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Odom Stays Put

July 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Um excuse me if I seem like the bitter partner here hanging hopes on scoring the hottest date right before the prom but, pshhhaa! What is he thinking!?

Lamar Odom just took less money than initially offered to stay in LA? How is he going to spin that one to his ego? Here’s how:

“I was going to fight for what I wanted first and that was being in L.A. and being a Laker. L.A. was the first place that came to my mind. That’s where my heart was at.”

I don’t buy it. He was using Miami to try and get a better deal out of LA and when Buss found out, pulled the offer. So LA, realizing it needed Odom and Odom, realizing he wasn’t going to get the $10M per season he was aiming for, took the slightly better current offer to stay in LA. It is the right choice in that he doesn’t have to move and gets to play in LA for a potential dynasty – even if the total worth of the package is not nearly that much better than Miami’s as some would want to think.

Now the Heat are left without acquiring what could have been a major coup. Should Heat fans hang their heads? No. It was a risk – to get a player like Odom at the mid-level exception could not be realistically expected. Odom wouldn’t consider doing that with any other team. He did so with Miami because he knows Miami.

If you feel a little confused about Odom’s offseason jockeying, I don’t think you’re alone. To basically put off taking the best deal and end up taking a deal of lesser value to stay put all along is probably not the shrewdest move. For Miami, its back to the drawing board as they look to shore up the roster to get deeper into the playoffs. But with all the moves other teams have been making this offseason in the Eastern conference, the theme may have to “patience” for this upcoming season.

Read More:

LA Times

Faux Sports

Filed Under: Offseason Tagged With: , , ,

The Odometer: Lamar Odom’s Possible Reunion With Miami

July 26, 2009 By 5 Comments

Lamar Odom plays for 03-04 Miami HeatOk, the Odom Sweepstakes continues in what could be a pivotal move for two franchises this summer. The Miami Heat are trying to do the most with the least, as they slide forward a modest $34M offer to Lamar Odom to rejoin the franchise he helped bring back in 2003-2004. Dwyane Wade is here cheering him on from his Twitter account as well as even flying out in person to talk with big Lamar.

Hey, number 7 is still available Mr. Odom. We are always willing to make things work for you.

On the other hand there is the Lakers, who pulled their deal off the table for Odom after discovering he was, gasp, exploring his options this summer as a free agent. On the table was a deal for $36 million, over 4 years, and a maximum of $30 million over three years. It is now rumored that eventhough the Lakers and Lamar are in discussion about his future, the negotiations are strongly favoring the Lakers as they are reportedly lowering their initial offer. More importantly, a lot of pixels are being shed illustrating the meetings to be not quite characterized as negotiation.

Want proof? Read these stories:

Lamar Odom and Miami inching closer?

Lamar Odom reportedly close to choosing Heat over Lakers

Miami Herald

Things are, pun intended, heating up. If the Lakers low-ball Odom, expect a return to Miami. He would have to just to save face. If the Lakers suck it up, and realize the value Odom has to their franchise, and they increase their deal to something more in Odom’s range of expectation, then he will stay in gold and purple. Some reports are surfacing that a $40 million deal is on the table for Odom, but nothing has confirmed that figure just yet. Stay tuned.

Filed Under: Offseason, Rumors Tagged With: , , , , ,

Allen Iverson Still a Possibility for Miami?

July 25, 2009 By 2 Comments

It would seem that Allen Iverson’s image overhaul will rely on only a few potential suitors. The Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers are both basically out:

With the Grizzlies moving on and the Clippers’ interest apparently waning, Iverson’s options on the free-agent market could be dwindling. League sources still counted the Miami Heat and Charlotte Bobcats as possible destinations.

So, Miami remains a realistic possibility? Considering that the Heat may be adding Lamar Odom to the roster, that is if the Lakers deal proves to be too snobby for Odom, this may not be a bad idea. After all, Jamaal Tinsley is available, but reports are that there is great concern about his physical shape – let’s face it, he was always on the flabby side. But he has long been a favorite of Pat Riley’s. Andre Miller, however, is not a possibility and has signed a deal with the Portland Trailblazers – which may also affect the Heat’s chances of signing Odom as well.

AI’s camp rejected a one year deal from Memphis which would have paid him $5M but would also require him to come off the bench. If Miami made the same stipulation, perhaps in the wake of signing Lamar Odom, it may stick. Then again, the Heat would not be able to offer as much money, but instead rely on the veteran minimum figure and perhaps would have to raise the years from one to two to land Iverson.

Filed Under: Offseason, Rumors Tagged With: , , , ,

Lunar Eclipse: Jamario Moon Packs for Cleveland

July 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Looks like the Shaquille O’neal trade essentially netted the Heat another O’neal, Jermaine. The other main piece in that February deal, Jamario Moon, who was traded from the Raptors for Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion, was offered a 2 year deal by the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday.

Miami had one week to match the offer in order to retain Moon’s services, but decided to let him go. The reason? Pat Riley wants to continue to maintain payroll flexibility for this offseason as well as next. In order to re-sign Moon, the Heat would have had to use part of their mid-level exception, valued at about $5M.

The Heat are currently slightly over the luxury tax with their total payroll rising to $71.7M for this upcoming season (luxury tax is fixed at $69.9M for this upcoming season). Adding Moon would add money to the cap, but also eat up some of that MLE that the Heat are trying to set aside for a potential Lamar Odom reunion tour. Not to mention, to sign Moon to the $3M per season contract would actually cost the Heat $6M since they would be exceeding the luxury tax limit. Meanwhile, the Lakers and Odom’s camp are having talks, but some would not characterize those as negotiations even stating that the Lakers are offering Odom less than their initial deal, which Dr. Jerry Buss pulled off the table after discovering that Odom was apparently shopping his services around.

This move does potentially free up some playing time for Michael Beasley as well, whom Riley stresses is a big part of the future of this franchise – at this point, anyway. Perhaps if the right deal comes along, that changes.

Filed Under: Offseason, Roster, Rumors Tagged With: , ,

The Lamar Odom Sweepstakes; Moon Race Draws Near

July 23, 2009 By 2 Comments

The status of the Lamar Odom scenario continues to churn ahead. There are several reports that he has resumed negotiations with the Lakers, but some are saying that the initial offer has been dropped and is no longer available. In fact, some are reporting that the offer may have actually decreased.

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. – LA Times

The common opinion seems to be that the Lakers made Odom an offer that was far above market value, and he turned it down.  It’s my feeling that the team no longer thinks he’s worth a guaranteed $30 million in the current market.  Unless somebody has a change of heart, Lamar most likely will have to take less to come back to the Lakers. – John Ireland via CBS KCAL

This scenario may actually make the Heat’s offer more attractive. For Lamar to return to the Lakers, he would have to take less money than was initially offered. Why would he do that? It is clear that he is trying to renegotiate, however. It is not clear how the Lakers would sell this to Odom but the Heat offer is still on the table.

Heat Have Until Friday for Moon

40 years after man landed on the moon, the Heat are in their own Moon Race – for Jamario Moon. Reports were as of Monday of this week that Jamario Moon was offered a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal was actually extended towards Moon on Friday, really leaving only until this Friday to match Moon or lose him without compensation. The Heat may have been quietly hoping for a decision from Odom at the beginning of this week, but now it looks more and more like Jamario Moon is on his way to Cleveland. The Heat would have to go over the cap to re-sign him, something Riley has been adamantly opposed to.

Filed Under: Offseason, Rumors Tagged With: , ,
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