Is Kobe next?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1833028
No, the Suns just spent it.
Kobe is going to the Spurs.
He has a yet unannounced attitude change to Title First, Not Money.
Details will be announced soon.
F the Spurs!
Mark Heisler:
The NBA
Flee Market
Bryant can begin to see what he's worth as a free agent, and Clippers might be first in line
Bon voyage, Lakers.
With their owner on vacation, their soul in Memphis, their coach on the beach, their center on the trading block, their golden child in retreat and their future in doubt, the Lakers embark on the free-agent wooing period today.
They're still shopping Shaquille O'Neal, hoping to hang onto Kobe Bryant, but assured of nothing. They can begin talking to Bryant but so can the Clippers.
Bryant reportedly had expressed frustration at the Lakers' direction, with Phil Jackson gone, O'Neal available and a roster of six players, two rookies and a second-year man.
Intent on staying in the area, Bryant has narrowed his focus to the local teams, expressing no real interest in seemingly viable options such as Phoenix or San Antonio.
The Clippers are clearing cap space for a maximum slot and have been since last fall, when they heard Bryant would actually consider coming.
Needing a point guard during the season, they passed up good ones such as Travis Best. They just dumped Predrag Drobjnak's $2.8-million salary and renounced Keyon Dooling. If Bryant comes, they'll drop Quentin Richardson.
According to tampering rules, the Clippers couldn't even speak Bryant's name until today, but as General Manager Elgin Baylor said last week, "We'll leave no stone unturned, I'll put it that way."
Teams can talk to players until July 14, when the actual signing period begins.
Richardson, a restricted free agent, has already said he'll "definitely" visit Denver, which last season signed former Clipper Andre Miller. Clipper officials believe an offer sheet will follow quickly.
The Clippers then will have 15 days to match. By then, they'll have to know if Bryant is coming. If he is, they'll let Richardson go to free up the cap room for Bryant; if not, they say they'll match on Richardson.
