Kobe Bryant took his frustrations with the Pau Gasol trade rumors public on Sunday. 

"When Kobe speaks up, it means things are getting bad," said a person with ties to Bryant. "It means nobody's telling him anything."

The front office of the Lakers is believed to be on less than solid footing, as Jim Buss takes a bigger role and Mitch Kupchak battles to keep his staff.

Kupchak is "on an island by himself," said a person familiar with the situation.

"He doesn't know who to trust anymore," said another.

"The other GMs know what's going on," said one of the people familiar with the situation. "Jim has no relationships with other GMs, and they also know they're going to be able to swoop in there and do things [in trades]. This is a real critical time. The chances of Dwight Howard coming in there are slim and none at this point."