Managing Mamba

What to make of Kobe’s extension, and how the Lakers can get back to the Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a contract extension with Kobe Bryant. The deal extends Bryant’s contract two years beyond the 2013-14 season.

Bryant is making $30 million this year, but the extension will have the “Black Mamba” banking for the next couple of seasons. He’s now owed $23.5 million next year and $25 million in the 2015-16 season.

Both sides benefit from the extension. Bryant will get an extra two years to win the luxurious sixth ring — just to tie Michael Jordan. But, something no one really acknowledges, Bryant will get an extra two seasons to make a run at the all-time scoring record.

Bryant is 6,670 points away from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387 points. With the Mamba’s mentality, it’s not hard to figure out breaking the record is something he thinks about often. Though, as he’ll always claim, winning another championship is his main priority. So we’ll focus on that.

As vital as those two years will be for Bryant, they’re probably more crucial for the Lakers.

When Bryant inked his signature on the contract, the clock started for Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak. Los Angeles is only three years removed from winning its second ring in as many years, but since then, the NBA has been the Miami Heat’s playhouse while the Lakers have been the the 6-foot fourth grader who’s been held back a few times and just needs to move on.

At the end of this season the Lakers will only owe money to three players — assuming they decline Elias Harris’ team option and Nick Young declines his player option. They’ll have Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre on the roster, but that’s assuming they don’t wheel and deal before the trade deadline in February.

If they want to contend for another title, Buss and Kupchak will have to open up the purse strings a little bit and toss cash like Oprah on Christmas.

Names like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have been shopped around, but anyone who thinks James will leave Miami for Los Angeles probably thinks Shaquille O’neal was actually a genie at one point in his life — oh, Shazam.

That’s a nice idea to dream about. Who wouldn’t want to watch James throw lobs to Bryant or vice versa. The same goes for Anthony, but he seems pretty content with bringing a championship to Madison Square Garden, so he probably isn’t going anywhere. He’s also a New York native so he’s inclined to stick with his hometown team.

James and Anthony both have the early termination option (ETO), but many think if James goes anywhere it will be back to Cleveland.

Instead of the shooting for the stars, Kupchak and Buss might want to  land on a relatively high cloud. They should consider the borderline stars.

Greg Monroe would be an excellent fit for the Lakers. He’s a strong, explosive power forward with great footwork and a soft touch. He’s 23 and can serve as the team’s  future — once thought to be Dwight Howard. Bryant also has a strong bond with Pau Gasol, so bringing him back at a reduced cost could also be in the cards. Gasol and Monroe would compliment each other well on the offensive side of the court. Both have good peripheral vision and soft hands in the paint. Imagine the interior passing. It’s enough to make Chris Webber shiver.

Again, that’s assuming Gasol would be willing to starve his piggy bank. Plus Monroe will be a restricted free agent, so the Detroit Pistons probably won’t let him walk without getting anything in return… unless the Lakers poison-pill (back-loaded contract) Monroe like the Houston Rockets did to Jeremy Lin. At that point, anything can happen.

Luol Deng and Dirk Nowitzki will both be unrestricted free agents, but it would seem only Deng would be a viable option for the Lakers because Nowitzki is already 35 and Mark Cuban won’t let him retire on a team not named the Dallas Mavericks.

Both Monroe and Deng have seen their names surface in trade discussions for multiple reasons — free agency being one of them. The Chicago Bulls might decide to ship out Deng before he can skip town, and the same goes for the Pistons with Monroe.

The Lakers can dream of brining in Anthony or James, but in reality, Monroe and Deng are more obtainable candidates. If Gasol decides he’s tired of money, Los Angeles could bring in all three to team up with Nash and Bryant… and Sacre. We must not forget Sacre (Brian Scalabrine 2.0).

Bryant’s contract hurts the Lakers because they can’t go on a George Steinbrenner-like spending spree, but they can still sign a max-contract player. Though with this new mentality floating throughout the NBA where winning is more important than money, Buss and Kupchak might be able to coupon their way toward the Lakers’ 17th championship banner.