Lamar Odom waits with Lakers

Player Odom Lamar needs to go back to the Los Angeles Lakers. Odom expects the team will stay both him and starter Trevor Ariza. Ariza and Odom turn out to be unobstructed free agents on 1st July. Lamar Odom gets collectively with coach Phil Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak during an individual 20-minute exit interview.

On the Thursday Odom says in the interview that "You want to keep the team together," "We just won a championship; you don't want to see one piece not there. Hopefully we can keep everybody here."


Between the player interviews, Jackson took congratulatory call from President Barack Obama. A visit to the White House with the Lakers is under discussion, a team spokesman said. Kobe Bryant, MVP of the finals, can terminate the last two years of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next month. He concludes the interview is set for Friday.

Odom, who turns 30 in November, played a central role on the bench in the Lakers' run their 15th NBA championship. He averaged 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs. He made $ 14.1 million this season. In a downtrodden economy this summer free agent market could see fewer offers and less money is offered by teams. That will make it possible for the Lakers to bring back both Odom and Ariza, who has made a case for a substantial increase in its defense on Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu in the final.

Ariza averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the playoffs, and earned $ 3.1 million this season. A day earlier, he said he wants to return to his hometown team. "I think they are very interested in getting me back, I will be back," he said. "It is very important. Do you have a new chance to win a championship, and continue to get better. With this group of guys we have, the sky's the limit how well we can. "

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