Kobe, Lakers Teammates Lobby Odom to Return

Kobe and Fisher want Odom back, the question is does Jerry Buss?

By KURT HELIN

Updated 7:06 PM PDT, Tue, Jul 28, 2009

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Dywane Wade wants Lamar Odom in Miami and is publicly pleading for Odom to come to South Beach.

Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and other Lakers have been pleading with Odom to return to Los Angeles, they have just been a little less public about it.

Kobe is trying to expand his dominance in Asia and during a stop in Singapore said that he is optimistic Odom will be back with the Lakers. Kobe has said he has called and texted Odom to convince him to return and help the Lakers defend their title.

So has Derek Fisher, who was across the street from Staples Center promoting an upcoming 3-on-3 basketball tournament. He said Odom is key to the Lakers locker room, which was a friendly and happy place last season.

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"As much credit as sometimes I get -- probably more than I should -- as far as my importance to the team from a spiritual perspective in our locker room and whatnot, I think Lamar is equally important," Fisher said.

"His personality and the way he carries himself... Lamar is a very caring person and a lot of times he cares more about other people than himself. To have a guy like that in the locker room, a lot of times he's an example for a lot of other guys on our team.

"And what he went through this past year, going to the bench -- and I mean he's an all-star caliber player -- and in a contract year to come off the bench and he'd never done it before in his career, he did it as well as anybody could ever do it and his team won a championship at the same time."

Those two are not alone, other Lakers — including Ron Artest and Luke Walton — have said they have reached out to Odom in an effort to keep him playing at Staples Center. They have done everything but offer him a lifetime supply of candy.

Last week Odom and Lakers owner Jerry Buss talked in an effort by Odom to clear up any misunderstanding. Since then, sources on both sides of this have dried up — nobody is talking about the negotiations. Whether that means they are close to a deal or not talking at all is anyone’s guess.

Odom has a five-year, $34 million deal on the table to play with Wade and the Heat. But the Lakers have allegedly offered as much as $36 million over four years — but it is the years that is the issue. That Laker offer was not a guaranteed fourth year — in that fourth year they will have to decide whether to extend Pau Gasol, so they want some financial flexibility. Odom, at age 29, knows this is likely his last kick at the can financially (the market for 32-year-old forwards is pretty slim) so he wants the longer-term security.

And with that, you have an impasse. But the feeling around the league is that the Lakers are going to get this done — with the depth and versatility of Odom Los Angeles is the favorite to repeat as NBA champions. Without him, they are one of five serious contenders and there is no margin for error. The feeling is Buss wants to win more than he wants money, and that a deal will be struck.

And Lakers teammates are trying to push that along.