Lamar to re-sign with LA Lakers

[MarHill]

id love to see the spurs lakers healthy. the only time where it was relatively close was during the shootout even with the lakers undermanned. thast the best shot of seeing both teams play their best when one wasnt at their full strength. im hoping that the addition of talent and lack of injuries doesnt take away from a shootout

Uh...both teams in 2003 were healthy!!

And the Lakers had Kobe and Shaq!!!

I agree that I want both teams to be fully healthy. I'm looking forward to it next season.

[Seventyniner]

I'm surprised that the Lakers caved to that extent. Odom wouldn't take $36M/4 yrs., but took this. I thought they'd meet in the middle ($38M). $2M doesn't seem like much compared to these amounts, but that's still money that could be used elsewhere.

This makes me wonder what the Lakers' next move is. The starters are great, but the bench outside of Odom still seems weak to me. Then again, outside of Manu, the Spurs don't have much proven production off the bench.

Edit: Crunching the numbers:

Year 1 $8,639,309, year 2 $9,546,436, year 3 $10,453,563, year 4 $11,360,692.

Lakers' team salary for 2009-2010 is now $93,253,041 for 14 players. The cost of keeping a championship team together. By comparison...

Spurs: $79M, 14 players
Cavs: $80M, 13 players (assuming the Heat don't match on Moon)
Magic: $80M, 12 players (including Barnes)
Celtics: $79M, 12 players

It takes massive spending to keep up at the top of today's NBA. I suppose Holt (et al) realized this. The Spurs' total salaries last year were around $68M.

[vander]

I'm surprised that the Lakers caved to that extent. Odom wouldn't take $36M/4 yrs., but took this. I thought they'd meet in the middle ($38M). $2M doesn't seem like much compared to these amounts, but that's still money that could be used elsewhere.

This makes me wonder what the Lakers' next move is. The starters are great, but the bench outside of Odom still seems weak to me. Then again, outside of Manu, the Spurs don't have much proven production off the bench.

Edit: Crunching the numbers:

Year 1 $8,639,309, year 2 $9,546,436, year 3 $10,453,563, year 4 $11,360,692.

Lakers' team salary for 2009-2010 is now $93,253,041 for 14 players. The cost of keeping a championship team together. By comparison...

Spurs: $79M, 14 players
Cavs: $80M, 13 players (assuming the Heat don't match on Moon)
Magic: $80M, 12 players (including Barnes)
Celtics: $79M, 12 players

It takes massive spending to keep up at the top of today's NBA. I suppose Holt (et al) realized this. The Spurs' total salaries last year were around $68M.

it's expensive for SA right now because TD is twice the price and half the value as when he was 27 or so.

imagine if SA would have been spending 70+ mill when TD was making 12, Manu 8, and TP 10

[Danny.Zhu]

I would like to see the Spurs take down the Lakers with Lamar Odom, no excuses then.

Even if they don't have LO, they have no excuse either. Lakers salary 84m, Spurs 77m.

[Spursmania]

I'm just glad this Lamar Odom is over.

[vander]

Even if they don't have LO, they have no excuse either. Lakers salary 84m, Spurs 77m.

[Seventyniner]

Even if they don't have LO, they have no excuse either. Lakers salary 84m, Spurs 77m.

That's $84M without Odom; ~$93M with.

The Lakers are becoming the Yankees lite. They're both very polarizing: it seems that everyone either loves them or hates them. They're also willing (and able) to outspend others. The Lakers can't do it to the Yankees extent, though, due to the salary cap.

Remember that the Mavs, Blazers, and Knicks used to be the huge spenders, and none of them made much noise. But it seems now that a great organization and coach aren't enough; you need to spend a lot too.

[Russ]

According to Realgm http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archiv..._with_lakers/#

looks like it will be 4 yrs at 40 mil. The Lakers gave him what he wanted, big surprise..

John Ireland (Laker sideline reporter) says on local LA radio that this report is absolutely false. He says he has three sources within the Lakers that deny it completely.

He confirms that even the Lakers' 3 year $30 million offer is off the table and there is no indication that it is coming back. Buss thinks he can win without Odom (even if the odds go down, it's still possible).

For what it's worth.

[phyzik]

Good, now Lakers fans can stop being so hysterical trying to defend their teams status on this website. We will see your asses in the WCF and make Kobe and D. Fisher cry again.

[SteelerNation]

Dont know where this came from. Its not true. I'm hearing Lamar is gone. He has agreed to the Miami deal basically...the only thing holding it up is other teams coming after him for the MLE and promising more money in endorsements.(like the New Jersey Nets)

[phxspurfan]

actually it seems like were on a 2 year drought and have a heat index of about 107

Heat index...lol


SA is the only place I ever lived that made that crap up

[Russ]

Here is a more reliable account:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,5117681.story

[Baseline]

Here is a more reliable account:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,5117681.story

Unbelievable. These morons are sweating paying Odom 10 mil a year, when they're about to sign an extension with 31-yr-old Bryant which will average 26.8 mil a year?

Bryant is not worth that on any planet. His body will start breaking down around February, and will not stop breaking down for the entirety of that 134 million extension.

I love it. They're overpaying Bynum, Bryant, Vujacic, and Walton. I actually think Lamar is worth 10 million.

[Danny.Zhu]

Unbelievable. These morons are sweating paying Odom 10 mil a year, when they're about to sign an extension with 31-yr-old Bryant which will average 26.8 mil a year?

Bryant is not worth that on any planet. His body will start breaking down around February, and will not stop breaking down for the entirety of that 134 million extension.

I love it. They're overpaying Bynum, Bryant, Vujacic, and Walton. I actually think Lamar is worth 10 million.

MJ was a lot older than Kobe and still won a lot of champions. Don't underestimate our current #1 enemy in the West.

[crc21209]

Here is a more reliable account:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,5117681.story

The main points of that article are that Odom and the Lakers are "resuming talks". Not come to a deal YET. And that the offer may have even gone down some:


Lamar Odom and Lakers resume talks

Is the table being set again?

A week after the Lakers pulled a pair of contract offers to Lamar Odom off the table, the sides resumed talks Wednesday.

The discussions were labeled productive, but there was nothing to report "at the moment," according to a source familiar with negotiations who was not authorized to comment publicly.

It didn't look great last week for Odom's return to the Lakers after the franchise yanked its offers of three years and $30 million or four years and $36 million, with the fourth year only partially guaranteed.

But the sides began communicating in a more positive light Wednesday. Financial details were not immediately available, though the Lakers were not expected to have improved their initial offers. If anything, the offers might have dropped slightly.

Odom, who will be 30 in November, was a key part of the Lakers' championship run, and his teammates, including Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, have unilaterally expressed a desire for his return.

On the other hand, the Lakers are conscious about veering too far into luxury-tax territory. They have already allocated $83.8 million to 12 players next season, which would mean an additional luxury-tax penalty of $13.9 million.

Last season, the Lakers' payroll was $78.2 million and they paid an additional $7.2 million in luxury taxes.

If the Lakers don't get Odom, their options are slim other than a trade. They can sign a veteran forward for about $1 million. They also must decide by Aug. 1 whether to bring back seldom-used guard Sun Yue for $736,000 next season. The Lakers have also considered forward Shelden Williams.

The Lakers have used both spending tools given to teams that are over the salary cap -- the "mid-level exception" of $5.8 million next season was spent on Ron Artest and the "bi-annual exception" of $2 million next season was given to reserve guard Shannon Brown, who re-signed with the team for two years and $4.2 million.

Odom was on the Lakers' books for $14.1 million last season, but will obviously have to take a pay cut. The Miami Heat has expressed interest in him, though the cap-strapped team could offer only a mid-level deal worth $34 million.

The Lakers took their offers to Odom off the table last week after learning he was engaging in discussions with the Heat.

The Lakers will wait until the Odom situation is resolved before signing Bryant to a contract extension.

Bryant will get $23 million next season and is expected to receive an extension on top of it that would pay him $134 million to $138 million over the next five seasons, depending on salary-cap figures to be determined in July 2011. Bryant will be 31 next month.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,5117681.story

[SenorSpur]

After negotiations.... or is his immune system breaking down? You be the judge.

If his arrogant actions in the Odom negotiations weren't enough, then these photos are certainly proof positive that Buss has been "smelling his own urine".

BTW, the feminine handbag is a nice touch, too.

[raspsa]

We should be more interested in what's happening with the Spurs rather than what our opponents are doing. Not that we posters can influence either in any way. I too am glad the issue appears to be settled and we can move on to other more interesting Spurs topics.

[lennyalderette]

you know what? its always goin to be something with the lakers, but hopefully the both of us are healthy, timmy and ginobili 100%, bynum and the lakers too and we just battle it out like old times. i love the lakers as an enemy they are the exact opposite of us. and its just a bad ass intense battle when both teams go at it, thats what makes the nba what it is. im just glad the men in black are stacked this year get ready for history spurs fans!!!!! Go Spurs Go!!!!!!!!!! oh by the way this is my first real post been reading what the fellow fans have posted, good energy in here!!

[peskypesky]

I would like to see the Spurs take down the Lakers with Lamar Odom, no excuses then.

me too. i think we have the firepower.

[Mr. Body]

Man, Buss looks like an old queen.

[Spurm]

With or without Lamar the spurms didn't have a chance against the Lakers...what is the big deal??

These s are overrated...

[Chillen]

I want to see the Lakers either repeat or get beat at full-strength in 2010. So this is good news. With that lineup if they f*ck it up and don't repeat that would be one of a choke job.

Let them go out and prove they aren't a 1 hit wonder. I think the Spurs have enough firepower to make them work for it, if they meet a healthy Celtics team they will have tons of trouble. Won't be easy.

[Mr. Body]

It's the same team the Celtics crushed the year before. No reason someone won't do it again.

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

It's the same team the Celtics crushed the year before. No reason someone won't do it again.

say it aint so!

[Mr. Body]

Artest has never won anything in his life. Not even a fist fight.