Ted Green: Lakers need to put up the money

I'm no Alan Greenspan when it comes to finance, but let's start with a very basic premise, no advanced degree required:

The Lakers and the luxury tax seem about as comfortable together in the same sentence as Barack Obama and Sarah Palin.

I bring it up because the Lakers seem to be playing the luxury tax card as they talk vaguely about what they can and cannot afford to pay their free-agent forward, Lamar Odom.

The versatile Odom made about $14 million in 2009. Now there are hints about offering him the mid-level exception of $5-plus million, something like a 60% pay cut.

You want to cut somebody? Ask Andrew Bynum to give some of that 52 mil back.

Now, it's not my place to spend Jerry Buss' money. If he wants to blow some of it on poker, 21 being a great number for both blackjack and girlfriends, that's his business. But riddle me this:

If the Cleveland Cavaliers can pay THEIR power forward, the klunky Anderson Varejao, $50 million and he's about a quarter as good as Lamar Odom, are the Lakers telling us they can't pay a talent like Odom $8 to $10 million?

And if the Cavaliers -- remember, the market is Cleveland -- can live with being $14 million over the cap, which they are today, why are the Lakers crying poor about being $12 million over?

Twelve million dollars? Isn't that what it costs to park at Staples? Doesn't $12 million represent about 20 games' worth of profit from those yummy chicken burritos they jack you for at about $8 bucks a pop there?

Oh, and before we even get into how much the Lakers franchise is worth, the Dallas Mavericks are $26 million over the cap.

Mark Cuban spending to win while Jerry Buss cuts corners? Say it ain't so.

Now, the Lakers have been pretty clever in selling us on the cap. But if it's a snow job, does that make it like the candy, Sno-Caps? Lessons in capology are coming out of Mitch Kupchak's office every day. Lakers beat writers then dutifully carry the message to the public without investigating the profit side of the ledger, so we don't get a balanced story where Lakers finances are concerned.

Right now the cap propaganda is getting so thick, I'm starting to think Kupchak has moved his office to the Kremlin.

Jerry Buss bought the Lakers (and hockey's Kings,  the Forum and a ranch in Bakersfield) for $38 million. Today most major financial publications estimate the Lakers' worth at between $650 million and $900 million!

I believe this is known as a substantial profit. Wait, I mean windfall.

And boo hoo, they're crying about a few mil in cap money?

I've known the good doctor Buss for 35 years and never once in all that time has he ever acted like Charlie Cheapskate. So in that context this Odom business, hardballing such a key championship ingredient, does surprise and disappoint me.

The Lakers don't sell cheap. They usually leave that to the team down the hall.

When you're on the cusp of starting another run of championships, with two, three or even four in a row feasible, this is no time to channel Donald Sterling.

While you're basking in the glow of the '09 title, look around, Dr. Busschak. The Cavs got Shaq, the Celtics got 'Sheed, the Spurs got Richard Jefferson and the Blazers are on the brink of getting Paul Millsap.

This is not the time for the Lakers to penny-pinch and get left at the starting gate.

Cry about the cap? What's next, passing the hat?

Besides, Odom's been a good soldier. Occasionally, a great one, a three-star general.

Ask Lamar to start, he starts. Ask him to be sixth man, he's sixth man. Ask him to bail out Andrew Bynum every time the kid is called for two fouls before he gets off the bus, which was just about every game in the playoffs, he bails out Bynum. Ask him to help you win a championship, you win a championship.

So don't diss Odom, either. Show him the respect and appreciation he's earned. Just because the market's turned in the Lakers' favor is no excuse to take undue advantage of it.

Ten mil a year for Lamar? A little too much. The market has changed. Money's tighter. Lamar's gonna have to live with it; it's a fact of life.

But if you've given Ron Artest about $6.9 mil per when he has no history with the Lakers, other than getting in Kobe's grill from the enemy side, then give Lamar at least the same annually. Or a little more because he's been there for you.

Say 8 per ... $16 million for two years and call it a deal.

Dr. Busschak, nothing less than your reputation for doing the big, important things right and stylishly rests on it.

Only that and winning the championship again next season.

-- Ted Green

Green formerly covered the Lakers for the L.A. Times. He is currently senior sports producer for KTLA Prime News.

Photo: Lakers forward Lamar Odom. Credit: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press

Comments

[Kimerroon]

If I'm calculating correctly, the Lakers are currently about $13 mil over the cap, not 7 as you say. That's WITHOUT Lamar's salary. I understand that the Lakers need Lamar back, but calling Buss a cheapskate is a little overdramatic, don't you think?

[Phil Jackson]

Ted,

You're article lost all credibility when you stated the Blazers are on the brink of getting Millsap. Um, the Blazers MAY make Millsap an offer, and he may even sign that offer, but if you think the Jazz will just let him walk, you are disillusioned. If you would keep your head out of the clouds, you would know that the Jazz are moving Boozer. Wouldn't make too much sense, now would it, if they were going to let Millsap walk?

[J-Dizzle]

Wow... over and under exaggering certain figures there huh? Artest is getting 5.8 mil not 6.9. As far as Bynum goes, he only made around what 2 mil last year. He was playing superb ball until Kobe fell into his legs, injured him and forced him into wearing a very restricting brace that removed his quickness and explosion in the playoffs that limited his ability to do the things he can do. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. God I swear, writers and their attempt to play drama. On top of that, the 7 mil over the cap... that was LAST season. The Lakers as they stand right now are closer to 12-13 mil over the cap and signing Odom at his asking price would put them around 23 mil over the cap. With a salary cap just north of 69 mil and a payroll north of 90 mil, you can see why the Lakers are a bit hesitant right now. Odom has played most of this Laker days being overpaid until this past season. On top of that, if you want to talk about players needing to give something back, talk to Vujacic, Walton and Morrison just to name a few. 5 mil guys who play like 1.1 - 2 mil bench players. At a max value of 2 mil each, those guys are milking 9 mil combined which could easily go to paying Odom. What the Lakers need is a good trade (sucker) partner who'd be willing to take 2 of those contracts (Memphis anyone!?).

[DodgerLakerDieHardFan-UpstateNY]

i fully agree, stop the game playing with L.O. he's done his job for 5 years...PAY THE MAN!!

[Brittney]

Thats right speak the truth Odom is important each day I wake up wondering if they signed the dude already and can someone please give this article to Jerry Buss and what the hell happen to Kobe and his opinions? He should be extra pushing the Lakers to sign Odom, don't take a back seat and wait and see, Lakers already let Trevor walk, we can not afford to lose Odom as well. Pay the MAN already

[Yuli Quiocho]

The versatility of LO does a lot to our LA team...I can say that the possibility of winning the championship next year depends on LO being a Laker...I, an avid Filipino NBA fan since the days of Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, James Worthy and now KB24 make a strong pitch for Dr. J. Buss to retain LO's multi-purpose services... where can you find a 1- 5 player? there are times LO lack the tenacity but in vital games, he delivers...with RonArt in the fold, LO will be shown the tenacity needed game in and game out...if this is done, we can meet the Irish Celts eye-to-eye year after year, give them a good fight until they age out (Rasheed Wallace-35, Ray Allen-34, Kevin Garnett-33, Paul Pierce-32)...by then, we have overtaken them in the number of rings won...Retain LO Dr. Buss!!! PLS!!!

[Rene Baca]

You are absolutely right!! LO deserves to get paid. He helped the Lakers win that ring, he deserves it.

[Ted Green]

J-Diz: Artest signed 5 years, $33.95M...It's 6.8, not 5.8. 5.8 is the midlevel exception or thereabouts.

tmg

[Brizzle]

Wow i didn't know this many people read this blog.

I agree with Mr. Green. Pay the man. not something outrageous but something in the 7 to 8 mil range. The guy was there for the Lakers. There are no other Lamar Odom's in the NBA. DO IT MITCH

[Henry]

If the Lakers want to win another ring, they will need LO. Maybe they should cut the roster to 12 or 13 players, instead 15th; if NBA allow?

LO worked hard and deserve to get paid, also he wants to stay with the Lakers!

I hope LO will not get screwed by his agent like Ariza did. We all like Ariza and he should have accepted the Lakers offer instead of listening to his agent. He will not get that many open shots like he used to get with the Lakers.

Ron Artest is better player then Ariza, if he keep his head clear and with LO back, the Lakers are tough team to beat.

Go Lakers!!!

[Tanya O'Neal]

I am not the one who knows about spending caps and payroll but I do know one thing...T.Ariza helped the Lakers win a ring/he is a champion now because of himself and the Lakers. So he asked for a raise, that was not the right time to ask for one though in my opinion, and the Lakers made a smart decision. Now Lamar Odom has been with the team and put in work, he has done everything ask. He may not have liked it but he played his part for the team. Why won't the team have is back now, when he's had their back for so long? He should make a little more than Ron Artest and with Kobe/Pau/LO/Artest and the rest of the Company the Lakers would win Championships for the next 3-4 YEARS!!! I think this article was very very very good indeed!

[JovanaT]

Nice work.

[Dragon007]

Lakers really need Odom to repeat. Players like Ariza are dime a dozen.
I really want Odom back, no question .But there is some moves on Lakers part I have to understand, and so should you.
1. Ron Artest was paid MLE 5.6 mil. Lakers don't pay tax on that (That's why it's called exception)
2. Lamar asked for 10 mil. a year and with luxury tax penalties it comes to be 20 MIL. A YEAR.
Put excitement over championship aside and remember how many times Odom drove you nuts when he took the night off. Remember last year’s finals?
Now ask yourself this:
Do you really think Lamar is worth 20 mil./yr? To anyone? Maybe to Cleveland.
Then again, do you want to choose their management (And zero titles, they proudly hang their division titles LOL) over ours?
I know I don't.
Them paying 16 Mil/yr for Varejao just shows why they never won anything.
(8 X luxury tax = 16 mil.)
They are led by losers. Shaq trade out of desperation is even worse. Makes me laugh.
Just like Phoenix ,they needed 1 small step to win it all before Shaq (1 year ago)
Now they are out of playoffs, and conversation. Falling apart.
LeBron won't let that happen to Cleveland, but no way can they win it.
Now back to Lakers
NBA sent memo to teams that next year cap/tax goes down another 5 mil.
Teams will spend even less now.
Nobody can offer Odom more then MLE.
Lakers offer more then that.
Why would they bid against themselves? Cavs may do that, that’s why they're not
The most consistent franchise in NBA history. WE ARE
Boston won only 1 ring in my lifetime. Played in finals: ONCE IN 23 YEARS
Lakers played finals 10 times (Every other year), won 6 rings with 3 different generations.
That is unmatched in sports.
Thank god I'm a Lakers fan to witness all that. Not to WITNESS only Lebron Nike ad.
Like poor Cavs fans.
So don't put Dr Buss legacy on the line just like that. It shows your ignorance.
I want LO back badly ,and I know HE WILL BE SIGNED.100%
No shadow of a doubt.
Paying him more then his true market value out of "Loyalty" would be stupid.
Why not pay all the players what they want, not 'cos they're good, but 'cos they're
loyal. It even sounds retarded.
Why not pay Sasha ,or Farmar 10 mil/yr.They were loyal too.
And Mbenga,and Morisson etc.
By the way Artest has better career averages than Ariza and Odom TOGETHER !
And he was Defensive Player of the Year and All Star.
He will play for 5.6/yr and Odom won't for 8.
Oh yes he will. Just wait a few days.
You really think you should be giving tips to Dr Buss and Kupchak? They have the best track record in all NBA.By far.
Just remember this:There is a reason Dr Buss made all that money you're talking
about , and you write about it ,and I write comment.
Because that's who we are.
He's a Billionaire Lakers owner , you are uninformed blogger , and I'm a time wasting loser with nothing better to do.

[Lionel I. Hill]

It appears to me the Laker really don't want to repeat, it's all lip service and P.R, L.O. is much to important to this team to have any chance next season. He earned it PAY HIM. Sasha, Luke, Andrew, give these's players a PAY CUT. Not someone that's this important.

[Akbar]

Uh, how about actually posting my comments? You made up nearly every number in that article that concerns salary caps. When did the LA Times sink so low?

[Akbar]

I seriously cannot get over the LA Times publishing this poor excuse for sports journalism. I don't know what's more grating to me, that or the fact that this guy actually holds a job in his field.

I mean, apart from all the made-up salary-cap numbers, there are all the little transgressions to consider. Like, for example, his discussion of Varejao's salary fails to mention how the "$50 million" number for Varejao is inflated...you see, real pieces of journalism - like this one: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1183975&srvc=sports&position=recent - actually explained to we lay-folk how the specifics of the Varejao deal really "puts the contract at five years for somewhere around $37 million or $38 million" for 5 years.

Take note ya scrub. That's journalism; I don't know what you did here but it's neither informative nor entertaining. If you're gonna shirk the one, information, at least provide some entertainment.

[jake]

LO, just go ahead and walk out of this team. They are not showing you any love, so go ahead and sign a Mid-Level with another team. It's not worth trying to beg to signed back in when you know you played better than Luke, Sasha and Farmar combined. We will miss you, but you have to do what is right for you. Maybe, just maybe, they'll realize the Lakers made a mistake when they are watching the Spurs vs Celtics in the 2010 Finals.

[DALE WEINBERG]

I'M A CAVS FAN WHO LIVES IN L.A. The situation with Lamar is not much different than what the Cavs and some other teams are going thru. The question that JERRY BUSS, KOBE, JACKSON and LAKER'S FANS need to ask is do you want to defend your role as NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS??? If you do, then you will need LAMAR ODOM. WITHOUT LAMAR...YOU WILL NOT GET TO THE FINALS.
The lakers are a great team, but if you look at what happened during the past several weeks, many of the teams around you just got a lot better.
BOSTON IS THE TEAM TO BEAT THIS YEAR. You can argue all you want, but it is true. The CAVS also improved. Teams in the Lakers Division and conference have gotten a lot better.
PORTLAND will be extremely tough
SAN ANTONIO is better
DALLAS is going to be very good
HOUSTON...depending on Yao will be good
Even the Clippers will be better
Many of the teams in your conference where you won 3 or 4 games last year will not happen this year and they definitely will not happen without Odom.
THINK NBA FINALS. next year the Lakers will probably have to defend their title either against CLEVELAND who have LEBRON, SHAQ and an improved team overall. OR you will face BOSTON with 5 future hall of famers in theri starting lineup
TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE AGAINST BOSTON OR CLEVELAND...YOU WILL NEED LAMAR ODOM...SO I SAY PAY THE MAN WHAT HE IS WORTH

[Rodney H]

Re-sign LO now! Like Ted said he has been the consummate professional, doing whatever was asked of him. He even endured trade rumors last season and still came back giving his all for the franchise. Now is not the time to be playing the cheapskate card Dr Buss! If we don't get Lamar, who do we get to replace what he does for the Lakers? What will you say if he goes to help another contender? Come on Mitch and Dr Buss! Give Lamar $9-$10 million and let's go for that repeat!!!

["Old" Fong]

The money should come out of Kobe's wallet. Are the rumours about Lamar making a call to Artest true or are they floated out there by Kupcake? I'm thining Lamar is not happy. Get rid of Luke Walton and others that will never really contribute. Except for Gasol, the "euro" players are nothing but a marketing gimmick from a few years back to maintain a white audience for the sport. Don't need it.

[Laker Fan Forever]

I agree LO should be signed for a bit more bucks. AB and KB should contribute a few mil and that would keep the team a little below the cap, if not below. Some of these guys have hefty paychecks that their kids, grand kids and those that follow would find it very, very difficult to spend that money. For crying out loud their money is making money.

[H.T.II]

DragonOO7 wrote:

"1. Ron Artest was paid MLE 5.6 mil. Lakers don't pay tax on that (That's why it's called exception)"

Good points, however the above statement is not correct. The MLE is luxury taxable and it is called an "exception" because it does not count against the salary cap restriction.

My opinion though FWIW is that the Lakers should offer Odum maybe a two year deal of around $17 million (approx. $8 million/per) with the second year a player opition, thereby allowing Lamar to re-enter the FA market again next season if he chooses to see if he can get a $10+ million offer from someone then. If he still feels that he is being short-changed.

Just a thought, but in the end, far be it from me to tell someone else (Dr. Buss) what to do with his own money though.

[Randall]

We need Odom back. He is oneof my favorite Lakers and in my opinion when guys like Villanueva and Varejo are getting 7-9 /year I think Odom deserve to be right around that 9 mil. Why dont we give him a 4 year 36mill offer?

[D Gaines]

I agree Lamar should get a raise but now what he is asking, he good for 7-8 million, but 10 mil(come on Lamar). He is a wishy washy player and I think if he get the 10 mil he is asking he won't show up for any games, that's what happens when you get paid. As far as he comment Kobe and other players should give up $$ is against NBA rules they no longer allow players to do that. I think the Lakers will be okay without Lamar, don't be fooled the Laker will pull out their ace card and get a player if they don't sign Lamar and he better be careful as there are not teams out there who is going to give hime 10 million and I don't see any other teams knocking down his door...Be Careful for what you wish for...Lamar need to be realistic also as he know he had been ocerpaid in previous seasons.

[Elliot Burstein]

When the Lakers let Fish go a few years ago the first thought I had was the Lakers
don't want TO WIN championships! Well here we go again with Odom.
Are you guys nuts -look around the other teams are gearing up to win next year.
Richard Jefferson in S.A. with Manu will be hard to beat. That's just one example.
You let Ariza slip through your fingers a guy that really fit with the Lakers.
DON'T LET ODOM GET AWAY PAY HIM AND SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! PALEEEEZE