The 2014 trade deadline has passed, and the Lakers have stayed relatively unchanged. LA’s lone move involved sending point guard Steve Blake to Golden State in return for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks, but it was primarily a salary dump and a minor one at that since Blake only stands to make $4 million this year against the cap. But perhaps the biggest problem with Blake’s departure is how close he was with Kobe Bryant, who took to Twitter to voice his disgruntlement with the move.
Not cool with @SteveBlake5 being gone AT ALL One of my closest teammates and psycho competitor GS picked up gem #smartmove
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 20, 2014
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The trade only saves the Lakers around $3.5 million on their luxury tax bill, so was the move really worth it when it sends one of Kobe’s best friends to another team? Blake might not be a star, or even an everyday point guard if you’ve got serious title aspirations, but he is an above average backup and has been known to remain cool under pressure. We’re surprised Mitch Kupchak and Co. didn’t check with Bryant first, but they’re not required to since they run the team. We just feel bad for Bazemore and Brooks who have a long road ahead dealing with Kobe once he’s practicing with the team again.
What do you think?
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