Kupchak stuck in a tough spot

Off to the side of Mitch Kupchak's desk, amid some paperwork, pictures and a persistently ringing cell phone, sits a bottle of aspirin. It's probably never far from Kupchak's reach. In his first comments since Kobe Bryant's headache-inducing trade demand, the Lakers general manager said Tuesday that he has been tirelessly seeking a trade to help the team's short-term fortunes, but that his efforts have been complicated by the public assumption that the Lakers are desperate to deal. (Los Angeles Daily News)