7/22 ESPN INSIDER - Heat want Odom BUT CLIPS PROMISE TO MATCH

[OutletPass]

Heat hope to land star-crossed forward
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Tuesday, July 22
Updated: July 22
12:54 PM ET


With Travis Best becoming a free agent, the Miami Heat need a point guard. Considering Eddie Jones' injuries, the Heat need a backup shooting guard. With Caron Butler already playing small forward, and power forward Brian Grant being forced to play center, the Heat still need someone to play power forward. Or center.


With the Sun Sentinel reporting that Pat Riley and restricted free agent Lamar Odom could be meeting as early as today, what the Heat are saying is that they need someone who can run the offense, hit a few 3-pointers, grab a bunch of rebounds and, well, be the star of a team that won only 25 games last year.

They really need Odom.



Odom
Yes, he's been injured several times over the last two seasons. Maybe as many times as he's been suspended for violating the league's drug policy. But over four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Odom averaged 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1 steal and 1.2 blocks on 44 percent shooting. He also hit 197 triples on 31 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Remember, those are averages. He's done much better in each category when he isn't icing down an ankle or knee or wrist or hiding his face underneath a towel after testing positive for something that was definitely a negative to his financial viability in the market.

How else could the Heat, offering as much $10 million per season for six years, be the Clippers' only competition for his services when this kind of talent could fetch several teams interest at a couple million more per year.

Let's not forget, Anthony Carter led the Heat in the assists category last year at 4.1 per game. Jones was next at 3.7. Best followed with 3.5. As for rebounding, Grant pulled down a healthy 10.2, but 7-footer Vladimir Stepania, also a free agent, could manage only seven per game. Malik Allen, another free agent, could muster only 5.3.

With Jones pulling up lame, a 6-foot-7 rookie was shoved into the starting lineup. He did better than expected, but Rasual Butler is still Rasual Butler and 50 triples over a full season at 29 percent isn't going to do it.

Add an average season from Odom to the Heat lineup and he quickly becomes the team's leader in assists and second in rebounding. In his second season in the NBA, he drilled 80 3-pointers.

As good as Caron Butler was last season as the team's only hope, Odom was still better during his rookie season while sharing the spotlight.

Caron Butler (2003)
Rookie Season: 15.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.4 bpg, 41 percent shooting

Lamar Odom (2001)
Rookie Season: 16.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg, 43 percent shooting.

And his next season, he was even better, averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 assists, blocking 1.6 shots and shooting 46 percent from the field.

Those are the kind of numbers that you make room for, especially when you need a point guard, shooting guard, forward and/or center with $12 million suddenly in cap space.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting the Heat will offer as much as $10.9 million per season to the star-crossed small forward who has left a trail of controversy stretching from UNLV, a college he never even played for, to Rhode Island to Los Angeles to, the Heat hope, Miami.



Brand
The problem, though, is that the Clippers seem just as enamored with Odom as are the Heat and, in all probability, will match Miami's forthcoming offer just as they did with Elton Brand.

Of course, the Heat were hoping Gilbert Arenas would accept the Los Angeles offer, the Clips would match Maggette's from Utah and maybe even Andre Miller's from Denver if that didn't work out and thereby tie up so much money that they couldn't possibly keep Odom, too.

Offering Brand a near-max deal and forcing the Clippers' hand may have been part of the strategy since Pat Riley has been after Odom since 1999.

But Arenas moved on to Washington. The Clippers let Michael Olowokandi go to Minnestoa for the midlevel exception and they still claim they'll match any offers for Maggette and Odom.

Meanwhile in Miami, the Heat continue searching for a guard who can play forward or the other way around.

[Chicago JK]

The Heat are doing something no one has ever done before with the Sterling......Get him to resign his own free agents. If there are anymore season ticket holders with the clippers then they should give a big thank you to the heat.

[jayC]

Why would the heat offer odom superstar money?

[Tony tha Mavs fan]

I can't believe the Heat are offering him that much money, sure he's a good player, but 10 mil per year? He's been on the IR for most of the last 2 seasons for the Clippers and is being offered big time money. Odom's agent is doing a great job of selling his client.

[NBAFan7]

I'd say he's well worth the money AND MORE. What you guys think now?

17pts
9.7rbs
4.1asst

led his team to the 4th seed? I'd say the Heat got a bargain.

[EricaLubarsky]

inter1488?

[Drbio]

no....fan7 has been here a little while. But I see your point EL.