Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak: No Blowing Up of the Team

Despite the endless rumors, Kupchak maintains that the Lakers’ core group will stay intact. From the Daily News: “Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak separated fact from fiction and truth from rumor in no uncertain terms several hours before the team made the first of its four second- round picks in Thursday’s NBA draft. Kupchak shot down the predraft chatter that had the Lakers offering Lamar Odom to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second overall pick in the draft, or sending him and Luke Walton to the Philadelphia 76ers for Andre Iguodala. ‘I’m not exactly sure where it all came from,’ Kupchak said of the persistent trade rumors, ‘but prior to our exit from the playoffs, a prominent member of the media suggested we blow up the team, and so I think that created an avalanche of expectations with other teams that we were looking to do things. ‘It’s not our goal right now to look to break up this team.’ Kupchak was referring to team vice president Magic Johnson. ‘Certainly, we’ll explore opportunities, but we’re not out there dialing 27 or 28 other teams (and asking), `What would you do for these players?’ Kupchak added. ‘What I would say is that based on the rumors we’ve heard the last week or so, I don’t anticipate any of those things happening today, tomorrow or the next day.'”