Kobe Bryant is over 32 years old.
Derrick Rose is only 22 years old.
Kobe has won only one NBA MVP Award in his 15 season career.
Rose is about to win his first MVP this year in what is only the third season of his career.
Kobe is on the decline.
Rose is only getting better and better.
Now ask yourself this:
If you could make a clean swap of Kobe Bryant for Derrick Rose starting today, would you do it?
Not 22-year-old Kobe, not Kobe the Killer from 2006; I'm talking Kobe of 2011.
Yes, the Lakers could be giving up on their title this year if they made the swap, but not necessarily.
Who's to say Rose couldn't step into Kobe's shoes, or better yet, Derek Fisher's?
The team might even improve this year with Rose in place of Kobe, despite the lack of time for the team to gel.
Either way, what the Lakers would be doing for sure is guaranteeing excellence for another eight years or so, if not more.
In doing so, they could be gifting the Chicago Bulls their first championship since Michael Jordan, but then again, Kobe and the Bulls would have to get through Rose and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals first.
Given the opportunity, would you make the trade?
* * *
When compared to Derrick Rose, "Is Kobe Bryant Overrated?"
Just a few short weeks ago, "Did Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers Hit Rock Bottom?"
When considering the future of the Lakers, "Is Andrew Bynum The Lakers' Future Franchise Player?"
When giving up on Kobe Bryant for Derrick Rose, "Is Kobe, Not LeBron James, The Biggest Quitter in The NBA?"
Since we made no moves prior to the trade deadline, "Laker Disappointment: Is It Inevitable?"
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
