Odom Trade Speculation

Lamar Odom’s name is currently being thrown around in trade speculation after a disappointing performance by the Lakers squad in the NBA Finals. With the draft only a week away, there are a lot of names being talked about in trades, nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. ESPN.com’s NBA Draft guru Chad Ford speculates that possible trading partners for the Lakers could be the Nets, Bulls, Kings and Grizzlies. Each of those teams has a small forward that they’d be willing to move.  Odom will be forced to move back to the small forward position next season when Andrew Bynum returns, so trading him for a three would make the most sense if they were to swing a deal.

New Jersey could offer Richard Jefferson, and that’s something the Lakers would have to consider. Jefferson is more aggressive than Odom and could provide Kobe Bryant with a more consistent sidekick offensively. Sacramento could offer Ron Artest, which would give the Lakers a second elite perimeter defender. Chicago could offer Andres Nocioni, but I don’t see that being enough in an exchange for Odom. Memphis could offer Mike Miller, which is another deal the Lakers would have to consider because Miller is a dead-eye shooter and would likely get a lot of open looks due to the efficiency of the Lakers’ passing game. It’s unlikely that Odom gets moved, but I think the best deal for L.A. would be to acquire Mike Miller, who is highly underrated because he’s been tucked away in Memphis for years.

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Posted in General on June 19, 2008

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