02-18T23:37:13-05:00Kobe nearly traded to Pistons (in 2007)
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<p>Back in 2007, that is. The Pistons put an offer on the table to acquire the All-World guard, dangling Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson and a first-round pick. The Lakers agreed to the deal, but Bryant blocked it with a no-trade clause. </p> <p>It's true: <span>Kobe Bryant</span> was nearly traded to the <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Pistons</a>. The rumor first surfaced in 2007 -- here's <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2007/11/15/1215600/there-was-almost-certainly-never-a">my DBB post from 5-plus years ago</a> making fun of it -- and <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--kobe-bryant-passed-on-trade-after-this-lesson-from-jerry-buss--it-s-good-to-be-a-laker-for-life-002209469.html">Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski finally confirmed it today</a> with quotes from Kobe in a column honoring Jerry Buss' legacy:</p>
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<p>After all the anger and angst and fury of the immediate post-Shaq era had inspired Kobe Bryant to make a trade demand, Jerry Buss finally called his superstar guard to the owner's home in the Los Angeles hills on an autumn evening in 2007.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> had found a trade for Bryant, but Buss warned him that it wasn't to one of his selected destinations.</p>
<p>"Detroit," Buss said.</p>
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<p>Bryant, the last player in the NBA with an actual no-trade clause, nixed the deal. As the story goes, he had an epiphany at the meeting that he wanted to remain a Laker for life, putting his trust in Jerry Buss that the proud owner wouldn't let the franchise flounder for much longer. And it didn't: within months, the Lakers traded for <span>Pau Gasol</span> and Kobe won a scoring title. And even though the Lakers fell to the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a> in the 2008 NBA Finals, they went on to win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.</p>
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<strong>DBB archives</strong>: <a target="new" href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/2/19/4003878/pistons-lakers-trade-rumors-kobe-bryant-nba">Kobe-to-Detroit rumors from 2007</a>
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<p>But let's stop for a moment and think about what could have happened.</p>
<p>When the rumor first surfaced in 2007, ESPN's Ric Bucher claimed the Pistons were offering <span>Richard Hamilton</span>, <span>Tayshaun Prince</span>, <span>Amir Johnson</span> and a first-round pick. The rumor blew up talk radio phone lines for a day but never gained much traction among the beat reporters -- at the time, Free Press beat reporter Krista Jahnke poured water on it citing "a high-ranking Pistons official" who said the proposal simply never happened.</p>
<p>Now, we're told, it did.</p>
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<p>FYI, <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Pistons">#Pistons</a> source confirms @<a href="https://twitter.com/wojyahoonba">wojyahoonba</a> tidbit that they were close to landing Kobe Bryant.</p>
— Vincent Ellis (@Vincent_Ellis56) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vincent_Ellis56/status/303676399053574144">February 19, 2013</a>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Pistons">#Pistons</a> source acknowledges that the Kobe Bryant trade, involving several players and draft picks, was done and agreed upon in 2007.</p>
— David Mayo (@David_Mayo) <a href="https://twitter.com/David_Mayo/status/303677657139257344">February 19, 2013</a>
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<p>Would've been Rip, Tay and Amir Johnson along with a future #1 for Kobe in 2007. Story is true source says</p>
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) <a href="https://twitter.com/vgoodwill/status/303682174614396928">February 19, 2013</a>
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<p>If you recall, the 2007 playoffs weren't very pleasant. The Pistons won the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals and looked poised for their third trip to the NBA Finals in four years. Instead, <span>LeBron James</span> and the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cavaliers</a> came charging back to win four straight -- including the legendary double-OT Game 5 in which LBJ scored 29 of Cleveland's final 30 points, finishing with 48 on the night.</p>
<div class="pullquote">If a pit is growing in your stomach, it's because you remember what came next.</div>
<p>That pitiful performance was a harbinger of things to come, and apparently convinced Joe Dumars that change was needed -- but as we now know, he was rebuffed by Bryant. Apparently unable to find another deal to his liking, Dumars sat on his hands and rode his core to 59 regular-season wins and another trip to the conference finals -- but by that point, the torch had already been passed to the Boston Celtics, who successfully parlayed blockbuster deals for <span>Ray Allen</span> and <span>Kevin Garnett</span> into an NBA title.</p>
<p>If a pit is growing in your stomach, it's because you remember what came next: Dumars was finally able to orchestrate a blockbuster, but unfortunately, it was the wrong one. Having already dumped Flip Saunders for a completely-over-his-head Michael Curry, Dumars broke up his core by sending <span>Chauncey Billups</span> and <span>Antonio McDyess</span> (who'd eventually return after a contract buyout) to the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nuggets</a> for <strike>the ghost of</strike><span> Allen Iverson</span>.</p>
<p>Iverson never fit in, objected to coming off the bench and was eventually sent home. Dumars, who already wasted some of his cap space by extending Rip Hamilton, blew the rest of it on the first day of free agency by signing <span>Ben Gordon</span> and <span>Charlie Villanueva</span>, finding time to "dump" the extremely affordable <span>Arron Afflalo</span> and Amir Johnson, both of whom would emerge as legitimate starters elsewhere, for zilch. Oh, and have you heard of this <span>John Kuester</span> guy? But I digress.</p>
<p>What if the preceding three paragraphs of sadness never happened? What if Dumars had been able to orchestrate the first blockbuster he wanted? Think about it:</p>
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<p>That would have given the Pistons a core of Kobe, Billups, Rasheed and McDyess. Stuckey was a rookie.</p>
— Dave Hogg (@Stareagle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Stareagle/status/303679432546193409">February 19, 2013</a>
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<div class="pullquote">Would that have been enough to prop open Detroit's championship window another few years? There's no right or wrong answer when playing make-believe.</div>
<p>Would that have been enough to prop open Detroit's championship window another few years? There's no right or wrong answer when playing make-believe, but think about it: a three-guard lineup of Kobe, Billups and Stuckey would have been the best in the league -- if not in Year 1, certainly in Year 2 -- and even though Wallace and McDyess were already showing signs of age, McDyess was an absolute beast for long stretches in the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.</p>
<p>(Of course, losing Prince would have meant starting <span>Jarvis Hayes</span> and/or <span>Walter Herrmann</span>, but that's assuming the deal wouldn't have triggered additional moves. This is like the fading photograph in Back to the Future -- change one thing in the past and who knows how it alters the present. Or the future. Wait, what? Deep breath, let's try to focus ...)</p>
<p>However the rest of the roster would have came together, that team would have been a helluva good time to watch. And let's be clear, the proposal certainly took guts from Dumars, and it almost helps me view the Iverson deal in a different light. He knew his team was flawed, and even though he'd eventually develop a reputation for sitting on his hands (in part due to ownership issues), he was still willing and able to risk everything and swing for the fences.</p>
<p>This post is already long-winded and disjointed (I'm surprised you made it this far), so I'll stop now. But tell me, what do you think would have happened if Kobe, in a fit of impatience with the Lakers, said yes, opting to leave LaLa land for the Motor City, battling LeBron and KG in the East? Would the Pistons have another banner hanging from the rafters? Two? Or would it have been another dumpster fire like the Iverson experience?</p>
<p>Now your thoughts.</p>
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https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2013/2/18/4003444/lakers-trade-rumors-2013-kobe-bryant-detroit-pistonsMatt Watson2007-11-16T20:50:00-05:002007-11-16T20:50:00-05:00Pistons travel to the eye of the Kobe storm
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<p>The Pistons are in Los Angeles facing the Lakers tonight, and earlier today Kurt from <a href="http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2007/11/16/game-preview-chat-the-detroit-pistons/">Forum Blue and Gold asked me a few questions</a> about the Pistons earlier today for his readers. I obliged, and as you'll read below, he made time to do the same for us ...</p>
<p><strong>Matt: There was <a href="http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=6043">a silly rumor floating around Detroit</a> that Kobe Bryant vetoed a trade to the Pistons earlier this week. It's since been dismissed, but as a fan, is there a hypothetical package of Pistons that you would pull the trigger on?</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Kurt:</strong> Is there one I, trying to channel Mitch Kupchak, would pull a trigger on? Sure, if you gutted your team (say, for example, the deal rumored of Prince, Hamilton, Johnson plus a first rounder and then throw in Stucky and Maxiell, and I’d still have to think about that. Then, how many contracts to I have to buy out as the Lakers, with 14 guaranteed deals right now, to make that work?). The real problem with any deal for Kobe is he has that no trade clause and he wants to go to a contender — he wants to be traded but not to gut the team he’s going to. To butcher a cliché, Kobe wants his cake and to eat it too, but the Lakers want someone to pay for that second cake. And whether it is the Bulls or the Pistons or anyone else, the fair market price (or even something close to it) for Kobe guts the team he is going to, not really improving his current situation. Plus, the fact he went on the "Summer of our Discontent" radio tour weakened the Lakers negotiating stance. (I’m not a big Sports Guy fan, but he makes a good point — Kobe didn’t handle that same situation as well as Paul Pierce.)</p>
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<p><strong>On a scale of 1-100, with 1 being "hell no!" and 100 being "it's only a matter of time," is Kobe being traded this year?</strong></p>
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<p>I’d guess I’d say 33. The thing is, if Kobe looks at some of the strides the young Lakers players have made, the fact he has another borderline All-Star in Odom, the fact the fans here love him more than anywhere else, he’s going to be hard pressed to find a situation that is better once another team is gutted from any trade. The question is: Has his relationship with the front office been so poisoned it can’t be repaired? Despite what Stephen A. Smith will tell you, nobody really knows the answer to that, save Kobe. And maybe even his position could change.</p>
<p>There is no one bad guy in this situation, no black and white answers. Just a lot of people in shades of gray.</p>
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<p><strong>Andrew Bynum: better than Jason Kidd?</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Today, no. Two or three years from now? Yes. And this is the source of Kobe’s frustration — is the front office building for now or three years from now? There are four guys who speak for the franchise — owner Jerry Buss, his son Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson — and there is clearly a Shakespearian power struggle going on up there. They say they all talk and are on the same page, then with the next sentence contradict each other. And there just seems to be no clear plan for where to take this team — why sign Vladamir Radmanovic to a five-year deal then give Brian Cook (a poor man’s Radmanovic with the same skill set but not as polished) an extension?</p>
<p>Now, to be fair to your question, Andrew Bynum has taken a big step forward this season and you’ll see that tonight. He leads the league in rebound rate, is grabbing 17.3 rebounds per 40 minutes and is shooting 57.1%. His PER is 23.36, second best on the team to Kobe. He worked very hard this off-season to improve his conditioning (dropped the baby fat and put on muscle) and that is emblematic of his good work ethic. This kid is not going to be a Shaq or Greg Oden (if Oden is what we all think), but he can be a very good center. I think the best description is (for your older fans) a Brad Daugherty when healthy. That is hard to come by and can be a key part of a championship team with the right other pieces. There are a lot fewer people on the "trade Bynum" bandwagon today then there were six weeks ago.</p>
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<p><strong>The Lakers have a of history snatching up former Pistons point guards, from Lindsey Hunter to Chucky Atkins to Smush Parker. What's the over/under for how long until Flip Murray is starting for L.A.?</strong></p>
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<p>No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!</p>
<p>Actually, PG is the place the Lakers are most set. Fisher is a solid veteran, but Jordan Farmar is a young, smart player who is a gym rat — he got a lot better and his shot more smooth this off-season. And behind him is the more talented but raw Javaris Crittenton. The future seems set there, so hopefully no more Smush Parkers to set us back. Then again, read the last question about the front office again.....</p>
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<p>Thanks again to Kurt for taking time, especially considering he gave me much more time to respond than I gave him. As usual, leave your thoughts about the game <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/2007-11-16/pistons-travel-to-the-eye-of-the-kobe-storm/#comments">in the comments</a> -- yes, it's another late one (10pm), but it's a Friday and you worked hard this week, you deserve this. Plus, for everyone out of town, this one's on ESPN.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2007/11/16/1215605/pistons-travel-to-the-eye-of-theMatt Watson2007-11-15T10:53:15-05:002007-11-15T10:53:15-05:00There was (almost certainly) never a deal for Kobe
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<p>So by now I'm sure you heard that the Pistons were gunning for Kobe Bryant until they found out Kobe wouldn't waive his no-trade clause to play in Detroit. As far as I can tell, <a href="http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/2007/11/bucher_pistons_tried_to_acquir.html">ESPN's Ric Bucher first got the ball rolling</a> on this rumor a couple of days ago, but he didn't name names or say when it happened.</p>
<p>But that's okay, talk radio has a way of filling in blanks that don't actually exist, and not only <a href="http://cbs2.com/sports/local_story_318215353.html">naming names but also came up with a timeline</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>According to radio station 1270 AM in Detroit, the Lakers and Pistons came to an agreement to trade Bryant to the Pistons.</p>
<p>However, Bryant used his no-trade clause to veto the trade.</p>
<p>The report claims the deal was completed late Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Detroit would have sent Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Amir Johnson and a first round pick to the Lakers.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There's a catch, though; it's not true, at least according to the <a href="http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/SPORTS03/711150403/1051/rss16">Freep's Krista Jahnke</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>ESPN's Ric Bucher reported this week that various sources told him the Pistons made a stab at acquiring Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The Pistons were rumored to have put a trade offer on the table, but Bryant used his no-trade clause to bat it down.</p>
<p>The rumor sent shock waves through the Internet message boards and talk radio, but the proposal also didn't happen, a high-ranking Pistons official said Wednesday.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Considering Bucher's initial report essentially called Joe Dumars a liar, he has a built-in defense for the front office's current denials. But still, enough red flags exist for both teams (Detroit's team would be gutted; the Lakers aren't getting the big name they're seeking) for the discerning fan to doubt the rumors validity. Sadly, the rumor still grew long enough legs for me to feel compelled to finally comment, as much as I tried to ignore it.</p>
<p>Of course, there wouldn't be any of this confusion at all if everyone quit relying on unnamed sources. In the business of sports, there will always be more people willing to speak anonymously about this type of thing than on the record, but that also opens the door for reporters to rely on sources that simply aren't as plugged-in as their juicy soundbite makes them sound. It may sell papers and fill airtime, but in the end it wastes everybody's time.</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2007/11/15/1215600/there-was-almost-certainly-never-aMatt Watson2007-10-31T13:54:29-04:002007-10-31T13:54:29-04:00Peter Vecsey thinks Kobe fits best in Detroit
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<p>Peter Vecsey runs down several options for Kobe Bryant and comes to the conclusion that <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7391720">Detroit is the best fit</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>With all due respect to the above mentioned, there may not be a more perfect fit than the Pistons. Obviously, they must give to get; Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince somewhat compensate L.A. for the loss of its crown jewel and also it works contractually.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the vets who'd remain with the Pistons have won, as Kobe has won, so the pressure to win wouldn't be as great as in Chicago, New York, Atlanta or New Jersey, because they know how to done-do a title.</p>
<p>Then again, maybe Kobe's stretch-marked ego cannot be gratified performing in an out-of-the-way oasis vs. a sexy city. Still, if his No. 1 priority is to take the season to its triumphant limit for the fourth time in 12 years, what better spot (other than with a West contender) than beautiful downtown Auburn Hills?</p>
<p>"When your address is Auburn Hills, all you can do is win and win big, and that's what they do," an ex-Piston player decreed. "All they can offer Kobe is a great environment, a winning culture and no bullspit. If he's looking for something different than that, all I can say is 'OK.' "</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(Real quick: "no bullspit"? Is it me or does a word like that just reek of Grant Hill?)</p>
<p>Don't even think of this as a rumor, though; it's just one guy riffing on something <a href="http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/2007-10-22/is-detroit-in-the-kobe-bryant-mix/">we all talked about last week</a> -- it's not like Vecsey actually has additional reason beyond the logic he lays out to believe this can or will happen. Plus, as I've stated before, I don't think Rip and Tay gets the job done for L.A. -- they'd probably want a third or fourth piece, either in the form of one of our young players and/or a future pick. And that's probably too much for the Pistons to bite.</p>
<p>(hat-tip: bunches of people, including <a href="http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/2007/10/vecsey_pistons_the_perfect_fit.html">Justin Rogers</a>, <a href="http://pistonsnationblog.com/2007/10/31/pn-hookd-up-15/">PN </a>and the <a href="http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/SPORTS03/710310392/1051/rss16">Freep</a>)</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2007/10/31/1215570/peter-vecsey-thinks-kobe-fits-bestMatt Watson2007-10-22T14:44:08-04:002007-10-22T14:44:08-04:00Is Detroit in the Kobe Bryant mix?
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<p>From <a href="http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=5741">Steve Kyler on HOOPSWORLD</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A new suitor seems to have emerged according to a league source. This source admits the deal sounds more fan-based than team-based but says it's been making its way around and that's the Detroit Pistons. According to the source an offer of Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton could be what is on the table. If the Pistons are genuinely looking for a way to trump the Big Three in Boston cashing out Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun might be enough, especially considering how much the team has gushed about Amir Johnson. Pistons sources admit the idea is intriguing but could not confirm if the deal has legs, so at this point it could be exactly what it sounds like – a good idea, but until a Piston's source confirms it, be skeptical.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm skeptical, as well -- this almost certainly sounds like something that originated on talk radio. But, <a href="http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=294~1724~110&teams=13~13~8&te=&cash=">the salaries <em>do</em> match</a>: Rip ($10 million) and Tayshaun ($8.675 million) will combine to make just under what Kobe ($19.49 million) is due. I'd hate to see Tay go, but Jarvis Hayes is a starting-caliber player. Detroit would lose depth, of course, but they'd gain perhaps the best player in the NBA, so I'm not sure Detroit would (or could, really) pass on this.</p>
<p>That said, I doubt the Lakers would pull the trigger, not unless there was something else added to the pot. And unless that "something else" is a couple of second-round picks, it's probably too much for Detroit to seriously get involved.</p>
<p>(<strong>Update:</strong> <a href="http://pistonsnationblog.com/2007/10/22/pn-hookd-up-12/">looks like PistonsNation found this first</a>, as well as a creepy Rip Hamilton mask ...)</p>
<p>Other HOOPSWORLD articles of note: Bill Ingram caught up with <a href="http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=5723">Chauncey Billups</a> and Jarvis Hayes (<a href="http://www.hoopsworld.com/teams/team.asp?TEAM_ID=1">media player on the lower right</a>).</p>
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2007/10/22/1215556/is-detroit-in-the-kobe-bryant-mixMatt Watson