Odom Stays In LA

It wasn't a real surprise, given how much Lamar Odom had always declared his desire to stay with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. But multiple outlets are reporting that Odom elected to stay in Los Angeles after a brief, but not-so-serious flirtation with returning to the Miami Heat. Odom is signing a four-year deal worth a reported $33 million, which is one million less than what the Heat was able to offer over five years, so it wasn't a bad deal. It's a fantastic deal for the Lakers, who got a versatile, 29-year-old at a bargain price and were able to sign Odom's former AAU teammate, Ron Artest, earlier this summer. The Lakers are now the definite favorite to win the 2010 championship, even with the moves Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and San Antonio. Losing Odom would've been devastating for the Lakers for reasons that extend beyond his obvious basketball