Will Lamar Odom Stay with Los Angeles Lakers?

Brought to you by the guys at www.Lakers101.com. This is part II of the five-part series, Busy Offseason. I will now delve into the obstacles teams will have in trying to sign Lamar Odom away from the Lakers.

Lamar Odom might be the most unique player in the league. He's certainly one of the most versatile players—known as the Human Swiss Army Knife. Standing 6'10", he has long arms and a great handle, and he's strong, smooth, and athletic. He's able to rebound, lead the fast break, and either finish or dish with the best of them. He can also step out and knock down a three. He can defend everyone on the floor, from Dwight Howard to switching out on little Aaron Brooks.

He also has his flaws. With so much talent, it is well documented that he rarely uses everything at his disposal and is wildly inconsistent. He has always been an enigma. The guy could average 25/10/5 every night and still defend the opponent's best low-post player. He showed his versatility in the Finals by keeping up with Rashard Lewis. Instead, he is closer to a 13/10/3 guy, which is still good, but no where near his potential.

At nearly 30, he is in the prime of his career. He proved he is a guy who thrives when the pressure is off his shoulders. He is at the point where he can accept a lessor role—even sixth man—and be a major part of a championship team. However, I think it is clearly time to throw out the term "potential" and realize he is what he is.

Is it a coincidence that it all came together during his last year of his contract? Perhaps. He still averaged 18/11 against the Jazz, who clearly had no answer for him, and he came through with another solid performance against the Magic in the Finals, posting 13/8 to go along with one steal and one block per game. He also held Lewis in check for all but one game. He really made a difference in Game 2 (19 points on 8-for-9 from the field, three blocks and one steal) and in the series clincher (17 points, 10 rebounds, including three huge threes where he finished the playoffs 18-for-35 overall from the three point line, 51 percent).

So, the question becomes, what will he command in the offseason, or is he sincere when he says he is willing to accept less to stay with his favorite team?

Read the rest of the article at Lakers101.com and stay tuned for my next article as I discuss the importance of re-signing Shannon Brown.