Archive for July, 2010

Mitch Kupchak just can’t move Sasha Vujacic fast enough. Just one day after the rumors of GM Mitch looking to move The Machine in order to clear room for re-signing Shannon Brown comes word of the New York Knicks making an offer to ShanWow. Brown could be enticed by the lure of more playing time and possibly even starting for the Knicks. Kupchak gave a timeline of 7-10 days for getting Shannon under contract. With the Knicks involved that time frame could be truncated significantly. The Lakers have shown Shannon nothing but love since he’s arrived in Los Angeles. After [...]

Once again, Andrew Bynum’s knee has fought the knife and the knee won. L.A. Times beat writer Broderick Turner reports that all went well with the repair of Drew’s right meniscus. Up next for Bynum will be 6 to 8 weeks of rehab. Being that the Lake Show is getting an early start on the preseason thanks to stops in England and Spain, Drew will be a bit of a long shot for the Euro Trip. Here’s hoping that after two knee surgeries in three years, we’ll finally get a full dose of the Altered Beast for the run at [...]

Wonder why Shannon Brown is stuck in contract limbo? Well, wonder no longer my Purple and Gold pals! According to Janis Carr of the OC Register, Mitch Kupchak is trying to trade Sasha Vujacic in order to re-sign Shannon Brown. Vujacic is due to make $5.4-million in the final year of his hideously overvalued contract. Based on The Machine’s performance last year, that would equate to Sahsa making approximately $9,400 per minute played. Carr’s report states that Kuchapk is offering both Sasha and a first round pick to any team willing to take on the contract of a reserve guard whose numbers [...]

Before Matt Barnes was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers today he had already begun his most important task to date – making inroads with his new teammates and fans. It was just a few months ago that Barnes drew the ire of both the Lakers and their faithful fans for his childish taunting of Kobe Bryant during a regular season clash. What followed was Barnes unleashing a Twitter tirade directed towards Lamar Odom. What a difference a Purple and Gold uniform can make. Just ask Odom who made no bones about having Barnes as a teammate. “He’s [...]

Size does matter. Defense wins championships. No matter what flavor of the month the NBA might savor, the aforementioned adages will always ring true. With that in mind, the two-time defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers signed veteran shot blocker and low post defender extraordinaire Theo Ratliff today. Ratliff, a 15-year vet, agreed to a one year deal at the veteran’s minimum of $1.35-million. In addition, swingman Matt Barnes is reported to have reached an agreement with the Lakers on a two-year deal worth $3.6-million. The second year of the contract is a player option and should Barnes choose to [...]

So, Chris Paul wants to be a Laker. Well good for him, who doesn’t? Apparently fed up with being a one man show in the N.O., Paul has requested to be traded. Among the teams he’s willing to take his services to are the Magic, Hornets, Cavs, Knicks, Blazers and the two-time defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers. Of course there is the little matter of what it would take to get Paul and his $34-million contract into a Purple and Gold uniform. It would take a snow storm in hell before GM Mitch would even consider moving Kobe Bryant [...]

After missing out on bringing Raja Bell to Los Angeles, the Lakers are reported to still be a contender in the Matt Barnes sweepstakes. Despite the reports of Barnes nearing an agreement with the Toronto Raptors it would appear that there is still a chance of the Lakers adding another perimeter player to the roster. ESPN’s Marc Stein reports the Lakers to be among a short list of five teams that have been in negotiations to employ the services of Barnes. The former UCLA Bruin has bounced around the league over the years but has gained a reputation as a [...]

For the second time in three years, Andrew Bynum will go under the knife. The two time world champion center for the Los Angeles Lakers has set July 28th – one week from today – for his latest procedure. After playing through most of the postseason with torn cartilage in his right knee, Bynum showed both his coaches and fans alike that he’s maturing well beyond his 22 years. On three separate occasions, Bynum had his knee drained including twice during the NBA Finals. While Drew is expected to make a full recovery in time for camp, Lakers PR Director [...]

According to the Harris Poll, Kobe Bryant is tied with Tiger Woods as the country’s favorite sports star this year. Derek Jeter of the Yankees came in third, followed by NFL quarterbacks Brett Favre and Peyton Manning at fourth and fifth respectively. Rounding out the top ten are LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.  It should be noted that while everyone above him participated in their sports most recent season, Michael Jordan appears in the top ten despite not playing in the NBA for over seven years. Kobe is the favorite sports star amongst [...]

If Ron Artest is going to tell LeBron James how he feels about the manner in which the self-proclaimed king publicly divorced the city of Cleveland then he’s going to do so on the court and not at a party in New York. Seeking to clear the air on his likeness being used for party promotion, Ron Ron released the following statement. “I am in no way associated with the nightclub party that is being promoted in New York City on July 16th that disparagingly refers to a fellow NBA player. We are in the process of pursuing legal action [...]