championship implications, and many were incensed . But that didn't last long, the League Owned the New Orleans Hornets, and the trade was vetoed. The Fall out was swift, Odom who at the time was going through a rough period became unconsolable, he asked for a trade in return the Lakers got a heavily protected draft pick and a trade exception. The team was still some pieces away and one of the notable weak spots was point guard. Derek Fisher, the long time Laker was traded away to houston for Jordan Hill and this trade coincided with a trade that brought in Ramon Sessions for a first rounder(Jared Cunningham) and a pick swap.Anyways the team preformed well enough with a winning core intact(Kobe,Pau,Bynum) and made it to the second round where we met the eventual western confrence champs, the OKC thunder(Durant,Westbrook,Harden) and promplty lost. Jim Buss was not meeting winning expectations but he was trying, many fans believed that big moves where on the way and they were right.
The Front Office had a playoff team going into the summer of 2012, they had a young all star, an aging all star and aging superstar. Many moves, were made. Ramon Sessions did not opt in to the Laker contract. This sole reason allowed the Lakers the neccessary cap space to trade for Steve Nash. They traded a 2013 draft pick (Nemanja Nedovic), a protected 2015 draft pick and some second rounders for Steve Nash. later that Summer the Lakers landed Antwan Jamison (current time warner analyst), and the trade machine was in full swing. In the Past the rumor mill was always going around the aging all star Pau Gasol, whether it was warranted or not names were always thrown around but this time it was Andrew Bynum. The Lakers were eying the Dwight Howard, The 'Dwightmare' had become a mess in orlando. Thats when the Lakers pulled the trigger and brought Dwight to Hollywood. The Stage was set, we had a starting 5 consisting of Nash,Kobe,MWP,Gasol,Dwight. What could go wrong? Everything... the Lakers went off to a 1-4 start and Mike Brown was fired instantly, assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff took over righted the ship with a 4–1 record, and to this day many believe he has been the best coach since Phil Jackson. Anyways Injuries had been amassing it was insane we lost Pau Gasol, and Nash for stretches. The team was not meshing Pau Gasol was horribly misused and was benched that season for a time and many problems were arising from D'antoni's defense schemes as well as his offensive schemes. Our team was sluggish and wasn't fit for the D'antoni type of basketball. But Kobe Played lights out he carried the team on his back game winners 40 point games, he pulled out all the stops. He was overused(~39 mpg), and he got injured on a routine drive to the rim against Golden State. He was out for the Season, and all of the Lakers hopes were laid upon Dwight Howard.
Everyone in the League thought Dwight Howard to be the best center of the League. He was the most athletic and the best defender during his peak but his attitude and demeanor where never indicative of a strong leader. The Lakers were swept by the eventual western confrence champs, the San Antonio Spurs. That offseason Dwight Left LA, for Houston. Many fans were enraged, the Dwight 'Coward' saga had ended for LA. However The Laker Problems had just begun. Kobe and Nash could not hold up. The 2013-2014 season had a strangely fun team to watch, but the team was wrecked with a ton of injuries. So any playoff hopes were tempered when Kobe went Down again with another season ending injury. The team was spear headed by Pau Gasol, and a bunch of journeymen/ young players that were trying to prove their worth. The Legend of Nick 'Tank Buster' Young was cemented. The guy was a fan favorite with all the offenses and flash to make one believe he was a star. His play proplled the lakers to the 7th pick in the draft. The highest pick since Andrew Bynum. With the 7th pick The Lakers drafted Julius Randle and change was in the air. Unfortunately, the Lakers didn't sign any big names, and we lost Pau Gasol. But we got a first rounder in the Jeremy Lin trade. So the future could be bright. However alot of speculation went into the motives of the front office for this season.This years 2015 draft pick, the same one sent in the Nash trade, only has a top 5 protection on it so this team has to 'Tank' to get that pick. And that's where we are now. Jim buss used his time traveling hot tub to get Byron Scott's playbook out of the 80's and signed Ronnie 'GOAT' Price to drive the tank. This however has created alot of friction within the subreddit. Lin didn't come to the Lakers alone. So there is a volatile balance between Byron Scott critics and Lin critics. Thats why we have a tank in the side bar. Because jeremy Lin is asian.