This can either be the biggest news or the biggest joke in the 2014-15 NBA season, largely depending on whether there is truth to this information or not.
Kobe Bryant, who has spent all of his 18 years in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, reportedly being put on the trading block by the team is not just surreal but also mind-boggling, especially to the millions of Lakers fans both in California and the entire world.
But coming from the perspective of the Lakers management, this could also mean that the team is now preparing to chart a new future and it is possible that such no longer includes the Black Mamba.
The Inquisitr got hold of information that the Lakers is eyeing to trade Bryant possibly in exchange for the sweet-shooting Goran Dragic of the Phoenix Suns or powerhouse center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Complete shakeup
Toting a dismal 11-24 win-loss record in the ongoing NBA season as of January 6, 2015 and bringing up the rear in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, the Lakers needs a complete shakeup of its lineup to have something positive to build on to.
The team needs a positive impetus that would not just be for the remainder of the season but more importantly for the future years of the franchise in the NBA.
While there have been earlier reports that the Lakers have put many in its roster on the trading block including the injured Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, and some upstart crew, those players would most certainly not get the team a prize catch on the trade market.
The only way the Lakers can rebuild, and rebuild well, is through the free agency. It had its chance last summer when the team run after the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Le Bron James but were beaten to the draw by other teams.
Wait or pull the trigger now
So the question now is more about timing. Timing as to how soon the Lakers wants to rebuild the franchise.
If it wants to do it immediately, then it is likely that the rumor that it is putting Kobe Bryant in the trade block is true. It wants a reboot of the team, even to the point of changing its current face, which has No. 24 written all over it.
But if the Lakers can afford to wait and simply write the current NBA season as their most forgettable one in the rich and glorious history of the franchise, then the rumor is not true and they would most likely keep Bryant. The team will just be doing better in the free agency market come summer.
The same Inquisitr report also cited that the Lakers will still pursue Rajon Rondo, despite losing him to the Dallas Mavericks already, come this summer where he will become a free agent. And should the team fails to get Marc Gasol via the trade route; they will run after him in the free agency market too.
Other marquee players being eyed by the Lakers to infuse new blood to the team are Kevin Love of the Cavaliers, Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets, and Brandon Jennings of the Detroit Pistons.