The Wait Is Over … Lamar Odom Is Back With the Lakers!

After making everyone sweat for awhile, Lamar Odom has ended his free agent status and decided to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, signing a contract reportedly worth $33 million over four years. Yesterday (July 30), Lamar Odom woke up and listened to a message from his agent, Jeff Schwartz, in which he simply said, “You’re still a Laker.” The Lakers agreed on a four-year deal, reportedly worth $33 million, with a team option for the final year. The 6-foot-1o forward will earn less than the last Lakers offer, which was pulled off the table by Lakers owner Jerry Buss two weeks ago, of about $36 million over four years.

Yesterday Odom told reporters he wasn’t worried about the withdrawl of the first Lakers offer and even made reference to the Miami heat, which gave him a six-year, $63-million deal in 2003 (he was traded to the Lakers the following year as part of the Shaquille O’Neal deal) saying, “Naw, only because, if worse came to worse, I was going to go somewhere that was  comfortable. I was going to fight for what I wanted first and that was being in L.A. and being a Laker. L.A. was the first place that came to my mind. That’s where my heart was at.” An excited Odom continued to say, “It’s good that I put my personal ego aside. My basketball ego was, ‘Why we negotiating?’ But my personal ego didn’t take it personal. I put my personal ego aside a little bit. I was able to stay patient. That’s a great thing that I’m back playing basketball for the Lakers. I’m getting so many calls from friends. The Lakers are family. My kids don’t have to switch schools. Little things like that are important. People don’t think about things like that. I feel like something special is going to happen in this town.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 31, 2009 - Post a comment

Lakers-Celtics Meet Again

The Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to win the championship in Las Vegas but the Boston Celtics are close behind. While some thought the Boston-L.A. finals rematch would happen this past June, it never did, and now the past two NBA champions are neck-and-neck in the offseason. The Lakers are early favorites to repeat with 8-5 odds, according to the L.A. Times, and the Celtics are close behind with 3-1 odds at MGM/Mirage.

Both the Celtics and the Lakers have made major acquisitions during the offseason: L.A. signed Ron Artest and Boston inked a deal with Rasheed Wallace. Both Artest and Wallace are known for being unpredictable players but oddsmakers still think both teams will fare well next season. The Lakers still may lose Lamar Odom to free agency, but the oddsmakers still aren’t worried about the team. Said executive director of the Las Vegas Hiltno’s Race and Sports book Jay Kornegay to the Times, “We didn’t change anything when they got Artest, and if they lose Odom it’ll just be a wash. Odom’s a component, but he’s not a star. As that team has already shown, if they lose someone, they’ll find someone else.” The Lakers are 2-1 favorites and the Cleveland Cavaliers are 3-1, with the Celtics behind at 5-1, at Hilton’s Race and Sports book.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 30, 2009 - Post a comment

Will Odom Pick the Lakers or the Heat?

Lamar Odom might be hoping that the Los Angeles Lakers will improve their offer, but Dwayne Wade, star player for the Miami Heat, is trying to get Odom to end his status as a free agent. Wade took to his Twitter account on Sunday night (July 26) to announce that he flew to L.A. to “bring Odom bac (sic)” to the Heat. Earlier that weekend Wade tweeted about asking Odom to “come back to where it started for the both of us.” According to one source who spoke to ESPN.com, a resolution to the month-long Lamar Odom ordeal will be solved “in the next few days,” although no one knpws if Heat president Pat Riley will meet with Odom while in L.A. this week (or if former teammate Wade has an imapct on Odom’s decision).

Odom had one successful season with Miami in 2003-04 and the Heat has offered him as much as it can for a team well over the salary cap: $34 million over five years with an opt-out to return to being a free agent after the fourth season. If he does return to Maimi, sources say Odom will likely sign the five-year deal or opt for a four-year deal that includes a provision to return to free agency after three years. Read the full article at ESPN.com.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 29, 2009 - Post a comment

Bookmakers Not Worried About Losing Lamar

Monday (July 27) Las Vegas bookmakers said that the Lakers’ acquisition of Ron Artest is better than losing free-agent forward Lamar Odom. Director of the MGM/Mirage Race and Sports Book Jay Rood told the L.A. Times, “Getting [forward Ron] Artest is better than losing Lamar. The core of the team still is what it is, and as long as you keep Kobe [Bryant] and [Coach] Phil [Jackson], nothing changes.” The Lakers are an 8-5 favorite to win the NBA title at MGM/Mirage, with the Boston Celtics behind them and recent addition Rasheed Wallace, at 3-1. The Cleveland Cavaliers are next, with Shaquille O’Neal joining LeBron James at almost 14. The Orlando Magic are 13-2 and the San Antonio Spurs, 7-1.

Executive director of the Las Vegas Hilton’s Race and Sports book (which has the Lakers as the 2-1 favorite over the 3-1 Cavaliers and 5-1 Celtics), Jay Kornegay said, “We didn’t change anything when they got Artest, and if they lose Odom it’ll just be a wash. Odom’s a component, but he’s not a star. As the team has already shown, if they lose someone, they’ll find someone else.” If  Odom goes to the Miami Heat his effect at the sports book will be minimal; according to Rood he would drop the Heat from 25-1 to around 22-1.  Said Rood, “He might make Miami significantly better but they still have the Celtics, Cavs and Magic in front of them.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 28, 2009 - Post a comment

Kobe Bryant in China

NBA champion and finals MVP Kobe Byrant traveled to Shanghia and Chengdu in China as part of his six-stop trip in Asia over the weekend. Bryant is teaching his basketball skills to a new generation of the sport through his “NIKE Champion Returns - Kobe Training Camp” and told reprters in Shanghai on Saturday (July 25), “The kids in China are brilliant and they continue to amaze me every time I’m here. I’m pleased to see these talented players and I know they have trained very hard to get to where they are today. My goal is to inspire these guys to work even harder to improve their skills and never give up their vision of becoming great players.”

Among the dozen or so NBA players who have visited China in the past several weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers all-star guard has received the warmest welcome (apart from injured Houston Rockets center and national hero Yao Ming). Bryant’s No. 24 hersey is the best-seller in China, according to the NBA. Tonight Bryant will be in Beijing for a charity banquet to initiate his Kobe Bryant China Fund, a recently-established charity which will partner with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation (a Chinese charity organization) to raise funds for education and health programs within China.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 27, 2009 - Post a comment

Derek Fisher Wants Lamar Odom to Stay

According to the L.A. Times, Lakers guard Derek Fisher says he and other Lakers have contacted free-agent forward Lamar Odom to urge him to re-sign with the franchise. Sadi Fisher of Odom, “We want him back badly and I hope we can accomplish that in the next couple days.” One week after Lakers owner Jerry Buss withdrew an offer worth $9 million per season over four seasons (three guaranteed) or $10 million per season over three seasons, Odom remains an unsigned free agent. The Miami Heat has been wooing Odom and can offer him up to $34 million over five seasons and potential state income tax benefits, but some of the Lakers are hoping he’ll stay. “There’s no question that we need him back. We want him back. If those things are in place, hopefully we can just go and get this done and put this behind us and start working on 2009-10,” said Fisher.

Fisher sees Odom’s value as extending beyond his impressive playoffs stats, with 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists while playing 32 minutes per game in 23 playoff games, and when asked about the new acquisition of Ron Artest he said Artest would offer needed strength and size “for the untimely lack of re-signing of Lamar.” Fisher continued to praise Odom saying, “As much credit as sometimes I get — probably more than I should — as far as my importance to the team from a spiritual perspective in our locker room and whatnot, I think Lamar is equally important. His personality and the way he carries himself … Lamar is a very caring person and a lot of times he cares more about other people than himself. To have a guy like that in the locker room, a lot of times he’s an example for a lot of other guys on our team. And what he went through this past year, going to the bench — and I mean he’s an all-star caliber player — and in a contract year to come off the bench and he’d never done it before in his career, he did it as well as anybody could ever do it and his team won a championship at the same time.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 24, 2009 - Post a comment

Lakers Resume Talks with Lamar

According to a source who was not authorized to comment publicly, the Lakers and Lamar Odom resumed talks yesterday (July 22). Although there was nothing to report “at the moment,” the talks were described as productive. Last week the Lakers pulled their offers (of three years and $30 million or four years and $36 million, with the fourth year only partially guranteed) after Odom and his agent dragged their feet on signing, but things are looking up as of yesterday. The offers extended to Odom may have dropped slightly and the Lakers were not expected to improve upon their initial offers but communication has nonetheless taken a more positive tone.

The Lakers have allocated $83.8 million to 12 players next season (which means an additional luxury-tax penalty of $13.9 million) and have to be conscious of entering too far into luxury-tax territory. The Lakers’ payroll was $78.2 million last season and the franchise paid an additional $7.2 million in luxury taxes. If the Lakers don’t end up signing Odom, they can sign a veteran forward for around $1 million (they have considered Sheldon Williams) and also have until Aug. 1 to decide whether or not to bring back gurad Sun Yue next season for $736,000. The Lakers are waiting to resolve the situation with Odom before signing Bryant to a contract extension; Bryant will get $23 million next season and is also expected to receive an additional extension of $134 million to $138 million over the next five seasons (dependent on salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011).

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 23, 2009 - Post a comment

Kobe Bryant “Optimistic” About Odom

During a news conference in Singapore, part of a six-country Asian tour, today, Kobe Bryant expressed optimism when asked about the possibility of the Lakers re-singing Lamar Odom. “I’m optimistic that he’ll be back. He makes us a much, much stronger team,” said Bryant. Odom was a key player in leading the Lakers to a championship win this season, averaging 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs, but negotiations about re-signing the 6-foot-10 free-agent collapsed last week after he and his agent took too long to look over the contract. Odom is also being wooed by the Miami Heat.

Bryant also spoke out about recent rumors that Lakers Coach Phil Jackson will be taking a handful of games off next season due to health problems saying, “Who said he’s coaching less? Phil likes messing with you guys. He’ll be there all the time, unless he has a doctor’s appointment to get to.” Kobe also told reporters that now that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has committed to leading Team USA at the World Championships in 2010 and the 2012 London Olympics he is more likely to agree to play. “I’m very excited to see that he signed on. It influences all the guys just because we’ve been through that experience before and it becomes like a family. It definitely influences me,” said Byrant.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 22, 2009 - Post a comment

Will the Lakers Be Hurting Without Lamar?

While some are worrying about a Lakers team sans Lamar Odom, Paul Peszko for the L.A. Times isn’t one of them. Says Peszko, “All the pundits and fans are wringing out their crying towels. Oh, what a tragedy if the Lakers lose Lamar Odom. What a terrible deal it amounts to! Odom and Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest. ‘It’s just not worth it,’ they cry. You lose two and get only one in return. But that one player that you get is worth the other two. Why? Because he WANTS to be a Laker. And he doesn’t care about the money. The other two just wanted their egos stroked.” Wow, Peszko, tell us how you really feel!

Lakers owner Jerry Buss let Ariza go in place for Artest and pulled the offer to Odom, who Peszko says “showed his appreciation by actually considering offers from other teams worth far less money.” Peszko also points out, if Odom signs with Miami, the Heat may still only be the fourth or fifth best team in the East and won’t likely make it past Orlando, Boston or Cleveland to pass through more that one round of the playoffs. Without Odom, the Lakers will still be the reigning team in the West. They still have Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol, after all, and Andrew Bynum is likely to come back stronger this season. Oh, and Ron Artest shows some of the same strengths as Odom and Ariza.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 21, 2009 - Post a comment

Still No Team for Lamar Odom

After Lamar Odom and his agent lingered on their response to the Lakers offer, the team pulled it from the table and now the veteran remains without a team. The Lakers’offer was for four years at $9 million a season and although he preferred a five-year deal it appeared Odom would have been willing to accept if the Lakers guaranteed all four years, but only three were set in stone. On Tuesday (July 14) Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss withdrew his offer because Odom was dragging his feet and also reportedly in talks with Miami Heat President Pat Riley.

Odom discussed signing for the mid-level exception of $5.8 million with the Heat. Miami would have given him a five-year deal for $34 million and most likely the opportunity to opt our after three seasons and thus become a free agent in 2012. Odom will reportedly make a decision this wek and if he is able to get Buss to re-open talks about re-signing with the Lakers he may have to take less than the $9 million a season the team previosuly offered him. The Portland Trail Blazers have some $8 million to give another player but neither the team nor Odom, who turns 30 on Nov. 6, have expressed an interest in one another.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 20, 2009 - Post a comment


 Page 1 of 3  1  2  3 »