After years of not seeing eye-to-eye, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won't have to see much of each other at all if the Lakers complete a deal to send Shaq to the Heat. Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Ben Affleck isn't the only Hollywood guy playing high-stakes poker these days. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is sweating it out right now, too. His whole legacy in La La Land is up in the air as he waits to see how Kobe Bryant plays his cards.

Kupchak, who took over Jerry West's role as Lakers boss a few years ago, has done everything he could to make Bryant happy. He shooed away Phil Jackson. He made a run at Mike Krzyzewski. He even worked out a trade of Shaquille O'Neal. But even after all of that, the question remains: Will Kobe reward Kupchak's efforts by re-signing with the Lakers or will he "Boozer" him and bolt to the Clippers? Or will it all end like a Greek tragedy, with Kobe re-signing only to be convicted in his criminal sexual assault case and sent to prison next season?

For Lakers fans, still reeling over the breakup of their dynasty and the news that Shaq soon will be traded to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler, it all comes down to Kobe. If he stays and plays, the Lakers have a good chance to remain a playoff team in the West. If he goes, the team will be a total rebuilding project.

Which brings us back to Kupchak, and all his manueverings these past few weeks. L.A. fans can only hope he has had a good reason to believe Bryant is coming back. Surely the veteran GM, along with owner Jerry Buss, were given concrete assurances Bryant would re-sign if Shaq and Phil were sent packing. They wouldn't rely solely on Kobe's musings, or at the bidding of his agent, Rob Pelinka, would they? After all, NBA stars (one, in particular represented by Pelinka) have been known to change their minds. (Just ask Cavs GM Jim Paxson.)

Bryant is expected to announce his free-agent decision any day now, but that won't end the suspense. His criminal trial doesn't even begin until Aug. 27. In other words, Kupchak's sleepless nights are not over yet.

All we know for sure right now is that the Lakers Dynasty is history. Kupchak did all he could to pry something better for Shaq, but with so few teams able to take on the Diesel's massive contract, it was a buyer's market. The package of Odom, Grant and Butler is probably as good as Kupchak could get, though it's not going to make up for Shaq's absence in the short term.

Meanwhile, Miami has to be ecstatic. Heat guard Dwyane Wade is already an up-and-coming force. With Shaq in south Florida to draw double teams, Wade is going to be even better. He might not give the Heat a Shaq/Kobe combination quite yet, but it's close.

Even with a thin bench and a lack of outside shooters, the Heat, with Shaq, join the Pistons as the top contenders in the East. O'Neal might be slowing down, but he's still a dominant player. Now that he's got something to prove, and with a contract extension on the table, he's going to be primed for a big season. Also, Miami still has its mid-level salary exception (worth around $5 million) to use on free agents, so it could still add a shooter to help make foes pay for those double-teams on Shaq and Wade.

Heat coach Stan Van Gundy will have to change the Heat's philosophy a bit, shifting back to a more traditional half-court approach. But Van Gundy is well-suited for the task, having coached under Pat Riley all those years when Miami was running the ball through Alonzo Mourning. Van Gundy and his staff will have no problem making the adjustments.

As for the Lakers, they will have a hard time making it back to the Finals even with Bryant next season. Their projected starting lineup of Gary Payton, Bryant, Butler, Odom and Grant isn't bad, but it's small up front. The 32-year-old Grant, in particular, could have a hard time battling all those talented big men in the West. And if Kobe doesn't return? Lakers fans -- and Kupchak -- don't want to think about it.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.