Breaking News – Lamar Odom and Lakers Come to Terms on 4 Year Deal

According to reports by 710 ESPN’s Michael Thompson reported that J.A. Adande confirmed Lamar Odom agreed to a 4 year, 33 million dollar deal.  ESPN’s Shelly Smith reported the Los Angeles Lakers would hold a team option on 4^th year of the contract.  It is believed that if the Lakers didn’t pick up the 4^th year option that Lamar would receive a buyout worth several million.  Smith also confirmed that Portland had on Tuesday the Portland Trail Blazers had offered Odom a 5 Year 40 million dollar deal which he rejected because at the end of the day, he always wanted to remain with the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers.  Now the Lakers can go into the 2009/2010 season as strong favorites to repeat as NBA champions for their 16^th NBA title. 

Let’s agree that Lamar Odom was worth a 5 year 50 million dollar contract, but the economy and existing bad contracts the Lakers were on the hook prevented the Champs from paying Odom more. Give Odom some credit for not taking it too personally and fleeing to the Blazers or Heat.  Lamar Odom is one of a kind and let’s celebrate his return to Purple and Gold. 

Lakers vs Heat Side by Side Comparison for Lamar Odom

In an effort to help Lamar Odom decide between the La Lakers and the Miami Heat, the boys at Lakers Buzz put together this side by side analysis so that #7 can compare apples to apples and make a sound decision. 

Lakers Need to Do the Right Thing and Pay Lamar Odom

I’m no Alan Greenspan when it comes to finance, but let’s start with a very basic premise, no advanced degree required: The Lakers and the luxury tax seem about as comfortable together in the same sentence as Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. I bring up the salary cap talk up because the Lakers seem to be playing the luxury tax card as they talk vaguely about what they can and cannot afford to pay their free-agent forward, Lamar Odom. The versatile Odom that created match-up problems for Lakers opponents every game, made about $14 million in 2009. Now there are hints about offering him the mid-level exception of $5-plus million, something like a 60% pay cut. You want to cut somebody? Ask Andrew Bynum to give some of that 52 mil back.

Now, it’s not my place to spend Jerry Buss’s money. If he wants to blow some of it on poker, 21 being a great number for both blackjack and girlfriends, that’s his business. But riddle me this: If the Cleveland Cavaliers can pay THEIR power forward, the klunky Anderson Varejao, $50 million and he’s about a quarter as good as Lamar Odom, are the Lakers telling us they can’t pay a talent like Odom $8 to $10 million?   And if the Cavaliers — remember, the market is Cleveland — can live with being $14 million over the cap, which they are today, why are the Lakers crying poor about being $12 million over?  Twelve million dollars? Isn’t that what it costs to park at Staples? Doesn’t $12 million represent about 20 games’ worth of profit from those yummy chicken burritos they jack you for at about $8 bucks a pop there?  Oh, and before we even get into how much the Lakers franchise is worth, the Dallas Mavericks are $26 million over the cap.  Mark Cuban spending to win while Jerry Buss cuts corners? Say it ain’t so. Now, the Lakers have been pretty clever in selling us on the cap. But if it’s a snow job, does that make it like the candy, Sno-Caps? Lessons in capology are coming out of Mitch Kupchak’s office every day. Lakers beat writers then dutifully carry the message to the public without investigating the profit side of the ledger, so we don’t get a balanced story where Lakers finances are concerned.

Right now the cap propaganda is getting so thick, I’m starting to think Kupchak has moved his office to the Kremlin.  Jerry Buss bought the Lakers (and hockey’s Kings, the Forum and a ranch in Bakersfield) for $38 million. Today most major financial publications estimate the Lakers’ worth at between $650 million and $900 million!  I believe this is known as a substantial profit. Wait, I mean windfall.  And boo hoo, they’re crying about a few mil in cap money?  I’ve known the good doctor Buss for 35 years and never once in all that time has he ever acted like Charlie Cheapskate. So in that context this Odom business, hard-balling such a key championship ingredient, does surprise and disappoint me.

The Lakers don’t sell cheap. They usually leave that to the team down the hall.  When you’re on the cusp of starting another run of championships, with two, three or even four in a row feasible, this is no time to channel Donald Sterling.  While you’re basking in the glow of the ’09 title, look around, Dr. Busschak. The Cavs got Shaq, the Celtics got ‘Sheed, the Spurs got Richard Jefferson and the Blazers are on the brink of getting Paul Millsap.   This is not the time for the Lakers to penny-pinch and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX_5o-mxH4wget left at the starting gate.   Cry about the cap? What’s next, passing the hat?  Besides, Odom’s been a good soldier. Occasionally, a great one, a three-star general.

Ask Lamar to start, he starts. Ask him to be sixth man, he’s sixth man. Ask him to bail out Andrew Bynum every time the kid is called for two fouls before he gets off the bus, which was just about every game in the playoffs, he bails out Bynum. Ask him to help you win a championship, you win a championship.   So don’t diss Odom, either. Show him the respect and appreciation he’s earned. Just because the market’s turned in the Lakers’ favor is no excuse to take undue advantage of it.   

Ten million a year for Lamar? A little too much. The market has changed. Money’s tighter. Lamar’s gonna have to live with it; it’s a fact of life.  But if you’ve given Ron Artest about $6.9 mil per when he has no history with the Lakers, other than getting in Kobe’s grill from the enemy side, then give Lamar at least the same annually. Or a little more because he’s been there for you. Say 8 per … $16 million for two years and call it a deal.  Dr. Busschak, nothing less than your reputation for doing the big, important things right and stylishly rests on it. Only that and winning the championship again next season.

Watch Lamar Odom Slap Kevin Garnett’s Celtic Ass

Article Written by Ted Green (Green formerly covered the Lakers for the L.A. Times. He is currently senior sports)

Lakers Officially Sign Artest and Brown

Ron Artest and Shannon Brown both officially signed with the Los Angeles Lakers after the moratorium was lifted on Wednesday.  Artest played with the Rockets last season but decided to join the champions. He brings career averages of 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 10 seasons.  He adds some defensive intensity as well, having earned the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.  Last season, he averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists for a short-handed Rockets team that lost to the Lakers in the playoffs.

The Lakers acquired Brown in February as part of a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats. He played in 18 regular season games for the Lakers and averaged 3.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes.  Brown appeared in 21 playoff games during the Lakers’ run to the NBA title, averaging 4.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 13.1 minutes.  The 6-foot-4 Brown was originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 25th overall pick in the 2006 draft.  The move leaves Lamar Odom as the Lakers’ only remaining unrestricted free agent.

Shannon Brown Agrees to 2 Year Deal with Lakers

Shannon Brown has reached an agreement in principle to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for $4.2 million over two years, ESPN.com learned Monday.  The deal will bring some stability to the life of one of the NBA’s youngest journeymen.  Over his three-year professional career, the 23-year-old has played for Cleveland, Chicago, Charlotte and the Lakers, who at different times last season used Brown or Jordan Farmar as the primary backup to starting point guard Derek Fisher.

A source said all the money is guaranteed for Brown, who was an unrestricted free agent despite playing in the NBA for only three years. The Bobcats signed him as a free agent a year ago after his rookie contract was not extended, and he was dealt to the Lakers in the Vladimir Radmanovic trade in early February.

He averaged 4.1 points last season, and supplanted Farmar as the primary backup ball-handler late in the regular season before coach Phil Jackson went back to Farmar late in the postseason.  Brown cannot sign his contract until Wednesday, when the NBA’s moratorium on trades and free agent signings ends.  Article was written by Chris Sheridan of ESPN.

Phil Jackson Agrees to Return to Coach Lakers

Phil Jackson will return to coach the Los Angeles Lakers next season, getting a clean bill of health following a record championship season. The Hall of Fame coach turns 64 in September and said on the team’s Web site Friday he got the go-ahead for another season after consulting the team doctor.

Jackson led the Lakers to their 15th NBA championship and his 10th title in June, breaking the mark he shared with the late Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach. “I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason,” he said. “All things point to go!” He signed a two-year contract extension last season and holds the option on a second year. Last season, Jackson missed two West Coast road games because of pain and swelling in his lower legs caused by plantar fasciitis, a problem he had checked out. He blamed late-night flights that aggravated the condition. He has undergone two hip replacement operations since October 2006—using a cane at various times—and walks with a noticeable hitch in his step. He underwent an angioplasty in 2003 to open a clogged artery in his heart.

Jackson became the Lakers’ coach in 1999, and guided the team to NBA titles in each of his first three seasons. He left following the 2003-04 season but returned the following season. Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s. His .705 regular-season winning percentage is tops in league history and his 1,041 victories are sixth best.

Artest Signs with Lakers as Ariza Signs with Rockets

David Lee? Wait are we talking about the New York Knicks player that led the league in double doubles last year? A player that you would think would be talked about this off season because of his free agency? That’s not the case, seems the other David Lee is getting more attention. A man who has made himself notorious with many, especially in the eyes of beloved Lakers fans when he tried to pull a Scott Boras with the most historic franchise in all of basketball.

The question now is, did he do the Lakers a favor by his little stunt? In some eyes yes he did, because in turn the Lakers got a proven winner in Ron Artest.

A player who has shown that he is a brilliant player with an amazing skill set that goes beyond his famous defensive ability in which he is so known for. A player that can not only lock down the team’s top player, but that can score when called upon. I’m not just talking about just a spot up shooter.  But a player that can create his own shot. He can wear you down with his big 6 7’ frame by posting you up and pounding it in the inside. He can spot up and shoot the three, contested or not. Go off the dribble and shoot. Though again known for his defensive ability, that is only one aspect, one mere dimension of his all around game. His rebounding is exceptional, and it will be welcomed with an already strong front line of Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol.

The defense will be the gem in this whole acquisition. It helps out more than just what you see on paper, or a stat sheet. Artest’s defense ability will help Kobe Bryant in the present as well as in the future. Instead of Kobe having to guard the opposing teams best player night in night out, that duty now can be passed on to Artest. Think of it, Kobe Bryant in the 2010 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers can have Artest on Lebron the whole time with Kobe there to switch over. What a two headed nightmare for the opposing team.  The wear and tear on Kobe can be minimal with him having to carry less of a load. Therefore in the end it leads to him performing better and more efficiently on the offensive end.

Losing Ariza will hurt the Lakers because he had the speed and the quickness added with the youth for the long run. But when you sink it all in, Ariza went to a team where he won’t hurt you too much, and you won’t have to face him much at all. He went to a Houston team that seems to be going only down-hill. With your two franchise corner stone’s in question, there isn’t much to look forward to.

Not taking anything away from Ariza as a player, but he won’t shine as much as he did in Los Angeles. The wide open three pointers that were given to him in the playoffs as a result from the double teams on Kobe will not be present. He will have to work to create his own shot on the perimeter which he has proven he cannot do night in night out. Especially on a team where he is going to be one of the main focal points of offensive production.

Artest going to a championship team, where he gets to live in one of the most beautiful cities, with the most marketable team. Ariza goes to a Houston team with no bright road ahead. A lost opportunity for a man that could have been such a marketable figure. He is losing more than just another shot at a ring here. It should paint an interesting picture. But having Artest on a team and being able to say he is the 4^th best player on the roster? That is unheard of, but wait this is Lakerland, when we thought we seen it all, we are again proven wrong. Welcome to LA # 37.   Article was written by Tony Moustakelis Read original artile > Ariza out Artest in

Artest Claims He Will Sign with Lakers

According to CBS Sportsline, Ron Artest will be signing with the Los Angels Lakers.  Artest, whose versatility and toughness have made him one of the most coveted and combustible players in the NBA, told CBSSports.com Thursday that he’s signing with the Lakers.  “I’m definitely going to L.A. — to sign, yeah,” Artest said in a phone interview. “Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I’m in L.A. right now.”  Artest said he met with Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss Thursday and previously had spoken with Lakers coach Phil Jackson. He was en route to his financial manager’s office, where he planned to huddle on the phone with his agent, David Bauman, to finalize details. 

Artest’s exuberance — he spent the whole summer in L.A., including several appearances at Lakers home games during the NBA Finals — got ahead of the process a bit. Other teams that made overtures for Artest — including the Cavaliers — have not yet been notified that Artest is signing with the Lakers. (Consider them notified.) Bauman has spoken with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, but parameters have not yet been agreed to. Still, it’s pretty clear where Artest is going.  “I don’t really care about the money,” Artest said. “I’ll play there for nothing. … L.A. was very interested in me, and they got me.”

UPDATE: Lakers spokesman John Black declined to comment on Artest’s assertion, but another person with knowledge of the situation corroborated Artest’s account that he will sign with L.A. pending the financial parameters being finalized.  Only 24 hours earlier, the buzz was focused on Artest joining LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal in Cleveland in what would’ve made a potent Big Three on the shores of Lake Erie. It would’ve been, well, eerie, too: Artest’s internal combustion engine, combined with LeBron’s exquisite dominance and Shaq’s alpha-male, all-round Shaq-ness would’ve been something to see.  But Artest said talks with Cleveland “never got that far.” Told that Cleveland, by all accounts, had extreme interest, Artest said, “I don’t know how extreme. I love the Cleveland Cavaliers, though. I love LeBron and Coach (Mike) Brown and Shaq.”

But what he really loves is L.A.  “L.A. is what it is,” Artest said. “I’ve been here for the whole summer, and it’s pretty good. It’s good for me. I know Lamar Odom, so that’s pretty cool.”  Artest spoke as though Odom would return to the Lakers to join Artest and Kobe Bryant for another title run. The addition of Artest would mean the Lakers have to choose between Odom and Trevor Ariza. Obviously, Ariza would be the odd man out and already has expressed displeasure with the Lakers’ efforts to lure him back with only the mid-level exception.

UPDATE: The addition of Artest is a coup for the defending champion Lakers, who have faced the prospect of trying to retain their own free agents, Odom and Ariza, and have seen other contenders make major efforts to improve. Most notably, the Celtics dispatched their Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, along with coach Doc Rivers and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck to Detroit on Thursday to offer free agent Rasheed Wallace a mid-level contract. Cleveland’s acquisition of Shaq put the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic on notice that the Cavaliers were making a serious push for a title next season. The Cavs’ pursuit of Wallace, Artest, and Ariza signaled that they weren’t finished after the pre-draft trade for Shaq.  “I talked to Coach Phil, and I was happy to talk to him,” Artest said. “Big fan of Coach Phil. My agent talked to Kupchak, and I met with Dr. Buss. I’m very, very excited.”  Read the Original article at CBS Sportsline.

Lakers Say Likely to Trade Draft Pick

The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers will likely unload at least one of their three draft picks.  They have the 29th pick in the first round and the 42nd and 59th picks in the second round of Thursday’s draft.

General manager Mitch Kupchak said Wednesday that there was a “better than even likelihood” the team would get rid of its first-round pick.  “There’s a lot of interest, absolutely,” he said. “Certain teams, they may want to preserve cap space for the next year or two and they may need to add players. A good way to add talent at a fixed price is to have a lot of draft choices and then you can still maintain cap space a year from now.”

The Lakers are hopeful they will re-sign Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom, all of whom become unrestricted free agents on July 1. If so, that would bring the roster to the league-minimum 13 players, making it unlikely the team would add another player.  “With our situation, you don’t want to draft players that can’t make your team because your roster’s full,” Kupchak said. “So we may look to move or to exchange our draft picks for future picks or whatever we choose to do.”

With point guard Derek Fisher approaching 35, Kupchak acknowledged the team has been preparing to find his successor. Leading up to the draft, the team has worked out about 30 players.  “We have Jordan [Farmar], who’s had moments when he looks like the guy who could assume that position and Shannon Brown did a great job as well, but I think that position in the future is still undetermined,” Kupchak said. “We need to figure out who is going to take over that position when Derek retires.”

Kupchak anticipates finding out whether Phil Jackson will return as coach by mid-July after Jackson checks out his health issues.  During his two stints with the Lakers, Jackson has had two hip replacement surgeries, an angioplasty and gout. He missed two games last season with swelling and soreness in both legs.

Jackson said in an interview with ESPN radio on Tuesday that “we’ve toyed around with that idea” of having him coach home games and having assistant Kurt Rambis coach road games next season.  But Kupchak said Wednesday that Jackson wouldn’t return unless he’s able to coach the entire 82-game schedule.  “What he said, he didn’t mean it to sound the way it sounded,” Kupchak said. “If he comes back to coach, he will come back and coach both home and away games. During my discussion with him it was pretty clear that that type of scenario doesn’t work and that’s his opinion as well.”

Kupchak believes there is a good chance of Jackson returning.  “I think he wants to come back, I think he likes our team, he’s excited, he’s very energized with what took place this year,” Kupchak said. “I think it solely rests on his ability medically to come back and coach. I’ve got no indication there’s been a red flag yet.”

Free Agent Ariza Wants to Stay with the LA Lakers

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.(AP) — Trevor Ariza said Tuesday he would love to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. The fifth-year forward becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, along with teammate Lamar Odom, who made $14.1 million this season and turns 30 in November.  The downtrodden economy, however, could play a part in how much other teams are willing to offer free agents this summer.

Ariza earned $3.1 million this season and he raised his price considerably during the postseason with solid defense and by making clutch shots.  Ariza had his individual season-ending interview with coach Phil Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak on Tuesday. “I definitely felt a lot of love,” Ariza said about the atmosphere at the meeting. “They definitely told me I improved a lot and they’re happy with the way that I played and how much I was able to help our team.  “I’d love to come back. Money is important, this is our job here, but I built a bond with my coaches and my teammates. We have a really good team and I think we’ll be good for a long time.”  Ariza stressed that the sense of belonging he feels among his teammates is a critical factor in where he plays next season.  “The most important thing for me is to feel like I’m part of something,” he said. “Throughout this process, I’m going to take into consideration a lot of different things, but that’s probably the most important thing.”

With veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher leading the way, Ariza said, “They made me feel as equally important as they are.” He was acquired by the Lakers in a trade from Orlando in November 2007. “I didn’t really get a chance to play or I was too young or I didn’t fit into other people’s systems the way they would like me to,” he said.  The 6-foot-8 forward left UCLA after one season and was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 43rd overall pick in 2004.  Source: By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer