Lakers' future may depend on parting with Bryant

The Lakers are the organization that traded Shaquille O’Neal at the time he remained dominant and Kobe Bryant was facing criminal assault charges. Because it was the right thing to do to sustain the future of arguably the game’s greatest franchise. And for perhaps the same reason the Lakers may have to let go Kobe Bryant.

I know the amazing Bryant, who continues to amaze and remains a top five MVP candidate even as the Lakers only struggle to qualify for the playoffs, still plays at a high level and told TV host Jimmy Kimmel last week he intends to finish his career with the Lakers.

Bryant has hinted it will be after next season, his 18th in the NBA though he will be “just” 36. His $30 million contract expires after next season, and the presumption is Bryant would sign on for another year or two having watched Michael Jordan’s several attempts to retire.

But there is the question of whether the Lakers could afford it, and less so for the money. Which obviously would be substantial as you don’t ask a franchise legend to take a pay cut. No, the very future of the Lakers may depend on the Lakers parting with Bryant.

The Lakers’ future is with Dwight Howard, the mercurial center who will be a free agent this summer. It’s been much discussed the issues between Bryant and Howard, though perhaps the biggest is being “the man.” Less, maybe, for the title than involvement in the game. It hardly seems likely, especially the way Bryant still dominates the ball, he’d back off to feature Howard, who still chafes at his limited role in the offense. They seem to have a truce of sorts going now with the Lakers after Sunday’s win over the Bulls playing themselves into stronger playoff position.

But the Lakers mostly have to make a case to Howard to stay, and they’ll have competition.

The Atlanta Hawks will make a hometown pitch with perhaps Al Horford and/or Josh Smith as mates. The rumors are Howard’s family is pushing hard for him to return home as they’ve watching him struggle and be humiliated in recent seasons in Orlando and Los Angeles. The Nets quietly despite denials are back in it again, though their overpaid roster with no cap space makes them a longshot.

But the Houston Rockets could be the real threat. They have a young star in James Harden and the possibilities of putting together a fearsome team.

They have quietly been sending out signals around the NBA they’d trade Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, both of whom have enhanced their value since being lured last summer as free agents and were in the grand plan of GM Daryl Morey possibility to be used — as seemingly all his players are — as targets to be able to upgrade.

Imagine Houston with Harden is able to sign Howard. Then maybe they work a deal to move Lin to the Jazz, who need a point guard, for maybe someone like Al Jefferson. And Asik as one of the league’s leading rebounders would certainly net a perimeter shooting threat. It’s a potentially attractive package to present to Howard that the Lakers probably cannot match.

And that would be if the Lakers could persuade Bryant to take a back seat Howard. Anyone giving odds on that one?

That was eerily the same circumstances that helped lead to the Shaq trade. The Lakers wanted to sign up Shaq again, but they also realized they couldn’t keep Bryant subjugated much longer and O’Neal was slowing, that the game had to evolve through Bryant.

Even Phil Jackson appealed to O’Neal. O’Neal and Bryant weren’t close then, not unlike Bryant and Howard now, and Shaq refused to yield to Bryant even as Jackson assured him it could lead to more titles and still a major role for O’Neal. O’Neal got one title in Miami secondary to Dwyane Wade, and the Lakers in the long run withstood the bitter criticisms and have reaped the apologies since.

Now the Lakers may have to take the public relation hit again, though likely not until after next season as it doesn’t make sense for them to take on big contracts for Bryant for one season and few teams have $30 million in contracts to exchange for Bryant. Amnesty as Mark Cuban suggested to cut the approximately $50 million to $75 million luxury tax bill? Not likely.

But you probably can guess where I’m going by now: Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant.

How sweet would it be for Bryant to match or better Jordan’s career number of titles not only in Chicago but by beating LeBron James? After all, if Bryant stays with the Lakers at his salary level and Steve Nash on the books the Lakers cannot add anyone and seem to have no chance to win another title with him. And why would Howard opt in to that, playing second fiddle to Bryant on an aging team with little chance to win in the powerful Western Conference? The Lakers have to sell Howard on it being his team with his players after one more season.

Meanwhile, and I’ve never figured out why other than Jordan was there, Bryant has had a long affinity for the Bulls. When he was a free agent in 2004, he met with Bulls managing partner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM John Paxson about signing with the Bulls. But the Bulls only had the salary cap exception and Bryant opted for the big deal to stay with the Lakers. But when the Lakers crumbled, Bryant openly pined for the Bulls and demanded a trade before the 2007-08 season. The teams were in talks, even if the Lakers made the demands so egregious there never was a real chance of a deal, as the Bulls mulled various possibilities to trade for Bryant. The Bulls were the only team he said he’d go to.

And after next season the Bulls have various options to get below the salary cap and add a free agent. Obviously, Bryant would make nowhere near the $30 million the Lakers could potentially pay him. But I doubt they would, anyway. And, after all, Bryant’s always been about the game and the challenge. And what better way to take on a great challenge than at the end of his career, though still being highly productive, and going after LeBron in Michael Jordan’s playing city.

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