Given the lack of a state income tax in Florida, Pat Riley’s admiration of Lamar 
Odom, and the fact that Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss allows no one to paint him into a corner, I think there’s a chance we see a lot of this picture again.
I think Odom would be a lot happier with a return to Miami, playing with Dwyane Wade, Jermaine O’Neal and a bunch of hungry kids, than he would be by joining the other codgers on the Dallas Mavericks. And I think Odom makes Miami a better team than Carlos Boozer does.
It’s just a hunch, but then, who expected the Lakers would lose both Odom and Trevor Ariza, with Shannon Brown the only free agent retained?
My question remains, who can the Lakers bring in at the veteran minimum to replace Odom?
Drew Gooden, Chris Wilcox and maybe even Matt Barnes (although he’s only a 3) come to mind, but I see those guys looking for the two exceptions the Lakers already have used, not the minimum.
The Lakers might add no one, or they could add someone like Shelden Williams, who was fine at Duke but has done little in the NBA (4.7 points, 4.2 rebounds in 190 games).
Williams is married to Sparks star Candace Parker. The WNBA team has different ownership now, but at least there might be some cross-promotional possibilities.
Related :
With reports floating around that Odom is willing to do a sign and trade, the Lakers could explore that avenue with the Heat. If I were them, I would aim high, like Michael Beasley and some scrub high like James Jones. Lets say that happens, then the Lakers should go after Chris Wilcox because of his ability to play the 4 or 5, IMO. Gooden could be fine because of his rebounding, but he seems to be a flake sometimes on defense. In the end, Odom is coming back because the Lakers offer more money. At 32, Odom could hit the market again after making $27 million and get the full MLE for two years, possibly three.
I dont normally leave messages I read them ,but this Lamar Odom situation has me worried. I thought about all the power fowards that are available and the one name that I dont think would be a bad choicee would be Tim Thomas he has been in the league for 12 years now he would come cheap and he can shoot the 3 point shot above 43 percent. Tell me what you think?
The issue between Schwartz and the Lakers is over the total contract amount of $50M. They couldn’t care less about the number of years as long as the $50M is guaranteed.
John, 50 million is not going to happen. No team is going to give the career inconsistent performer 50 mill. It’s just not going to happen with a 30 year old player who comes off the bench. He should have taken the 10 mill 3 year deal. He will never see a better offer again.
I liked the 26-year-old Tim Thomas more than I like the 32-year-old Thomas, but he is available now that the Bulls have bought him out.
Thomas is at the point in his career that move to L.A. to work cheap would I think be good for him, with the Bulls already having paid him for the upcoming season.
He can shoot threes, but watching him with the Clippers last season (his first of three teams), I don’t think he’s a three-shot-a-game guy. And I am already wondering where Artest will get his shots.
Lamar can’t get more than the MLE from Miami or Dallas, and the Lakers are not about to do Odom a favor with a S/T for players the team really has no interest in.
Lamar’s agent is doing his client a disservice, and Odom needs to wake up and take his future into his own hands. He will not get a better deal than what Buss offered him.
Portland will not offer him more than 8 mill a year, and as I stated above the other teams Odoms agent is talking with can only give him the MLE.
The Lakers are only bidding against themselves in this scenario, and Buss will not be played a fool (ie; see Shaq).
Lamar has 2 days to contact Buss and Mitch directly and accept, otherwise the Lakers will most definitely look into another direction and sign either Drew Gooden, Davide Lee, or the Hawks Josh Smith (who is a better player and more athletic than the inconsistent Odom).
2 days Lamar, that’s all you got, or the Lakers are moving on.
If the Lakers could sign Josh Smith to the NBA veteran minimum, they would have done so already, and not even called Lamar.
But since Josh Smith signed a five-year, $58 million offer sheet in August 2008 that was matched by the Atlanta Hawks, it is not going to happen.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/08/griz-sign-hawks-smith-offer-sheet/
No income tax in Texas and Florida so Dallas and Miami might pay out close to what the lakers are offering.
The lakers probably pulled the offer so that LO has less leverage in negotiating the Dallas and Miami deals.
Dont listen to all the bull about hurt fillings from Jerry Buss and LO. It’s a business people. They want to WIN during the basketball season and they want to win in NEGOTIATIONS too!
Money that players make in NBA road games are taxed in the state that the game is held, so the “no state income” angle isn’t quite as pronounced, and is still not close to what he will get from the Lakers.
I don’t know how much truth there is in that, as I’m not an accountant, nor do I have to travel out of state to do business. However, even if it is an accurate statement, they still play half their games at home. So, those that live in a “no state income tax” state, is taxed, at most on only half their yearly salary. When we’re talking about millions a year, that’s a good chunk of change. If you were given the option of only paying state taxes on half your yearly wages, would you?
Who cares!!! Be gone already. Please YouTube Lamar Odom inconsistent and you wont be so upset to see the Lakers part ways with this fraud.
The thing that gets me is some of the people demanding that L.O. takes what he perceives as a pay cut are some of the same people who said Kobe shouldn’t take a cut and he should get the max extension. I understand where those people are coming from, but you could easily make the argument that having L.O. available all season long (especially when Bynum was injured) is the reason why the Lakers had the 2nd best record in the league. Goodness knows with the way Bynum was playing in the playoffs, the Lakers wouldn’t have made it past Denver in the conference finals if they didn’t have Odom to check in the game when Bynum got his customary 2 quick fouls. Do I think he should take less than what he wanted? Yes. But I also thought (or at least hoped) that Kobe would do the same in order to help the team out. But hey, I’m just hoping this all works itself out and the candy man stays in L.A.
deezy76, we think so much the same on these issues, it’s scary. JK. But it’s great to see an intelligent reader see my point of view on the Lakers blog for a change.
Deezy & Mr. Bloom, while I do see your point on the position of how come Kobe can not take a paycut to help out the organization’s effort in keeping LO, I think it is unfair to try and use it as an arguing point— if that is what it really is. I’m not fully sold on the notion that players–of any sports–are paid what they’re worth. Players like Kobe usually ends up making just as much if not even more than what they’re being paid by their clubs. So, if you consider this fact, yes, it wouldn’t hurt Kobe’s fat wallet to reduce his salary by a few millions to keep another player around. Every player enters into a club through a cotnract negotiation and it is at that point that their “worth” is decided. The Lakers and I’m sure another organization in the league, would agree that what they’re paying Kobe is what he would undoutedly get anywhere he goes. The same can be said for any other players, whichever roles they play.
It would be unfair to expect a player like Kobe to give up some of his pays so his employer can sign another player. It’s easy for us fans with our average $50K/yr salary to sit, drool and ponder what we would do with a paycheck like Kobe’s and pass judgment.
Don’t get me wrong Chico Boom, I only hope (key word being hope) Kobe will give up some of his salary to help the team out. I’m not saying he definitely should because that’s his business, but I’m holding out hope that he will. Not just to sign Lamar, but just to help the team out period. And I also think Lamar should do the same because it’s a fair deal for both sides…and besides, after his contract is signed then they still have Kobe’s extension to go, and then it’ll be somebody else up for an extension next year, and that person will probably going through the same, or at least similar, circumstances. The payroll isn’t getting any smaller anytime soon because Bynum’s extension is kicking in, Pau isn’t going anywhere, and neither is Kobe, Shannon Brown got a raise, Artest is making more than Ariza did last year, etc. As fans who pay for merchandise and tickets to the games, we should all want the team to keep the payroll as small as possible because we’re paying for these extensions, not Mr. Buss!!