"There were two reasons" - Lakers journalist reveals why Eddie Jones was traded shortly after Kobe Bryant was drafted

Yahoo

07-07-2025

"There were two reasons" - Lakers journalist reveals why Eddie Jones was traded shortly after Kobe Bryant was drafted originally appeared on Basketball Network.
There was a notion that made its rounds some time ago that the Los Angeles Lakers traded Eddie Jones because they were all-in on Kobe Bryant. In fact, some NBA fans still believe that to this day.
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While it is true that Bryant took off after Jones left the team, Lakers journalist and author Jeff Pearlman revealed that it was just the partial truth. According to Pearlman, the Lakers indeed sensed a potential issue in terms of how to utilize both young Kobe and Jones. However, there was more to it than met the eye.
Pearlman disclosed in an interview that there were some concerns about Jones' mentality as a player. They began to think that he lacked what Bryant had in abundance.
"They tried to trade Eddie Jones for years and years," Pearlman told Hoops Analyst in 2020. "There were two reasons. Number one, they thought he and Kobe played too similarly. They were similar, but I don't think it was a problem. They were both slashy-type players that exploded to the hoop. Somewhat similar body types, Eddie Jones, was leaner than Kobe, though Kobe was thinner when he was younger."
"Number two, there was this idea that Eddie Jones was not a money player," he further revealed. "Shaq talked about that a lot. When I interviewed Eddie Jones, he was talking about that Game 5 against Utah in 1996-97 when Kobe shot those four air balls. Eddie Jones said he was furious and he wanted to shoot those shots and I talked to Shaq and he said that Eddie did not want to take those shots and that Eddie Jones shied away from those shots when they played together."
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The Kobe-Nick-Eddie trio
Looking back, the timing of Jones' Lakers exit really seemed off and quite baffling. Before being traded away, EJ was coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons and was even averaging 15.6 points per game.
Despite being productive and consistent, Jones was still sent to the Charlotte Hornets in the middle of the 1998-99 season. The Lakers traded Jones alongside center Elden Campbell in exchange for veteran All-Star forward Glen Rice, J.R. Reid and three-time champion B.J. Armstrong.
It was clear that the Lakers formed a new dynamic where Kobe would coexist with a different yet still explosive player in Rice. However, Pearlman reckoned that Rice didn't turn out to be a great fit for the team. For Pearlman, the unit that the Lakers dismantled by trading Jones away was already the best that they could come up with at the time.
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"To be honest, I thought Nick Van Exel/Kobe Bryant backcourt, Eddie Jones at the small forward, whomever at the power [forward] and Shaq at center was the most talent they had in that era," Pearlman assessed. "It didn't work and Van Exel and [Coach Del] Harris were never going to work but talent-wise Van Exel was a great player."
The trade never strained Eddie and Kobe's relationship
Despite possessing striking similarities in their playing styles and qualities, Jones and Bryant still had a great bond as teammates. They both demonstrated a mutual respect that eliminated any sense of jealousy that could arise between them. Even when the trade discussions regarding Jones were swirling, the situation did not affect his relationship with Kobe.
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Off the court, Bryant and Eddie also treated each other like brothers. In fact, their friendship endured the test of time as they continued to have a genuine connection even after Jones officially left the Lakers.
"He was with me all the time, even before he got into the league. In Philadelphia, he was always coming out and working out with me. Things like that man… you never forget things like that," Jones once said of Bryant.
"We always talk whenever we playin' each other. The night before and whenever we see each other," the two-time All-Star added.
Related: "I would hate to sell my house and see somebody go in there and not knowing the ups and downs" - Larry Bird on why he refuses to sell his old Boston home
The rise of a powerful duo
After a few seasons of trying to figure out how to properly manage the amount of talent they had on their roster, the Lakers finally found the perfect mix. With Jones out of the picture, Kobe was given more opportunities as well as responsibilities.
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They also came to realize that Bryant couldn't be with a scoring point guard like Nick Van Exel or even Armstrong. Instead, they formed an effective backcourt tandem in Kobe and Derek Fisher, a floor general who wasn't focused on scoring.
Ultimately, Shaquille O'Neal and Bryant both reached the pinnacle of their careers. As a duo, Shaq and Kobe became the new faces of the Lakers.
At that point, the Lakers were blowing everybody out. With Phil Jackson at the helm, L.A. became the best team in the league, winning three NBA championships in a row.
As for Jones, he had some productive stints with the Hornets and the Miami Heat. However, he was never mentioned in the same breath as Kobe again.
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Related: "He could not defend Stockton-to-Malone on that play" - Lakers journalist blames Shaquille O'Neal because Utah dominated L.A. in the '90s
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.