PHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers’ worst performance of the season set the stage for Kobe Bryant to take aim at his team’s management, a clear signal that all is not well for the perennial power out West.

The issue that surfaced after the Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns 102-90 on Sunday night was teammate Pau Gasol, and whether he is about to be traded. Bryant, who brought up the subject himself without any prompting, used a couple of profanities to emphasize how strongly he feels.

“It’s just tough for a player to give his all when you don’t know if you’re going to be here tomorrow,” Bryant said. “So I’d rather them not trade him at all. If they were going to do something, I wish they would just … do it. If they’re not going to do it, come out and say you’re not going to do it.”

The Lakers trailed 63-40 at the half and were down by as many as 27 early in the third quarter Sunday. Bryant, who scored 32, tried to bring the Lakers back. They cut it to 10 late in the fourth quarter but got no closer. Gasol finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Bryant was just 1 of 8 on 3-pointers and committed 10 turnovers. He said afterward that it’s tough for players to get emotionally up for games every night. That led to his comments about Gasol.

“It’s hard for Pau because of all this trade talk and stuff,” Bryant said. Things have not gone smoothly for the Lakers since they were swept out of the playoffs by eventual NBA champion Dallas last season. Coach Phil Jackson retired, and Mike Brown replaced him. The triangle offense was gone and the Lakers were re-designed as a defense-oriented team.

Before the season, the Lakers pulled the trigger on a three-team trade that would have sent Gasol to New Orleans and Chris Paul to Los Angeles. But NBA Commissioner David Stern nixed the deal, and in another trade, Paul wound up with the Clippers.