With a Shakespearean tragedy of an NBA season now mercifully behind them, so much uncertainty follows the Los Angeles Lakers this summer that one can only wonder if the worst is, in fact, over. Yet, of the several questions that will be hotly debated, here are the four most noteworthy.
Between injuries, age, free agency, the luxury tax and the pending 2014 LeBron James summer sweepstakes, who is the most important piece to the Los Angeles Lakers moving forward?
The answer is Kobe Bryant. Despite tearing his ACL at the tender age of 34, few doubt he will eventually return, but questions of how soon and at what cost will continue to fuel speculation that the organization may legitimately entertain amnestying him. Know why they won't though? Allow me to defer to the good and holy book of common sense, which states in chapter four, verse nine:
Let not thou head be as thick as the statue of which thou shalt build to immortalize an individual, and lest it be tarnished by the sin of amnesty, for which an unspeakable revolt would ensue because thou is a blithering idiot.
Funny as it may sound, the only guaranteed return that Lakers fans can hold onto at this point is of the same guy who is currently battling a career-ending injury and is due upwards of $30 million next season. By the way, that's why they call him the black mamba.
What will Dwight Howard's future hold with Los Angeles?
In a perfect world, the Lakers would use him as the principle guy in a sign-and-trade deal to get another superstar who is actually worthy of having the torch passed to him from Kobe. Perhaps someone like Chris Paul, for instance.
In reality though, and despite all the devastation and heartache that Dwight has had to "deal" with all season long, he'd be crazy to leave LA. They can offer him the most money, the most traditio...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
