It’s worth noting that Miami signed Odom back in 2004, so the Lakers had nothing to do with his last deal.

I disagree with your opinion of Lamar. I think he’s highly valued by the Lakers, and rightfully so. The Lakers WOULD NOT have won the championship last season without Odom.

He hedged at the prospect of coming off the bench initially, but he accepted the role without complaint shortly after the season began, despite the fact that he would start for just about every other team in the league.

Also, I think he’s earned everyone’s respect — on and off the court. His teammates love him, the coaching staff speaks highly of him, and he has a great relationship with the media. I’ve covered three or four Laker games thus far, and the LA media almost always converges around Odom’s locker before and after games to shoot the breeze. Odom has his quirks of course, but he’s a very likable guy.

Check this out:

http://ballerblogger.com/2009/03/18/lamar-odoms-story/

I guess I’ve always felt that Odom has been overpaid pretty much his entire career.

Specifically, Odom has been paid (I won’t write “earned”) over $69 million 9 seasons playing in the NBA, for a yearly average of $7.7 million per year.

Odom’s 1999 draft classmate Manu Ginobli has averaged $5.6 million per year.

Manu has been a CRITICAL component of 3 NBA championships for the Spurs, and shows his team first mentality by coming of the bench or starting — whatever Pop wants — without a peep.

Odom has been a flake his entire career (to put it kindly) and has been paid primarily on potential, not production.

If Odom really feels like $9 million a year for 4 years is beneath him, then perhaps he ought to refund the Clippers, Heat and Lakers the money he didn’t actually EARN in previous years, THEN from a position of equal footing, start making his demands of the Lakers.

Odom is a greedy head case, and is wanted by the Lakers not because he’s earned everyone’s respect over the years, but because there is no one else available with that skill set at his height.

I’m with Buss on this one.

Odom can eat some humble pie and redeem himself by “settling” for $36 million, or he can walk and prove himself the donkey we’ve so often seen from him in his checkered NBA career.

The “he’s alright because my team needs him” mentality isn’t a healthy one for sports fans to foster.

Odom is not alright.

That makes two of us. In all seriousness though, I don’t know why Odom’s camp is even considering signing with the Heat. The per year salary is less than the Lakers are offering, and the state-tax benefits have been overstated.

The most the Heat can offer is a five-year, $34 million contract at the mid-level exception. The Lakers are offering four years and $36 million.