Saturday, July 11, 2009

Lamar Odom Signs Six-Year $63 Million Contract in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES -- Restricted free agent forward Lamar Odom signed a six-year offer sheet worth about $63 million with the Miami Heat on Monday.

Odom has played his first four NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, who have 15 days to match the offer sheet or lose Odom to the Heat without compensation.

The Heat didn't make an immediate announcement concerning the signing, but the Clippers did, saying they had received a copy of the offer.

"We will evaluate this offer during the 15-day period before announcing our decision," the Clippers said, adding that during the 15-day period they would not issue status reports.

It's believed the Clippers will match the offer sheet and keep Odom, just as they did with Elton Brand and Corey Maggette earlier this summer.

Brand signed a six-year offer sheet worth a reported $82.2 million with the Heat and Maggette signed a six-year offer sheet worth $42 million with Utah.

The Clippers chose to allow Andre Miller to leave after he signed a six-year, $51 million offer sheet with Denver.

At the time Brand, Maggette and Miller signed their offer sheets, Clippers executive vice president Andy Roeser said it was the team's intention to match "any and all offers as we see fit with the goal of maintaining the nucleus of our team."

It's believed the Clippers consider Odom part of their nucleus.

Odom has said repeatedly in recent days that he wanted out of Los Angeles and wants to play for Heat coach Pat Riley.

"For me to reach my full potential, I believe it might be my time to go," Odom said last week. He reportedly turned down a three-year, $24 million offer from the Clippers last month.

Jeff Schwartz, Odom's agent, didn't immediately return phone messages.

The 6-foot-10 Odom averaged 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 49 games last season. The fourth overall selection in the 1999 draft, he is averaging 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 230 career games.

Brand said he didn't believe the Clippers would match the offer sheet he signed with the Heat.

But they did.

"You're obligated to be there if they do match," Brand said Monday at the U.S. Olympic team's training camp in New York. "So now they matched (Brand), they matched Corey, they got Coach (Mike) Dunleavy, so hopefully we're heading to a brighter future.

"It's going to be a tough road," Brand said of Odom's future should he remain with the Clippers. "Unless there's something you can mutually agree upon with the general manager and the owner, there's nothing that can be done. So it's a tough road."

Brand said he believes things could work out if Odom stays in Los Angeles.

"After a while, I'm sure -- I hope, because I'm there -- this will smooth out," Brand said with a laugh regarding the possibility of Odom staying with the Clippers. "If they don't match him, I wish him my best.

"You don't want to feel like the team you play with doesn't want you and only wants to pay you because someone else wants to pay. You don't want to feel like that, so you might understand why Lamar is going through what he's going through.

"You don't want to have a disgruntled employee. But if they do match him, I know what type of person he is. A lot of money, but he's not going to be a disgruntled player."

Brand said he last spoke with Odom in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago.

Source: ESPN

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Friday, February 27, 2009

Lakers-At-Nuggets Game Results - 27-Feb-09

DENVER (AP) -- For all the pundits who figure the Lakers and Spurs are the only teams to worry about in the West, the Denver Nuggets served notice Friday night that they deserve to be talked about, too.

J.R. Smith scored 22 points and hounded Kobe Bryant all night and the Nuggets beat cold-shooting Los Angeles 90-79 to end to end a nine-game losing streak against the Lakers.

The Nuggets got solid performances from reserves Smith and Chris Andersen, who tied a career high with seven blocks, pulled down 12 rebounds and chipped in 11 points, and their defense was, to a man, absolutely outstanding.

The Lakers, who brought the NBA's best record (48-10) into town when they checked into their hotel at 4 a.m., had their second-worst shooting night since the franchise moved to Southern California nearly a half century ago from Minneapolis -- 29.8 percent.

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Lakers-Suns Game Results - 26-Feb-09

The Los Angeles Lakers scored 70 points in the first half and rolled past the Phoenix Suns 132-106 Thursday night. Lamar Odom had 23 points on 12-for-13 shooting, helping the Lakers to their sixth straight win.

Kobe Bryant had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, while O'Neal had 12 points while taking just seven shots, and grabbed seven rebounds for the Suns in the former teammates' first meeting since sharing MVP honors at the All-Star game.

Pau Gasol added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who own the NBA's best record at 48-10 and lead the Pacific Division by 15 games over the Suns.

Los Angeles' points tied a season high and the team made a season-best 54 of 94 field goals, bettering the 48 the Lakers hit against Minnesota on Jan. 30.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Lakers-At-Thunder Game Results - 24-Feb-09

Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 36 points in a 3-minute span of the fourth quarter to stave off the Thunder's comeback bid and lead the Lakers to a 107-93 victory on Tuesday night. He didn't emerge from the Lakers' training room until about 40 minutes after the game, but he was in a good mood when he did.

Bryant moved into 19th place on the NBA's career scoring list, ahead of Adrian Dantley only one game after he passed Elgin Baylor for 20th. Entering the game, he had needed only 13 points to tie Dantley.

Kevin Durant scored 32 to lead Oklahoma City in its sixth straight loss. It was his ninth time scoring at least 30 points in the last 10 games, and the 13th time in 17 games, during a surge that's landed him right behind Bryant in fourth place in the NBA in scoring.

Rookie Kyle Weaver followed his career-best 19-point outing by scoring 16, and Russell Westbrook finished with 14 points for the Thunder.

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Lakers-At-Timberwolves Game Results - 22-Feb-09

Lamar Odom had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant scored 28 to move past Elgin Baylor into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list in the Lakers' 111-108 victory Sunday night.

Pau Gasol added 25 points for the team with the league's best record, which is 9-1 since Bynum went down with a torn MCL in his right knee on Jan. 31.

Ryan Gomes had 20 points and seven rebounds and Craig Smith scored 19 on 9-for-10 shooting for the Timberwolves, who are 1-4 without Jefferson and have lost six straight home games.

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