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There were reports today that Cleveland softened their stance in terms of being more willing to make sacrifices. I think the Wiz will trade Tawn provided they get two things. Hickson and a net reduction of at least 2.6M in payroll to avoid taxes this year, which means the Cavs have to take Mike James.

The Gasol trade was theft on the court but the reason it happened is Buss taking on an extra 30M in salary. That deal ushered in a new era of trades where you have to ignore the players and follow the money. Lakers got a gift but they literally had to pay for it. Anyone willing to take on 30M in additional salary now? Why didn't Pau go to Chicago? Because Reinsdorf wasn't willing to pay the price that Buss did. Why have the Lakers been in the finals every other year since Buss was owner? Actions like the Pau deal. Our owner wants to win, I apologize for nothing. Evaluating the Gasol deal strictly on players exchanged misses the point entirely. The trade was about money.

The talk in Oakland is this is 3-way talks. Maggette wouldn't go to Cleveland. The Cavs have a volume shooter at 3 already. Heard he's pretty good.

No way the Cs trade Perkins, one of the best low post defenders in the game for one of the worst? Uh, no. And Perk in Nellieball would be unintentional comedy. I definitely buy the Dubs trying to move Biedrins and Maggette as rumored. But Monta for Ray? Nope. They'll only move Monta if he's attached to Biedrins or Maggette in a larger deal. The Dubs aren't getting talked up as a player but they could be a deadline factor. The Maggette to Cleveland talk is part of 3-way scenarios, Corey in Cleveland, yeah right.

It's from Chad Ford on ESPN Insider. But he's not as connected to the GMs any longer. Woj at Yahoo is the one to trust these days and Stein is the best at the mothership.

That's what has been offered, doesn't mean Portland will accept it. Given that there's reports out that the Blazers were asking teams if they wanted Sasha, it'd clear they wouldn't want Vujabrick either.

Real - Ding has a column today that the assistants are pushing Phil to start Odom and bench Bynum. So it's under advisement. I think it's a move they should make, but tie it to matchups. Some nights Bynum, some nights Odom and then see how each responds. The improved defensive rotation with Odom over Bynum, and improved anchoring of Gasol over Bynum, are quantum leaps forward defensively. As a result they have to consider it.

I can see it happening, given that Kobe has made that subtle change before and won a championship as a result of it. It took him sitting to see what the ball movement meant and the light bulb to go off. Maybe the recent success can have the same effect. The challenge is it requires both to make the change together (Kobe pass more, team keep playing aggressively), which puts this on Jackson to shepherd it through. He's the one that has to set the superordinate goals that get both Kobe and his teammates on the same path. Time to earn the 12M Phil. Agreed on Artest, he's one of the few in the league that doesn't need touches to bring it on the other end. A very refreshing departure from the norm.

This team Kobeless is in the midst of an adrenaline rush and also out to prove themselves. The difference is the defense, and that's due to 1. More touches. NBA players are egofreakingmaniacs. More touches more D. A sad but very true NBA fact. 2. Faster reaction and rotation with Bynum out and Odom in. 3. Much smarter and quicker anchoring from Pau at center instead of Bynum. 4. Gasol and Odom flat owning the glass. They look great but when a star goes down a team rises up - short term. The adrenaline fades and then it becomes painfully clear just how much they need Kobe. But imo this can do nothing but good. Kobe sat late season early Threepeat. He saw what the ball movement meant to triangle execution. The light bulb went off, he came back as more of a facilitator and they steamrolled the rest of the season and through the playoffs. He doesn't need an epiphany this time, just a reminder that balance and ball movement can work wonders on both ends. Real - On touches I think there's two things at work. First, fewer halfcourt attempts to go around. Ariza had similar points to Artest but a lot of Trev's points came in transition. Therefore adding Artest plus Bynum relatively healthy means more competition for halfcourt fga's this year. Plus all of the 1's are potential free agents and looking for theirs. Second, bigs are gaining a larger appetite because either Pau or Bynum has been out and the healthy guy goes off. That success then leads to an increased demand for touches. Problem is compounded by only having one guard that's a capable and consistent post entry passer - and he's also your first option. They'll figure it out. This success will hopefully sell Kobe on sharing the ball more. Players will work harder for touches and Kobe will feed them. Before it was one wanted the other to jump through their hoop. Kobe: work hard off ball and I'll feed you. Team: I'm not working hard unless I know you'll share the ball. They get through that by a new path. Team: We've proven we can succeed with the ball, share it more. Kobe: You've also proven you succeed when you stay aggressive, work more. Then the key, both take that new path together in mutual trust. They do that and the joint success builds more trust and the execution elevates.

The last two games illustrate what this team can do if Kobe shares the ball more. They also indicate to the non Kobe's the value of being aggressive. Now they just need to put the two together to advance the team execution and energy level.

I'd welcome any change that cuts Fisher's minutes under 20 but I don't see Jackson agreeing to it. Odom has played great without Kobe but LO typically responds without Kobe. He plays with a sense of urgency and takes it upon himself to be more aggressive. Alas that player doesn't show up as often when Bryant is on the floor. Bynum will just pout if he's benched and you already have a very immature 'touches are my defensive engine' 22 year old. Bench him and his defense goes further south, me first turns into poor me, downward spiral. Fisher starts mainly because he keeps the triangle on the rails but also because an old guy is best served by starting each half since he's warmed up. Fisher cold off the bench will need to develop a rhythm, he'll force even more ill-advised finishes to try to find that rhythm. I think it may be possible for Farmar to start a few games as a means of resting Fisher in the second half of the season, but that would likely be it.

So Houston deals McGrady for Hinrich, Salmons and Thomas? Not seeing that one. Rox fans would know best, so you tell me Dash, who is in the lead on a TMac deal? Some are saying New York is the one most interested in him but Milkman obviously will insist on Jefferies or Curry in the deal direct or 3-way and I don't see anyone in the league willing to take either player.

Hinrich has two years left after this season. Sasha has one more. Point on Hinrich is if he comes in and Sasha goes out then the cost to LA is no different than signing an MLE player. They will have to spend to get a new 1 regardless. They want that net cost after taxes to be around 11M, that would be the cost of Hinrich in/Sasha out or MLE. The word on Phil is one more year and then he wants an ownership stake a la Magic. The Lakers have positioned themselves so that if Phil decides to retire they can hire Byron (Kobe's first choice for a Jackson replacement) or Jeff Van Gundy. Both Scott and Gumby were in Buss' luxury box last week. What LA will insist on with any coach is no locked in salary for anybody in 2011-12. They don't want a coach on the payroll in the lockout season.

Travesy - Those in the know say it's an absolute. Buss will only take on Hinrich if Vujacic or Walton is in the deal. He will not trade just last years for Hinrich, that adds 18M in payroll and tax next year. Too much money. No Sasha out no Hinrich in. Absolute. If that means no Hinrich so be it. Still comes down to what other options Chicago has. If they have one they take it, if not they have no choice but to take on Sasha as it would be their only means for cutting 4.2 off the cap and having a chance at the max free agents. On the hard cap, what the owners have proposed is an immediate across the board cut in salaries to fit the hard cap. It's not a case of LA would have to sell off pieces to get under. All salaries would be chopped with a meat cleaver.

They've shopped Salmons for a last year and had no success. Same with Ty Thomas. Maybe that changes deadline. Deng makes too much to be moved in this climate.

What are they risking though? Chicago wants championships. A tightly contested near upset of Boston is nice but not what the franchise or its fans expect. Jordan spoiled them. Even playing at an optimal level they'd be very lucky to make the ECF and have no shot at winning it. The Bulls are willing to cast aside an early playoff exit this year in exchange for contention in the years ahead. They need to clear that space. Salmons hasn't played that well this year and won't attract a last year on his own. Thomas is a nice piece but since he's on rookie K they don't clear the 4.2 they need. In addition if they are to land an impact free agent they'll need to clear payroll space anyway and two of their targets are 2's (Wade and Joe Johnson). I'd give them a good shot at landing Joe if Wade turns them down so the risk really isn't that big.

Travesy3 - Word is LA is ok with taking on Hinrich's salary but if and only if Chicago takes Vujacic off the Lakers hands. That way LA subtracts an MLE salary in 2010-11 and the payroll/tax hit is modified. Problem is getting Chicago to agree to it and that comes down to what options the Bulls have to clear the cap room they need to go after Bosh, Wade, et al. A deal even with Vujacic involved clears the 4.2 Chicago needs to shop for the impact names. Obviously it's a final option, they only do it if a Laker deal is their only means for getting the cap space they need to shop this summer. Poe - Hinrich is their best perimeter defender but by clearing him off the books they can go after Wade and Bosh. They have to clear 4.2 off their cap. Better to take the hit this year to be a contender next year, provided they can land a name in free agency.

Fisher was atomized. Farmar was selfish. Brown is getting an ego. None of them played any d or played smart ball tonight. Time to light the bonfire at El Segundo. This is a job for Captain Kirk. But it's so hard to have faith in that when any Laker deal for Hinrich requires the inclusion of Mr. Sharapova. Going to be a brutal countdown to deadline. No more Mitch saying we're fine as is to return to the finals. Uh no, not really. Athleticism gap is showing, price of no point guard worthy of the position is showing, complacency is showing. The mid-season storm before the dawn. But there better be a dawn as of February 18 12:01 pm or this team is in jeopardy of one and done.

Luke can't make post entry passes from the bench. He's such a liability in other aspects of the game his minutes need to be limited by design. The triangle doesn't need a traditional point but it does need post entry skills. Particularly if one of the foundations of the team is a three-man power rotation and an offense that works best inside-out. Teams are taking away the bigs just by fronting them. Only team in the league that tactic stops cold is this one - due to no 1. Kobe bailing them out of the 24 is out of pure necessity. Who else can create his own shot with limited time? Uh there's...and then there's always...uh, um.....

lol, only one answer to Fisher. Get Hinrich. Agreed Gasol does need to be more aggressive, and he'll need to be consistently rewarded with the ball when he does that. Goes beyond just one game. Problem is LA can't consistently get Pau or Bynum the ball second half cause they can't throw post entry against fronting. A lot of Gasol's whining would go away if they actually had a point guard who has - and I know this sounds crazy Phil - the skills of a point guard! Perish the thought!! No point for over a freaking decade on the franchise of Magic and Logo. Sad. I'm amazed I still have hair left after 14 years of Fisher.

Consider the benefits of Gasol established as a low block scoring threat and then passing out of it vs. Kobe Kobe Kobe. Floor opens up for the entire team, passing lanes, cutting lanes, more room for Bryant elbow, no zones. Consistency? The bigs need to consistently see the ball. They don't. When the Laker bigs have first half success the opponent fronts them second half and the Lakers' glaring lack of post entry passing skills is exposed. So Kobe shoots, the bigs get frustrated and pout, LA loses defense, inside scoring and rebounding and Kobe gets impressive ppg numbers as they go 5-3. Kobe fans want zero limitations on him to do his thing and zero criticism from teammates with significant flaws. Gasol's comments were unforgivably timed but still correct. Look at the road trip. 5-3. Kobe can still pick his spots in late 1st, mid 2nd, early 3rd and close while keeping the triangle oil flowing. He can walk and chew gum at the same time. As the default point he has to. I know Gasol has not played as aggressively as he did last year and Bynum is maddeningly immature, but that doesn't mean they aren't right. LA needs to play inside-out to open the floor if the triangle is to work. They need to share the ball so a defense can't just converge on Kobe to bottle up the offense. Part of the answer is get a point who can make a post entry pass and beat the fronting tactic. Part of it is Bryant has to adopt a 1 mindset far more often to keep his teammates in rhythm. Those two happen then the bigs are oiled, the team execution improves on both ends, they are winning as a team instead of Kobe taking on too much and then dragging the team across the finish line. Win collectively. Easier on the health of Bryant and the ego of the team.

The team is still better served running an inside-out offense with Kobe sharing the ball more. You run Kobecentric do what he wants vortex and the team just watches him, the ball movement dies, the off ball movement dies, the opposition runs the Boston zone at him and the triangle dies. Kobe has to lead, that means more looks for his teammates early to get them motivated and in rhythm, Bryant gets aggressive in the final 6-8 minutes of the second quarter. They open the third again committed to a team flow, Kobe looks for his in the 3rd after that, then he closes in the final five of the game. What is the harm of that blueprint? You have to trust more than just Kobe or they will lose. Gasol is also the second best passer on the team after Bryant. It's not just about what Pau does for himself but the looks he can generate for others, he's the only other playmaker they have in the starting five. Fisher can't create for anyone and never could. Artest is still lost in the offense, Bynum is a black hole. Inside-out isn't just bigs shoot, it's Pau establishes the scoring threat low block and then passes out of it to make the triangle work on a high-low axis to open the floor. I only trust Kobe, see Kobe shoot, is begging to be zoned. It won't work. Kobe has to modify his game. Doesn't mean he changes it, means he tweaks it. They have no point guard, that makes Kobe the point and he has to think like one at times to lead the team. Have to grease the wheels to keep the execution flowing, particularly in an offense like the triangle and especially if you have no point guard. The Lakers haven't had a point guard since Cancun. The team pays a heavy price for that, and so must Kobe. Balance wins championships.

Gasol is correct but he picked a bad night to complain as he and Bynum weren't working for the ball, their legs were dead in a b2b in the getaway game of an 8-game road trip. Kobe has to share the ball more, there are games when he shoots well like last night, games where he can't hit the water from a rowboat, it still applies as a general principle - he must take fewer shots and keep moving the ball. You have a roster built on a 3-man power rotation and that has to be fed. On a team with no point guard it defaults to Kobe and he has to make the effort to get everyone involved. There are legit excuses for Bryant, but the principle remains. He can say they aren't working for the ball, that he was hitting, that it falls to him to take late in the 24 shots and create something out of thin air when the triangle fails. All true. However, the team needs the ball too. You can't expect bigs to establish a rhythm without the ball, and if you keep jacking up shots you're going to alienate players into no longer working for a ball they don't expect to see. Chicken and egg. Bryant goes vortex, bigs no longer work for the ball and it feeds on itself. I don't care if the excuses are legit or not. Kobe must share the ball more. One of the billion reasons why they need a new point guard asap is that Kobe defaults to the 1 role but doesn't think like a 1. A point would know instinctively he has to get the bigs involved, Kobe doesn't think that way and they pay a price for not having the 1 mindset on the floor. Alas if Boston deals Allen for Hinrich and whatever, there goes LA's best and maybe only chance at getting the two-way point they need desperately. If no point is added to this team I don't have much faith they repeat.

Logo in an interview today, about Kobe: People say, well, that was an unbelievable shot – other people can’t do those things, OK? But for him, it’s not an unbelievable shot, it’s something that’s become commonplace for him, and you expect it from him. He’s just been one of the most remarkable players – I think in overall talent – and again I don’t know how you judge players other than talent – I think he’s probably been the greatest all-around player that the Lakers have ever had. And when I talk about all-around, I’m talking about defense, and his ability to score the ball, his competitiveness and the fact that his teams win. You watch Magic Johnson play, a completely different player. He was incredible and I love Magic, but I think for pure talent and pure ability to go out and dominate a game the way he can dominate on the offensive end, and then to watch him defend – he’s become a very good defender. He’s become a great teammate. This is a long process from the time he was 17-years-old … there is something that some people were born with, and he was born with ‘it.’ How do you describe ‘it’? My two cents: Best overall Laker, Kobe. Greatest Laker, Magic. Rings are why the game is played.

If this deal was made Chicago is at 44 entering the summer with Amare. Cap is projected to fall in a 54 to 57 window. Gives Chicago 10-13 million in cap room. They're also shopping Deng and Salmons. If they can move them for 4-6M less in return then the Bulls would have a max slot to offer Wade. But that's cart way ahead of the horse, because Phoenix won't take on Hinrich's salary. Chicago has to thread the needle. Brad Miller's contract and Ty Thomas aren't enough for Amare. Suns won't take Hinrich. Who else can the Bulls offer while keeping Noah? That's the first hurdle. The second is making Hinrich's contract disappear. LA's offer saves them 4M but not the full 9. The final hurdles are moving Deng and Salmons. Looking at all that it seems Chicago's best hope is seeing if Phoenix wants Deng, then they make the Hinrich deal with LA, and try to find a taker for Salmons. If the Suns pass on Deng then Chicago needs to find a cheaper player back for him who they then send to Phoenix. Chicago does all that then they can trade for Amare and sign Wade, or Joe Johnson as a consolation prize. Heat fans shouldn't get too worried unless Chicago can move Deng, if the Bulls can do that then it's definitely time to worry.