Today the Los Angeles Times confirmed the Clippers' interest in Allen Iverson, although A.I.'s destination still remains a mystery, but there was an even bigger headline: "Lakers Pull Odom Offer Off the Table". Which makes me wonder, what is Lamar Odom thinking? You're getting older, you just won a championship, and you're in a position to contend if you re-sign with the Lakers. Until now, I thought it was because Lamar was trying to cash in on the playoff giddiness with a fat contract. But it turns out that the Lakers were ready to sign him for $9 million/yr. for 4 years or pay him $10 million/yr. for three years. Apparently, though, that didn't satisfy his needs, as he demands $1o million a year for the next half a decade. In plain terms, $50 mill. in 5 years. Now, that's a handsome sum - if he can get it.
On the other hand, I completely understand the frustrations in the Lakers organization. They were ready to drastically overpay the guy and he didn't even have the decency to get back to them. Instead, he went and spoke to other teams who aren't even ready to offer him anything remotely close. I'm especially perplexed as to why Odom has not even responded to the Lakers because the teams that are said to be pursuing him, Dallas and Miami, can only offer him the midlevel exception of $5.8 million. If this isn't about winning, which it clearly isn't, and it's not about the money, what's on Lamar's mind?
I would love to spend time analyzing how Lamar would fit on a Heat squad or how he would look in a Mavericks uniform, but there's no way he can possibly leave Lakerland. Even though he already lost his first oppurtunity, if Odom wants to receive anything near his initial demands and feel appreciated, he'd better stay a member of the Lake Show.
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