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Should the Lakers trade Kobe Bryant?

IIn the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's wishy-washy Wednesday, when the Los Angeles Lakers' talented shooting guard turned the Southland upside-down by requesting a trade and then changing his mind, the team will likely revisit the question. Can they really get better by accommodating him?

As difficult as it might be to imagine Kobe Bryant in another uniform, and that is a staggering thought, those in the Los Angeles Lakers braintrust may have to conclude the answer to that question is yes.

Let's give Kobe Bryant credit for something. When he called the Los Angeles Lakers organization a mess, he was just being brutally honest. This is a team stuck in mediocrity.

Want evidence? How about the Los Angeles Lakers' last 24 games of the regular season. In those games they failed to beat a team with a .500-or-better record. They have not won a postseason series in four years.

And get this, Los Angeles Lakers fans it's not going to get better soon. Many of the Los Angeles Lakers' Western Conference rivals are teams on the rise. Portland and Seattle, two teams who have been awful in recent years, are poised to obtain two impact players in this month's draft.

The Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has won nine championships in Los Angeles, are all about winning. As much as they can rest in the knowledge they have the league's most prolific scorer, the Los Angeles Lakers are staring at more .500 seasons with the roster they currently have.

OK, who are possible trading partners? Granted, there are not many. One might be the Chicago Bulls. Players like Ben Gordon, Luol Deng or Andres Nocioni have been mentioned in a possible trade package. That might be workable. This year's draft is deep. The right trade with a few high picks could be in the mix as well.

Sure, the Los Angeles Lakers would miss Kobe Bryant's 50-point games and buzzer-beating shots if he were dealt. What they won't miss are his needless suspensions, technical fouls and selfishness.

That's right, selfishness. Last season Kobe Bryant took 1,757 shots. Of course he made enough to lead the league in scoring. However, he took 972 more shots than Smush Parker, who had the second highest total on the team. That kind of one-sided shot distribution does not create an atmosphere of good teamwork and chemistry.

Yes, trading Kobe Bryant seems like such a radical idea. But if the Los Angeles Lakers want to get better, they need to do it.

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