The mood at Lakers Media Day was somber at best. Usually there is a fair amount of excitement in the air, but after the news late last night that longtime Laker Lamar Odom had been traded to the Dallas Mavericks for a whole lot of nothing it was apparent that some of the other players weren’t happy with the decision.
Now, according to ESPN Los Angeles, it has been revealed that Odom requested to be traded following the revelation that the team was willing to include him in their initial trade for Chris Paul last Thursday.
Odom skipped the first day of Lakers training camp on Friday, albeit he showed up for a few minutes to speak with general manager Mitch Kupchak. This is where he reportedly asked to be traded from the team.
The forward was audibly upset Friday when he first learned he would be traded, and it was obvious he felt betrayed by the Lakers front office.
Los Angeles sent Odom to the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks for an $8.9 million trade exception, as well as Dallas’ 2012 first-round pick. The Lakers may possibly receive additional draft considerations.
It was a questionable trade that has left many people scratching their heads. While some believe that maybe the Lakers have some other trade in the works, it appears to be nothing more than dumping the salary of a disgruntled player.