I know many of you are reading the headline and probably think I had a little too much to drink while watching the Lakers secure their 15th NBA title Sunday. However, in the big scheme of things, in order for the Lakers to attempt to keep their core together(Bryant, Bynum, Gasol, Ariza, Odom), Bryant really does hold the cards. With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol locked up into long term deals, Bryant has the ability to opt out this summer. As we have documented before, Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom are both free agents this summer, and will draw interest from many teams. Odom should expect to take a paycut from the $12 million he made this year, whether he is with the Lakers or somewhere else. Ariza, meanwhile, will be getting a hefty raise after his influential play in the Lakers championship run.
Bryant, who is due $23 million next year and $24 million the season after that, could opt out, and re-sign for less money for the good of the team. The Lakers will be over the luxury tax line, which could be a small price to pay by Lakers management should they be able to bring everyone back another title run next year. If Bryant opted out, and, similar to Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, two future Hall of Famers themselves, took less money for two seasons, that would free up approxamately $3-4 million that the Lakers could use to retain both Odom and Ariza. If Bryant does not, the odds of keeping both players are slim.
It seems Los Angeles has priority on Ariza, with Odom being second. The team knows they cannot afford to pay a sixth man the money they paid Odom this season, however the market for him could be higher fresh off the Finals run. If you are Odom, do you take $6-8 million for a chance at another ring as a sixth man in L.A, or possibly go to a team like the Pistons or Kings for more money? The Lakers brass know that Phil, Kobe and company have the potential to enter next season as once again the team to beat in the West, should they keep everything together. For that to happen though, the dollars will have to make sense for everyone involved.
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I completely agree. This is where we should see Kobe lead the way. Not only should he opt out to keep Odom and Ariza, but to extend his contract so he retires as a Laker.
Kobe doesn’t really care about anything or anyone. He only cares about winning. So I think that he’ll opt out.
Reports are that he will re-sign for 7 years and 135 mill. So much for taking a paycut.
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