Howard left in free agency in the off-season, while Bryant and Nash both missed much of the next season due to injury, which contributed significantly to the Lakers' losing record in 2013-14. Bryant missed much of the next season due to another injury, and the Lakers finished 21-61. He announced his retirement on September 7, 2016. When a player is under contract for more than one year, they are considered tied up until the end of their current deal. In this case, Kobe was tied up for four more years with the Lakers, since he didn't have any intentions of coming back after his retirement announcement. Kobe wanted to continue playing at a high level well into his 40's like Michael Jordan, so it made sense for him to retire now while he was still able to compete at a high level. As soon as he retired, he became a free agent and could have signed with any team he wanted. However, it seemed like everyone wanted him to return home to the Los Angeles Lakers, so he decided to join them instead.