Adam Morrison Gets Lucky in Las Vegas

6-foot-8 Lakers forward Adam Morrison may have gotten harsh reviews from critics, but he is proving himself in the NBA Summer League after Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak suggested he play. In speaking with the L.A. Times about his rookie season with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006-07, Morrison said, “I had a lot of criticism after my first year. I remember one website saying I was the worst player in the NBA. All that stuff.” During this summer league Morrison has averaged 20.8 points in four games, scoring 20 points against the Clippers on Monday and 17 on Tuesday against Oklahoma City.

During Monday’s game Kupchak said, “He’s a shot maker … and it looks to me like he’s playing with confidence.” Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy also had good things to say about Morrison: “I think he’s made a good recovery from his knee surgery. He has the ability so score. He’s the main focal point of their [summer] team, but I still think he’s doing a lot of good things that show separation. Potentially, he can create himself a role with the Lakers.” Morrison turns 25 on Sunday and has a lot on the line this summer, admitting to the Times,  “Yeah, it’s my contract year. If I don’t perform well, I might not be in the league. It’s definitely a big year.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 17, 2009 - Post a comment

Now What, Lakers?

After pulling the deals offered to Lamar Odom, who is now in talks with the Miami Heat, the Lakers aren’t left with too many options. Among the free-agents left, the best choices are probably too expensive for the Lakers and many are saying they won’t be able to find a player as versatile as Odom. The Lakers are only able use the veteran’s minimum annual salary because after using the mid-level exception of $5.8 million on Ron Artest and the “bi-annual exception” of $1.99 million on Shannon Brown they are over salary cap. The veteran’s minimum starts at $457,588 for a rookie and goes up to $1.306 million for a veteran with 10 or more years of experience in the NBA.

The question on everyone’s minds now is whether an unrestricted free-agent will sign with the Lakers for less money because they may repeat their NBA Championship win again this season. According to the L.A. Times, “The Lakers could do a sign-and-trade for Odom, or trade another player to get a quality palyer.” Among the players suggested were Chris Wilcox, Drew Gooden and Joe Smith but other possibilities are Stromile Swift, Jarron Collins, Sean May, Sheldon Williams, Mikki Moore, Tim Thomas, Ike Diogu, Juwan Howard and former Laker Chris Mihm.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 16, 2009 - Post a comment

Lamar Odom Waited Too Long … Lakers Pull Offer

Lakers owner Jerry Buss isn’t amused. After free-agent forward Lamar Odom and his agent failed to respond to the Lakers’ offer of $9 millino a season, Buss pulled the offer off the table yesterday (July 14). Said Lakers public relations director John Black, “Yes, we have taken the deal off the table. Talks have broken down for the time being.” When asked if they would resume in the future Black said, “That’s within the realm of possibility.” According to Lakers team officials who were not authorized to talk about negotiations, Buss offered Odom a deal for $9 million a season (for four years at $36 million) or $10 million a season (for three years for $30 million).

Odom and his agent Jeff Schwartz have reportedly been talking to the Dallas Mavericks and with Miami Heat President Pat Riley but have refused to speak to the Lakers and Buss was fed up. Odom averaged 12.3 points, third-best on the Lakers, and 9.1 rebounds, second-best on the team, during the Lakers’ Championship run in the playoffs and proved his worth to the team. During the NBA Finals against Orlando Odom averaged 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds and had 17 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5 when the Lakers beat the Magic 99-86. The Lakers thought their offer to Odom was fair and are surprised that he didn’t accept it.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 15, 2009 - Post a comment

Lamar Odom Is Frustrated

Free agent Lamar Odom is simultaneously optimistic and frustrated about the lengthy negotiations with the Lakers. When asked if he thinks he’ll be back with the Lakers next season Odom told the L.A. Times, “I don’t know. That’s why there are negotiations. I don’t know. Of course I hope they can get it done. It’s negotiations. Both sides are going to give and take. That’s part of it. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.” The Lakers have offered Odom a deal over $9 million for the first three years and Odom and agent Jeff Schwartz are seeking $10 million a season.

Odom attended a screening party Monday night for the DVD featuring the Lakers’ 2008-09 championship run and said, “I can’t discuss that. You talk about money, it’s touchy. It’s a touchy subject. The Lakers have been too good to me to rub people over there the wrong way. The Lakers have been nothing but great to me, and I want to keep the relationship great.” Lakers owner Jerry Buss, however, is getting frustrated after upping his offer of $8 million a season and Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told reporters that recent talks left him “not as hopeful as I was on Friday.” Accoring to rumors, the Miami Heat made Odom an offer, although he would only say, “I don’t know how to answer that question. I’m pretty sure there might be other teams. I just won a championship.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 14, 2009 - Post a comment

Lakers and Clippers’ 2009-10 Salaries

According to the L.A. Times, the Lakers are already commited to paying approximately $84 million in player salaries for the 2009-10 season. Here is a breakdown of their salaries for next season, per player:

Kobe Bryant: $23 million

Pau Gasol: $16.5 million

Andrew Bynum: $12.5 million

Ron Artest: 5.6 million

Adam Morrison: $5.2 million

Derek Fisher: $5 million

Sasha Vujacic: $5 million

Luke Walton: $4.8 million

Shannon Brown: $2 million

Jordan Farmar $1.9 million

DJ Mbenga: $959,000

Josh Powell: $959,000

*Lamar Odom remains an unsigned free agent and the Lakers have until August 1 to pick up a team option on Sun Yue for next season for $736,000.

As for the Lakers’ hometown rivals, the Clippers, the team is committed to paying approximately $65 million in player salaries for the 2009-10 season. Here is a breakdown of their salaries for next season, per player:

Zach Randolph: $16 million (Due to accounting issues the Randolph trade with Memphis has not yet been completed and expected to be finished next week)

Baron Davis: $12.1 million

Chris Kaman: $19.4 million

Marcus Camby: $9.2 million

Blake Griffin: $4.9 million

Eric Gordon: $2.8 million

Ricky Davis: $2.4 million

Al Thornton: $1.9 million

Mardy Collins: $1.9 million

Steve Novak: $1.0 million

DeAndre Jordan: $736,420

Mike Taylor: $736,420

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 13, 2009 - Post a comment

New Laker Ron Artest Pays Tribute to MJ

Newly minted Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest chose number 37 as his new number in tribute to the late pop icon Michael Jackson. Why 37? According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Jackson’s seminal Thriller album enjoyed exactly 37 weeks atop the pop charts in the early ’80s. Another reason for Artest’s decision was undoubtedly that Kareem, Magic, Wilt and Jerry West never sported the number 37. Ron Artest previously wore the numbers 15 (original number), 23 (Michael Jordan’s number), 91 (tribute to Dennis Rodman), 93 and 96.

Numbers aside, some have serious questions about Artest’s ability to blend it with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant specifically. Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times, for one, pointed out that Artest “will have the strongest locker room personality since Shaquille O’Neal. And we all know how that played out.” On Kobe, Artest had this to say: “You’re going to follow him, that’s a no brainer, and I didn’t even finish school. I respect a guy like that … a guy who has everything to lose … who will do anything to win.” But Kobe seemed a little more skeptical saying, “It’s tough to say whether we’ll be a better team. It will just be a different team.” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak tried to silence fears about Artest saying, “I know what you’re saying. But give him a chance. I think he deserves a chance. He said all the right things today, he should have a chnace to show he means them.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 10, 2009 - Post a comment

Can the Lakers Re-Sign Lamar Odom?

The Lakers officially signed Ron Artest yesterday (June 8 ) but are still far apart in negotiations with unrestricted free agent Lamar Odom. The reason for the delay is likely the NBA’s announcement of a lower salary cap for next season, with the cap falling for only the second time since it first appeared in 1984. The Lakers were way over the salary cap and consequently dropped in the luxury-tax threshold from $71.15 million last season to $69.9 million next season.

The Lakers would pay an additional $12.26 million in luxury-tax penalties with their current roster (which doesn’t include Odom) because they have already committed $83.78 million to 12 players next season. Although Odom might not see the $10-million annual salary he was hoping for, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told the L.A. Times he hoped Odom would still come back saying, “I don’t know how strong a word that [hopeful] is, but I am hopeful. I’d like to get some clarity in the next day or two or three, but knowing Lamar, it’s an emotional time for him, I know he had to get away little bit. I think Lamar just needs to work his way through it. Maybe it’s helpful for him to see other players sign for whatever they signed for, and maybe it’s easier to see where you fit into that group.” Read the full article at the LATimes.com.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 9, 2009 - Post a comment

Phil Jackson to Return for Another Season

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson returned from a two-day vacation at his lake house in Montana and agreed to come back as an NBA coach for a 19th season on Friday (July 3 ). The team released a statement in which Jackson said, “After consulting with Lakers team internist Dr. John Moe, I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason. All things point to go!” Jackson won his 10th championship as a coach this season and beat Boston Celtics coaching great Red Auerbach for the most titles. Jackson turns 64 in September and completed a host of medical tests to determine he will be coaching his 19th season, for a cool $12 million no less.

Todd Musburger, Jackson’s agent,  told the L.A. Times, “The present agreement between Phil and the Lakers runs through the 2009-10 season. There is a comfortable and positive relationship between Phil, Dr. [Jerry] Buss, his sons that are in management, and certainly [General Manager] Mitch Kupchak, that if both sides feel an extension is something they want, then obviously it could happen. But for the moment, there’s another terrific season to look forward to and nothing formal planned on seeking answers beyond the coming year.” Musburger continued to say, “Obviously, everybody close to Phil is equally thrilled with that news. He’s excited first that his health is what it needs to be. It’s going to be an exciting year. This move that they just made [to acquire Ron Artest] is filled with intrigue.”

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 8, 2009 - Post a comment

Shannon Brown Will Be Returning to the Lakers

Lakers back up point guard Shannon Brown signed a two-year, $4.2-million deal with a player option the second year yesterday (July 6). Brown, 23, turned down a more lucrative contract with Indiana to remain with the Lakers. The Lakers are now down to only one unrestricted free agent: Lamar Odom, who is still far from making a negotiation. As one of what the L.A. Times called “the last big-name free agents still seeking a home,” Odom is asking for more than $10 million a season (he made $14.1 million last season) but the Lakers don’t seem willing to pay that much.

The Lakers can pretty much sign Odom without thinking about the salary cap and Kobe Bryant, for one, wants him back. “I hope so. He better be,” said Bryant when asked about Odom’s status. The free-agent moratorium ends tomorrow (July 8 ) and Brown and Ron Artest will officially sign with the Lakers then. Bryant is still negotiating and told the Times, “Mitch [Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak] has a lot on his plate. I’d rather him take care of those pieces first. He’ll get around to me.” Bryant is under contract next season for $23 million and said he would miss Trevor Ariza, although he was cautious when asked about Artest.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 7, 2009 - Post a comment

Ariza Goes with Rockets, Lakers Sign Artest

In a swap of free-agent forwards between L.A. and Houston, the Lakers get Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza agreed with the Rockets. Former Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest, who will be 30 in November, agreed to a three-year deal worth approximately $18 million. With Kobe Bryant, who was a first-team All-Defensice selection last season while Artest was second team, and Artest, the Lakers now have two of the NBA’s top defenders. In a statement Artest said, “I am very excited to finally be going to L.A. For years now, the Lakers have expressed interest in having me play for them, but we could never get the stars to align. I’m finally a Laker and I can’t wait to get on the court with Kobe, Pau [Gasol] and the rest of the team, and play for Phil [Jackson]. I look forward to helping the Lakers defend their championship, and I will finally not get booed in the Staples Center.”

Ariza agreed to a deal worth about $33 million with Houston just hours after the Lakers signed Artest and told The Times, “I am happy with me decision. I’m glad this all worked out. The Rockets are going to give me a chance to improve my game and that’s all you can ask for.” David Lee, Ariza’s agent, said the 24-year-old former Lakers forward passsed up another more lucrative offfer from another team (rumored to be Toronto) to go to Houston. Lee also said, “It was never about the money. It was about going someplace where you felt appreciated.” Read the full article at the LATimes.com.

Get all your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on July 6, 2009 - Post a comment


 Page 2 of 3 « 1  2  3 »