The franchise is in the midst of a rebuilding process that may last a few seasons, depending on how fast general manager Mitch Kupchak can turn things around. By his own admission, it might take a while. Kupchak offered as much to Mark Medina of Inside SoCal:
I don’t think that we’ll use our cap money to patch together a team for next year. It may take more than one year to build, I don’t know. But just because we have a lot of money this summer, doesn’t mean we’ll spend it all. We’ll spend it wisely and if we can’t, then we’ll do the best we can this summer and then we’ll look maybe to the next summer. We don’t know how that’s going to play out right now.
It seems appropriate to mention that Bryant will be 36 years old by the time next season tips off and that his contract expires at the end of the 2015-16 season per hoopshype.com.
The days of the five-time champion carrying mediocre teams to playoff contention and possibly the NBA Finals appear to be over given his age and questionable health.
Let’s have a look at Bryant’s situation as a whole and how that affects the Lakers going forward.
Kobe Bryant: Slowing Down the Rebuild?
Bryant might very well be the reason that the Lakers' rebuild takes a few seasons before it gets completed.
The future Hall of Fame 2-guard tore his Achilles late last season, which forced him to miss the start of the 2013-14 campaign. Bryant is the source of multiple problems, and honestly, solutions will be hard to come by until he retires.
Bryant made his return in December, then fractured his knee after a mere six games. The injury was debilitating enough that the organization felt it was in the tea...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
