According NBC Sports Pro Basketball Talk’s Brett Pollakoff, Bryant doesn’t want to have any input in possible free-agent decisions this summer.
“In all honesty, I don’t want it,” Bryant said.
Bryant has played just six games during an injury-riddled 2013-14 season.
While trying to knock the rust off after suffering an Achilles tear in April, the Laker legend averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 turnovers per game. He suffered a fracture to the lateral tibial plateau in his left leg on Dec. 17 against the Memphis Grizzlies and maintains that his recovery is “coming slowly,” per the Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch.
Management has an extremely tough road ahead, especially since Bryant doesn’t plan to recruit free agents to L.A., according to Dave McMenamin at ESPN.
Bryant added, however, that the front office has the cap space needed to make a short-term turnaround a reality, per Pollakoff:
“What we have coming up this offseason with the cap space and what we have ahead of ourselves seems to be right in the Lakers wheelhouse in terms of turning things around pretty quickly,” he said.
Of course, Bryant also said that he needs teammates who are as committed to winning as he has been throughout an 18-year career.
For people who don’t have the same kind of competitiveness or commitment to winning, then I become an absolute pain in the neck. Because I’m going to drag you into the gym ev...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
