Is this a trade you would make: Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest? Me neither. But it could be one the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers essentially make this offseason.
They’ve already lost Ariza and gained Artest. But they’ve now pulled their offer to Odom off the table. In pro sports, however, nothing is ever off the table permanently. Consider this an attention grabber.
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“He will come back crawling,” one NBA source said of Odom.
His options are limited: Few teams have the room to offer him the $10-million-a-year contract he wants. The Lakers only want to give him $9 million a year.
Odom is an inconsistent offensive player, but his length as a perimeter defender was a major plus. He did a lot of little things to help them win. If he leaves, the Lakers need young center Andrew Bynum to finally take that next step, otherwise they’ll have taken a step back. It could be that the Lakers need Odom as much as he needs them.
