If the Lakers didn't trade Shaq, their starting 5 would have been...

Posted on LakersGround.net on 2/10/06.

Assuming Kobe would have left as a free agent, the Lakers starting 5 would have been Shaq, Medvedenko, Walton, Rush, Payton with a bench of Cook and Vujacic (George didn't recover from his injury until late in the 2004 season). It's hard picturing that team making the playoffs.

We would have been able to offer only the MLE:
Shaq $29,464,288
Payton $5,408,700
Fox $4,928,625
George $4,500,000
Medvedenko $3,000,000
Rush $1,172,446
Cook $809,300
Walton $620,046
Vujacic $846,840

Total $50,750,245
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