Luke Walton could be out for the season

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Lakers are happy to have additional depth at small forward, signing free agent Matt Barnes to a two-year contract Thursday. Unfortunately, the arrival of Barnes in Los Angeles only highlights serious questions surrounding the health of Luke Walton heading into next season.

Walton was limited to a career-low 29 games during the 2009-10 regular season because of back problems debilitating enough to require surgery. General manager Mitch Kupchak said Friday that Walton will work through the summer to rehabilitate and build strength in his back but acknowledged the prospect of future surgery still exists, and even that Walton could miss the 2010-11 season.

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"Absolutely. It's a possibility," Kupchak said. "It's not your run of the mill type back problem. We don't know where it's going to end up. He's a gamer and he loves to play. He wants to be a part of the team, and he'll do whatever it takes to get back on the court. That's a positive, to have the kind of player that's motivated to get well. That's not always the case."

By Brian Kamenetzky ESPNLosAngeles.com

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Not exactly sure what type of back injury this is but it sounds very serious. Luke has his faults on the court, like always trying to make the assist thus making himself easier to read from a defensive standpoint but he is a heady and underappreciated asset to the team. With that said , he is overpayed and it sounds like the Lakers want to urge him into retirement or not playing(insurance?) for mostly financial reasons ( I'm sure they dont want to see him wreck himself for life either).

Good thing they picked up Barnes last Thursday and I wouldn't be surprised if Ebanks gets signed for a little more depth at the position even though it's not needed with Kobe or Lamar being able to slide to the SF role. I think they would be crazy not to sign him since he should have gone in the 1st round and now comes with the budget 2nd round draft pick price. It's looking pretty likely for Caracter as well since he has also been a summer league standout and while short at 6'9 shows to have some good offensive game and a nose for the boards.

I'm amazed to see that a draft pick actually has the chance to make the team this season, let alone two draft picks. I don't think they can afford not to keep these kids and gain some extra youth to an aging team.

MATT BARNES AND THEO RATLIFF COMING TO LAKERTOWN

Good news Laker fans, as I was writing an article about the possibility of Matt Barnes coming to LA (if the Cavs didn't offer more money) and looking up the figures of the cavs offer, I noticed that Matt has already agreed to take the rest of the vets minimum of 1.77 million. It will be a two year deal, with the second year being a player option at nearly 2 million.

Barnes turned down a deal with the Cavs for nearly twice the paycheck to play on the biggest stage in the NBA with the Lakers and help chase a third consecutive championship. "It's official," Barnes wrote on his Twitter account Thursday night. "I am a Los Angles (sic) Laker. This is a dream come true!!!"

Barnes averaged 8.8 points and 25.9 minutes a game last season for Orlando, his seventh team since leaving UCLA in 2002. Earlier this week, he appeared to be headed to Toronto for two years and $9 million as part of a sign-and-trade transaction, but the deal fell through.

The Lakers now have 11 players under contract next season, not including second-round draft picks Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, who played relatively well this month on the Lakers' summer league team and could round out the roster. NBA teams must carry at least 13 players.

Barnes and Bryant are believed to be on good terms these days, but it wasn't that way when they played each other a few weeks after the All-Star break. Bryant missed a last-second 20-footer that would have sent the game to overtime and then chuckled three times in a 10-second span afterward when asked about Barnes' in-game behavior. "It's entertaining," he said.

As reporters asked Ron Artest what he thought of Barnes, Lamar Odom yelled out from across the locker room that Barnes was "a monkey" who "picked the right game to act tough." Odom then compared Barnes to pro wrestling's Ric Flair, known for whipping up crowds with his antics.

Meanwhile, the Lakers quietly added another defensive presence by picking up the 37-year-old Ratliff.

Next season will be the 16th for Ratliff, who began his career with Detroit in 1995, when Andrew Bynum was 8 years old.

"I've had a long and very rewarding career, and joining a storied and legendary franchise such as the Lakers adds an even more special element," Ratliff said in a statement, adding that he hoped to help his new team "win a third straight championship."

Ratliff didn't do much with San Antonio most of last season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 21 games, though he posted better numbers after being traded in February to Charlotte, where he started 26 of 28 games and averaged 5.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in 22.3 minutes.

Defense has always been Ratliff's specialty: He has averaged 2.4 blocked shots in his career and led the league three times in the category.

"Theo has long been considered to be one of the best defensive big men in the league," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "Together with Bynum, [ Pau] Gasol, Odom and Artest, he gives us a formidable and deep front line."
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As a die hard Laker fan, I am very pleased to finally hear some more good news after the Steve Blake signing. I have probably been checking the headlines five times a day since free agency became open in early July.

The acquisition of Barnes will add yet another tough defender to the already strong laker lineup.
He has just been an average 3 point shooter at around 32% but I suspect that could go up some with all the open looks he shall be seeing due to the inside out game of the lakers and the need for most teams to double or triple the black mamba Kobe Bryant.

Theo Ratliff adds another guy known for his defensive prowess and at one time was probably the best shot blocker in the league. He's getting up there in age but should prove to be a valuable role player coming off the bench for the Lakers.

Props goes out to Mitch and Doc Buss for puttin in work and bringing the roster to 11. Stay tuned for any updates regarding the next two to four roster spots( if the lakers decide to go over the required 13)

Article sited from the L.A. Times
broderick.turner@latimes.com

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Los Angeles Lakers 2009-2010 pocket schedule

I have already posted the 2009-2010 Lakers schedule and a link to a downloadable wallpaper schedule but here's a link to a pocket schedule for those that don't want to remove Kim Kardashian's ass picture from their desktop(maybe Lamar had to but not me).

http://www.nba.com/lakers/schedule/pocket_schedule.html

Lakers sign guard Thomas Kelati

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Thomas Kelati in a deal announced Wednsday Sept. 30.

Kelati will be the first Eritrean to suit up for an NBA team, so hopefully he can represent his country well and make it past the pre-season on a Laker team with very limited roster space. Eritrea is a small country in East Africa just north of Ethiopia.

Last season Kelati played for Unicaja in Spain where he averaged 11.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 22 and a half minutes.

Prior to that Kelati played two seasons in Poland(PGE Turow), leading his team to consecutive Polish League Finals appearances.

Kelati began his professional career in Belgium(Dexia Mons) in 2005 and played college ball at Washington State.

LA Laker Gasol stars as Spain find their winning rhythm

After a series of mixed results, they improved their chances of reaching the quarter-finals with a 84-70 demolition of Lithuania.

It means Ramunas Butautas's side will now miss out on the last eight for the first time in eight years.

Pau netted 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks to the delight of Spanish coach Sergio Scariola, whose side next face hosts Poland on Wednesday in a must-win clash.

"Pau was very important defensively for us," said Scariola.

"He made one big step forward in terms of intensity and aggressiveness. The team took advantage of this.

"I think it was an excellent game from our team. One main issue was that we recovered our physical condition and we played the game the way we like to - by running and being aggressive.

"We are just one step closer to where we want to get. It's a very important step, a consistent one."

Poland now must beat the Olympic silver medallists to stand a chance of progression - following a 76-60 loss to injury-ravaged but in-form Slovenia.

NBA stars Beno Udrih and Sasha Vujacic are both absent through injury while captain Matiaz Smodis struggles with his back and star guard Goran Dragic was sidelined with a knee problem.

But coach Jure Zdovc praised his weakened side's spirit, as they booked their last eight place.

"I need to congratulate my players," he said.

"We have struggled with injuries but those players that have gone on the court have given everything they have. We deserved this win."

Elsewhere, Turkey remain unbeaten and also advanced to the quarter-finals with a 69-64 win over Serbia.

Lakers' Mbenga makes sentimental journey

DJ Mbenga stared out the window of the airplane and wondered how he would feel when the plane landed. Would he be nervous or anxious?

Was he scared to set foot on the continent that used to be home but became a death sentence? Or would he be happy to be back, within reach of family members who still live in Congo or worried that childhood memories would cloud his mission?

As it turned out, the Lakers reserve center felt only a twinge of emotional baggage on his return to Africa, the first time he has stepped foot in that part of the world in more than a dozen years. He was a bit anxious, but happy to have a chance to help disadvantage boys and girls through the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program.

"This was emotional for me, for sure," Mbenga said from Johannesburg, South Africa. "It's been a while since I was here, so for me to come back here, it has a lot of memories. It makes me understand how blessed I am."

Once he got his bearings, Mbenga said he put aside his memories and whatever fears he might have had, and focused on teaching youngsters the basics of basketball and life skills through the NBA program. Mbenga was one of 10 players, including Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard, who traveled to South Africa this past week for the NBA's third such global camp.

These players took part in several community outreach events, such as a life skills seminars dealing with HIV/AIDS education, talking to kids about living healthy lifestyles, showing them how to sustain a food garden and helping build homes through Habitat for Humanity.

"I came from a very different background, so this made me understand how I was blessed growing up. But growing up, I saw people like this, so I know what kind of life they have. And what they have is hope, a lot of hopes."

Mbenga's perspective of Africa takes on a different hue when you know his life story.

His father worked for the government in the Congo and the family was well off, what he calls "blessed." But when Mbenga and his brother were in their late teens, a new regime took over and jailed those who had worked for the previous leader. Mbenga's father was one of them. He and his brother were jailed as well.

The Mbenga brothers were jailed for only a brief time, until their father negotiated their release, but a short time later, their father was dead. Mbenga eventually fled to Belgium, where he received asylum, and while living in a refugee center, discovered basketball.

Now he is trying to help others learn the sport that has, what he says, given him an opportunity to live comfortably in the United States.

During his week in Africa, he and other NBA and WNBA players worked with 60 prospective players from 23 African countries, who were picked by the International Basketball Federation based on their skill, leadership skills and dedication to the sport. The aim is to use sport to promote a culture of social change among young people.

Former UCLA star Luc Mbah a Moute from Cameroon said the camp was pivotal in developing his basketball skills, a reason why he is in the NBA today. He was 16 years old when he attended his first camp in 2003.

Mbenga said he might have started his basketball career sooner had there been such a program when he was younger. As it was, Mbenga didn't start playing basketball until he was 17 years old in Belgium.

"Coming here has a lot of meaning for me. A lot, a lot," Mbenga said. "It's been emotional. The best part? To see these kids laugh is always a good thing … .and to speak to them from my heart."

By JANIS CARR

The Orange County Register

Lamar's keeping up with the Kardashian's

Washington (ANI): Socialite Kim Kardashian has confirmed that her sister/reality TV star Khloe is dating Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom.

"They're very, very happy . They've been together a few weeks, and are literally inseparable. Khloe thinks he's amazing and makes her laugh and smile constantly," People quoted her as telling.

The 'Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami' star was recently spotted nightclubbing with her new love in L.A. Odom, who comes from Queens, N.Y., has appeared in pro skater Rob Dydrek's MTV show Fantasy Factory, as well as the Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park video "We Made It."

Serbia upsets Spain 66-57 at Euro championship

Serbia's tight defense help to upset the highly favored Spaniards yesterday during the opening round of the European Basketball Championships.

The Serbian National team may lack an NBA star but they don't lack in heart. Their defense combined with Spains inability to hit an open shot kept them in the drivers seat throughout and cemented a 9 point lead on Lakers center Pau Gasol's team.

Pau, coming off surgery on his left index finger shot 4- 10 from the field and a mere 1 of 8 from the free throw line for 9 points. Hopefully that finger wont be an issue for the upcoming NBA season.

Los Angeles Lakers 2009-2010 Season Schedule wallpaper

Los Angeles Lakers 2009-2010 Season Schedule wallpaper is out, get it here from Lakers.com

The Sun sets for Yue in Los Angeles

The Lakers finally waived the young Chinese guard Sun Yue on Friday in an effort to take about $1.5 million off the books. They had until Aug 1 to exercise their option on him and avoid paying $100,000 in guaranteed money.

Yue was billed as the Chinese "Magic Johnson" when entering the draft in 2007. The Lakers considered the second round pick a long term project and allowed him only 28 minutes in 10 games last season for a total of 6 points.

This situation should benefit both sides as the Lakers need to save money and Sun needs to be on a team where he can actually get some experience. The Lakers are just far too deep to keep around a player like Sun that still needs to develope his game.

Honestly, I'm surprised they kept him around so long. I saw Sun play during the Beijing Olympics and he looks to have great potential but could not seem to hit a shot to save his life when playing in very limited minutes for the Lakers.

I think he will be a solid player in a few years but will never be truly comparable to the Magic man, thats just an unfair comparison for anyone.

Lamar Odom is finally back with the Lakers

It had taken all month for Lamar Odom and Mitch Kupchak to reach this point, with the free-agent forward and the Lakers' general manager sitting side-by-side at a news conference Friday.

Odom agreed to return to the Lakers, but Kupchak noted that the contract negotiations "took many twists and turns." Odom called it "a tedious time."

Still, Kupchak and Odom were finally together at the team's El Segundo training facility.

"I guess it's a little late to ask him for a little bit more," joked Odom, who then signed his contract -- a four-year deal worth about $33 million, with a team option for the final year.

"You can ask," Kupchak answered, getting laughs from reporters.

Odom acknowledged he kept weighing his options, "even today when I woke up."

Yet despite interest from the Miami Heat that Odom described as aggressive, the lure of winning another championship with the Lakers prevailed in the end.

"At this point in my career, all I want to do is win. That's how we're going to be remembered as, winners or losers. Right now I want to be remembered as a winner," Odom said.

The deal capped off a busy month for the Lakers. Free agents Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza essentially switched places, with Artest going to the Lakers and Ariza to Houston.

The Lakers also waived guard Sun Yue, 23, who played in only 10 games last season as a rookie and spent part of the season on the team's Development League squad. The Lakers had until Aug. 1 to exercise their option on Sun. He would've earned $736,000 next season had the Lakers kept him.

Sun, a 6-foot-9 guard from China, was the Lakers' second round pick in the 2007 NBA draft.

After Odom signed and Sun was waived, the Lakers had 13 players under contract. And Kupchak said it was likely the team would open training camp with that number.

"We're where we want to be as a team," Kupchak said. "We brought back basically everybody that we hoped to bring back."

That includes Odom, who can play both forward positions and fill in at center, and whose versatility made him a key component of the Lakers' 2008-09 championship season.

After Odom became a free agent on July 1, the Lakers presented him with two offers, each worth about $30 million guaranteed.

Then owner Jerry Buss took the offers off the table because Odom and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, didn't respond quickly enough.

And though Odom said Friday that Buss' move was just "bluffing," he also acknowledged that it hit a chord.

"That was the first time in my life since I was 8 years old where I wasn't picked to play," Odom said.

Odom said he talked to Buss and the owner explained his concerns about the Lakers and the NBA's luxury tax threshold, which dropped from $71.15 million last season to $69.9 million next season.

That's when Odom said he decided to tell Buss directly that the money issues were his least concern, even if the prolonged discussions created a different impression. "It makes me feel awkward when I have to pitch myself," Odom said.

"I let him know how important it was for me as a person to be a part of his franchise, why I love L.A. so much. All I could tell him was the truth."

In the end, Odom sounded relieved.

He also said that he's looking forward to the future.

"If we can win six, seven, eight, nine, 10 championships in a row, I want to experience that," Odom said.


By Mark Medina
August 1, 2009
mark.medina@latimes.com

Lamar Odom to resign with Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have at last reached terms on a new contract with sixth man ,Lamar Odom after a month of frosty negotiations that might have troubled the team and its fans more than just about anything they saw during last season's playoff drive to the championship.

"I always wanted to come back because we won the championship," Odom told ESPN's Shelley Smith. "I'm playing for the biggest brand in the world. And I'm playing with the most fluid, talented center in the world in Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum's coming back and of course Kobe Bryant.

"But to now get an opportunity to play with Ron Artest, a guy I've known 16 years, it means a lot. I told Ron Ron a few weeks ago I couldn't walk away. I still had to fight. Every time negotiations didn't go the way I thought, I just took a step back, like them pulling the offer off the table, I just knew I had to fight."

Sources with knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com that Odom and the Lakers on Thursday agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $33 million if the Lakers exercise their option on the fourth season. One source close to the process said that Odom will come away with a guaranteed $27 million from the new contract, matching the original value of the three-year, $27 million deal Lakers owner Jerry Buss pulled off the table earlier this month.

It's believed that the structure of the new contract calls for Odom to earn $25 million over the first three seasons, with the Lakers owing him a buyout of $2 million in the fourth year if they elect not to pick up their team option.

Team sources indicated that a sense of relief poured through the organization after word of the agreement spread, with Odom known to be giving serious consideration to leaving the team he helped last month to the 15th title in franchise history for a reunion with Pat Riley and Dwayne Wade with the Miami Heat.

Wade had been publicly lobbying for Odom to come "back home" for weeks. Limited in what it could offer as a team well over the salary cap, Miami was nonetheless prepared to give him a five-year deal worth $34 million with an option to return to free agency after four seasons or a four-year deal with a provision to go back on the open market after three years to try to negotiate a richer deal.

Read the full article at espn.com

J.A. Adande and Marc Stein are senior NBA writers for ESPN.com. ESPN's Shelley Smith contributed to this report.

Vegas oddsmakers consider Lakers the team to beat with or without Odom

This shouldn't really come as a surprise, but Vegas bookmakers have ranked the Los Angeles Lakers as the favorite to win the NBA championship in the upcoming season regardless of how the Lamar Odom situation plays out.

Jay Rood, the director of the MGM/Mirage Race and Sports Book, who was quoted by the L.A Times, stated "Getting [forward Ron] Artest is better than losing Lamar. The core of that team still is what it is, and as long as you keep Kobe [Bryant] and [Coach] Phil [Jackson], nothing changes."

At MGM/Mirage, the Lakers are an 8-5 favorite to win the NBA title, followed by the Boston Celtics, and recent addition Rasheed Wallace, at 3-1, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Shaquille O'Neal joining LeBron James, at nearly 4-1. The Orlando Magic are 13-2 and the San Antonio Spurs are 7-1.

"We didn't change anything when they got Artest, and if they lose Odom it'll just be a wash," said Jay Kornegay, 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.

"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."

I can see what they're saying about it being a wash after acquiring Artest, but what they dont really consider in this article is the fact that Ariza is now in Houston. I don't think one could make the argument that gaining Artest is better than losing Lamar and Ariza, two intregal factors in the Lakers run for NBA supremacy.

I like the attributes that Artest can bring to the table but for now he is bringing some uncertainty as well, where as the guys were already proven to mesh with the team.

With that said, I like the picking up of Artest over Ariza(sadly), but I would not like to see this Lamar situation go the same route. Lamar, please do yourself and the fans a favor by kicking your agent in the nutts and getting this damn contract negotiation over with. Miami is a fun place to visit but L.A. is your home, and in the wise words of Adam Sandler's character Happy Gilmore "go to your home."

Sources: Lamar Odom To Re-Sign With The Lakers

Just in case anyone has read the following article by DimeMag.com reporting that Blacksportsonline announced the probable re-signing of Lamar Odom to a 4 year $40 million dollar deal which was quickly reported to be a falsified rumor. As a laker fan shit like this pisses me off, it's obviously just an attempt to drive traffic to their sorry excuse for a website. I was doubtful when I first read the article, thinking to myself that Blacksportsonline is probably not the most credible source for Lakers news, but I'm doubtful that everyone was quite as skeptical. Here is the debunked artical I found on DimeMag.


It appears one of the best free agents on the market decided to stay home. According to BlackSportsOnline, sources close to Lamar Odom have told the site that Odom will sign a four-year, $40 million contract to remain with the Lakers.

While many thought that Dwyane Wade would be able to convince the vet to return to South Beach, Odom met with Jerry Buss during a closed door meeting in Las Vegas yesterday where the two were apparently able to reach an agreement.

Lamar Odom In talks with the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks

LAS VEGAS -- Amid a growing sense around the league that the Miami Heat have a real shot at stealing Lamar Odom away from the Los Angeles Lakers , Odom is expected to take the weekend to ponder his next move.

Sources with knowledge of Odom's thinking told ESPN.com that he has not abandoned hope of resuscitating serious negotiations with L.A. after Lakers owner Jerry Buss angrily pulled a three-year, $27 million offer off the table earlier this week.

According to a broadcast report Friday night from longtime L.A. television anchor Jim Hill, Odom called Buss directly on Thursday in an attempt to reignite talks.

The Heat, meanwhile, have made it clear that they are prepared to offer the richest contract they can in an attempt to convince Odom to stop haggling with the Lakers, with the Dallas Mavericks also eager to offer the same fallback option.

Heat star Dwyane Wade made a public plea Friday for Odom to return to the franchise that sent him to the Lakers in the Shaquille O'Neal deal in the summer of 2004, announcing that "we want him back home."

According to sources close to the process, Odom has been apprised that he can sign a five-year Heat deal consuming all of the team's mid-level exception, which would be worth $34 million and include the option to return to free agency after three years and negotiate a larger contract with Miami.

With the Lakers possessing Odom's Larry Bird rights, Miami can't match the $9 million annual salary that sources say he and the Lakers agreed to last week before talks collapsed. But the difference between the first three years of a Heat contract -- worth nearly $19 million -- and the $27 million over three years offered by L.A. might not be as wide as it appears. It's estimated that the absence of state taxes in Florida would represent close to an extra $1 million per season of take-home pay for Odom.

ESPN.com reported Tuesday night that Odom and the Lakers had reached an accord on a per-season wage of $9 million, but Odom balked at L.A.'s unwillingness to extend an offer spanning more than three years in length,

The Los Angeles Times, in reporting that Buss had pulled the offer, said Buss grew impatient after a few days that he didn't receive a firm response from Odom's camp. Yet one source told ESPN.com that Odom was never given a deadline to accept or pass.

Lakers spokesman John Black acknowledged Tuesday to the Times that "talks have broken down for the time being" but conceded that a resumption in negotiations is "within the realm of possibility." That remains what many rival teams camped at the NBA's annual summer league in Las Vegas expect, given Odom's importance during the Lakers' championship run last season and the fact that the only apparent issue between the sides is believed to be contract length.

The possibility exists that Buss has simply decided that he is no longer amenable to absorbing the luxury-tax implications of even a three-year deal worth Odom, but it would be an undeniable blow for the Lakers to report to training camp in October without Odom and Trevor Ariza after their contributions to the 15th championship in franchise history.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, approached by ESPN.com in Vegas on Thursday, said he could not publicly discuss the Odom situation. Attempts to reach Odom and agent Jeff Schwartz have been unsuccessful.

"I want Lamar to do what's best for him and his family because we love him as family," Wade said Friday in a phone interview with the Associated Press to discuss his new shoe deal with Brand Jordan.

"But on the other hand we want him back home... to come home. His house is still there. It'd be exciting to see what happens."

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Friday that Heat president Pat Riley, addressing season-ticket holders in a two-day session that was closed to media, revealed that he is also monitoring Carlos Boozer's status with the Utah Jazz but had not yet made a trade approach for the Team USA power forward.

As ESPN.com reported Tuesday night, Odom's unexpected availability combined with a trade for Boozer would flank Wade with two quality forwards and enable Miami to re-sign Boozer in the summer of 2010 without needing salary-cap space because the Heat would own Boozer's Bird rights. It's thought that acquiring Odom and Boozer this summer would greatly enhance Miami's chances of convincing Wade to sign a long-term deal to stay with the Heat, after Wade announced recently that he wants to be surrounded with more proven help before committing his future to Riley.

Sources maintain that Odom, if he can't go back to the Lakers, would strongly favor a return to the Heat over a move to Dallas or Portland. The Blazers once again have cap space to spend now that Utah has matched their four-year, $32 million offer sheet to Paul Millsap, but it is not yet known if they plan to lodge a bid for Odom similar to the five-year offer in the region of $50 million that Hedo Turkoglu accepted from Portland earlier this month and then walked away from to sign with Toronto.

Odom, who turns 30 in November, has made it clear over the past several months that he has no desire to leave the Lakers, whom he joined when L.A. broke up its three-peat duo of O'Neal and Kobe Bryant by trading O'Neal to Miami for Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant. He made $14.1 million last season to complete the six-year, $63 million contract he received from Miami in the summer of 2003.

Although he initially chafed at his move to the bench, Odom ultimately flourished as a sixth man, averaging 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 32 minutes per game during the playoffs, when he frequently wound up partnering with Pau Gasol in the Lakers' frontcourt since young center Andrew Bynum was still developing.

Replacing Ariza with the more physical Ron Artest this offseason has given the Lakers someone to absorb at least some of Odom's minutes and responsibilities if he does leave. But Odom's departure would be undoubtedly celebrated by other playoff contenders in the West, since it's the luxury of having three long-limbed big men to flank Bryant -- Odom, Gasol and Bynum -- that makes L.A. so unique. Odom also ranks as one of Artest's closest friends in the game, so his continued presence would theoretically help Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Bryant manage the mercurial Artest.

Asked in a Monday telephone interview with the Times why a deal was not yet done, Odom said: "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 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."

In the event that the talks are not resuscitated, L.A. would have to count on the unpredictable Artest and the up-and-down Bynum to fill the void. And Odom, in that scenario, would almost certainly be returning to Wade's side after they led Miami to a 42-40 record in 2003-04 when Wade was rookie.

"Lamar already knows how I feel," Wade said. "I really don't know how to feel. He's really taken time to deal with it, sit back. It's a very important decision in his life. It could be about where he ends his career."

In 10 seasons, Odom has averaged 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds.

"Lamar and I always had a great relationship," Wade said. "He's always been the guy, one of the guys, that I thought really helped me as a young player."

The Times has reported that Odom had actually been presented with two offers by the Lakers -- $30 million over three years and $36 million over four -- but sources with knowledge of the talks dispute that, saying that L.A.'s best offer topped out at $27 million over three years.

"There are specifics behind why we pulled it, but that's not something we're going to get into," Black told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.