 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
Under the radar Odom is offseason's most underrated free agentPosted: Monday July 28, 2003 1:57 PM
He might be the most underrated free agent in this summer’s blockbuster crop. Clippers small forward Lamar Odom boasts the kind of All-Star talent that should put him in a class with Elton Brand, Gilbert Arenas, Brad Miller and most of the other big-name free agents who have signed megadeals in the past two weeks. Limited the past two years by injuries and off-court troubles, however, Odom instead has flown mostly under the radar. "I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten more publicity," said former Clippers assistant Rex Kalamian, who worked with Odom the past four seasons. "In terms of talent, he’s got to be one of the top free agents out there." Heat coach Pat Riley apparently agrees. Miami, with some $11 million in available cap space, is considering extending an offer to Odom. Riley has long coveted the services of the versatile 6-foot-10 Odom, the fourth overall pick in 1999 (behind Brand, Steve Francis and Baron Davis), who could give Miami a much-needed third scorer and playmaker to go with Caron Butler and Eddie Jones. The problem for Miami is that Odom is a restricted free agent. Consequently, the Clippers will have 15 days to match any offer he receives. Miami already got burned once this summer when L.A. matched its six-year, $82 million offer to Brand, and it doesn’t want to get left out in the cold again. "It’s been obvious we have interest in Lamar," Heat GM Randy Pfund said in a conference call with reporters on Friday. "It’s an ongoing negotiation, ongoing evaluation, and there are some triggers [this week] that probably will bring some more information into the equation." Specifically, the Heat want to see if the Clippers are going to match offers to Corey Maggette (Jazz -- six years, $42 million) and Andre Miller (Nuggets -- six years, $51 million). L.A. has until Wednesday to decide. Nobody expects owner Donald Sterling to keep all three players. Clippers insiders say Sterling wants to keep Odom. They also think he will choose to re-sign Maggette and let Miller walk. The trick for Riley then will be to guess how much Sterling might be willing to pay for Odom, then try to beat the offer. Further complicating matters is that other teams could join the bidding. The Nuggets, for example, still have loads of cap room and are believed to be considering a run at Odom. GM Kiki Vandeweghe could top Miami’s reported six-year, $60 million offer and put Odom alongside Miller and rookie Carmelo Anthony in a dramatically revamped Denver lineup. There is also the possibility -- albeit a small one -- that Sterling will pay whatever it takes to keep Odom. After all, L.A. did re-sign Brand and reportedly made a six-year, $60 million offer last week to Arenas. Some longtime Clippers fans believe Sterling finally has seen the light, though some league execs point out that Arenas’ agent might have floated the rumors of a big L.A. offer to drive up his client’s price tag for the Wizards. Is this a new era in Clipper Land? Or just another smoke screen for Sterling? The Heat, among others, are eager to find out.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
