NBA Rumors: Lakers not considering Kobe Bryant in Draft plans

The Los Angeles Lakers are officially moving on from the Kobe Bryant era, something proven by their draft strategy this year.

Next: Toughest NBA Teams Of All-Time

When the Lakers said that Kobe Bryant wasn’t going to be playing for them after the 2016 season, they weren’t kidding. Rather than get into some sort of contract battle with him, the Lakers are avoiding a potential Brett Favre situation and are divorcing Kobe when his contract is up after next season.

Bryant may not end up retiring when his contract runs out with the Lakers, but the team isn’t going to pay to keep him around — and that’s not a threat as much as it is a promise.

Proof of the Lakers utter detachment from Kobe beyond 2016 is being seen in their prep for the NBA Draft later this month.

According to Mark Median from the Los Angeles Daily News, the Lakers are not factoring Kobe Bryant into their draft plans and are not at all considering him when it comes to the future of their franchise.

"“We’re not going to pick a player because he can play with Kobe, likes Kobe or dislikes Kobe,” Kupchak told Los Angeles News Group. “We’re going to pick the player that can have the longest and best career.”"

That seems cold, but it’s just what’s best for business at this point. The Lakers already got fleeced by Kobe over their loyalty to him and it’s a $40 million mistake they won’t make twice. Part of Los Angeles’ problem has been overspending for players past eerie prime.

It happened with Kobe, Steve Nash and others throughout the years and this recent stretch has been a result of the Lakers unintentionally scorching the earth.

Kobe may move on to somewhere like Miami, Chicago or New York to finish out his playing days at top dollar but the likelihood he’s back in Los Angeles — at least with the Lakers — is bleak at best thanks to this revelation about draft strategies not involving him at all.

More from Los Angeles Lakers

Home/Los Angeles Lakers