Kobe Bryant, despite having a great season once again, is 32 and will only find doing what he does harder and harder from here on. Bryant isn't the only Laker whose age will start to catch up to him. Ron Artest is 32, Pau Gasol is 30, Lamar Odom will be 32, Matt Barnes is 31, Steve Blake is 31, Luke Walton is 31. From the core to the role-players, the Lakers aren't getting any younger.
Another reason why the Lakers are probably heading downhill from here on is they're cash strapped. With a $90 million payroll the Lakers don't have a ton of flexibility. It hurts that much more when you consider bad contracts are going to be that much worse once the new CBA is agreed upon.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning the bright spots to the team. They have Bynum, a guy who's potential is preached every year but doesn't ever get healthy enough to demonstrate it (maybe he'll blossom with a larger role). Despite having a team that's probably headed downhill, the team and individual players did great last season and should hold some value on the trade market.
That's where I come in. Here are some random but interesting trade scenario's the Lakers could look at as they try to squeeze one more ring out of Kobe Bryant.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
