EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP)—The Lakers traded forward Lamar Odom and a
second-round draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night for a
first-round pick and an $8.9 million trade exception, capping Los Angeles’
stunning 72-hour breakup with last season’s Sixth Man of the Year.

The Lakers and Mavericks reached a swift deal after Odom learned Thursday
that Los Angeles was attempting to trade him in a megadeal for New Orleans
superstar Chris Paul.

After the NBA blocked that trade, Odom declined to report to the Lakers’
opening day of training camp on Friday. Odom then requested a trade in a meeting
with general manager Mitch Kupchak, and the Lakers improbably swung a deal with
the rival Mavericks, who swept Los Angeles out of the second round of last
season’s playoffs.

“Lamar was a fine player for us in his seven years with the Lakers and was
a key to helping us win two championships,” Kupchak said in a statement. “In
addition, he always conducted himself with class and professionalism, and we
wish him well in the remainder of his career.”

Neither team formally acknowledged the deal until Sunday night, but both
teams knew all about the surprising transaction when they reported for training
camp practices that morning.

“To be honest with you, I don’t like it,” Kobe Bryant said. “It’s tough
to lose Lamar. Pau (Gasol) is still here, and we’re all thankful for that. It’s
hard when you’ve been through so many battles with players to just see them go
somewhere else. It’s tough.”

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle and star Dirk Nowitzki spoke eagerly about adding
Odom to the defending NBA champions’ roster without losing a player in return.
Odom will aid the Mavs’ recovery from Tyson Chandler’s departure, and Carlisle
said Odom’s partnership with Nowitzki and Shawn Marion would form the NBA’s best
frontcourt.

The Lakers used to have what was considered the NBA’s best frontcourt—
until they broke it up for reasons that are unclear to their players. Odom, a
veteran team leader and a popular Hollywood celebrity, averaged 14.4 points, 8.7
rebounds and 3 assists while playing in all 82 games last season with his
smooth, well-rounded game.

Bryant and Derek Fisher led a chorus of confused anger from the Lakers, who
have no idea what their front office is planning just two weeks before the
season opener. Los Angeles is thought to be working on a deal for Orlando center
Dwight Howard, but the trade exception obtained from Dallas could be only a
minor part of any potential deal.

“As a basketball player, it confuses you as to what your focus should be,”
Fisher said. “I’m very disappointed and frustrated for (Odom and Gasol). If I
had my choice, Lamar would be a Laker for life.”

Bryant said he hated seeing Odom leave Los Angeles: “Especially to them. We
were supposed to come back and get them back. It’s tough. … Do I think we got
too little? Who did we get? I don’t think Mark Cuban is protesting this trade.”

Although Odom was excited about the Lakers’ prospects as recently as
Wednesday, he never practiced with the Lakers in their first three workouts
under new coach Mike Brown while the club attempted to move him to New Orleans.
After that three-team deal fell through, the Lakers apparently changed their
focus to Howard, who loves Los Angeles and has requested a trade from the Magic.

Gasol, the other main component in the squashed deal for Paul, has been at
the Lakers’ training complex for all three days of camp, working out the past
two days. He remains hopeful he’ll stay in Los Angeles, but the four-time
All-Star no longer knows what to think about his near future.

“I understand this is a business, and it’s become more of a business than a
sport nowadays,” Gasol said. “It hasn’t been extremely easy to be calm and
quiet and not think about the different possibilities. But I’m still here, and
I’m thankful for that.”

Although Bryant expressed his faith in Kupchak, he would prefer to have Odom
in camp as the Lakers regroup from last season’s failed attempt at a threepeat.
Odom starred in a reality show last season with his wife, Khloe Kardashian,
clearly enjoying his celebrity at the main intersection of sports and
entertainment.

“You’re talking about the sixth man of the year last year,” Bryant said of
Odom. “He played lights-out. I don’t understand the criticism of reality shows
and this. I don’t get that. He had his best season last year, clearly wasn’t a
distraction, played his (rear) off. I don’t get where that comes from.”

Even Odom’s contract is a good deal for his new employers: He will make $8.9
million this season in the third year of a four-year deal, which can be bought
out next season for a modest amount. The Lakers’ trade exception means they can
acquire a player making Odom’s salary or less without the usual complications,
but it would be only one part of a hypothetical deal for Howard or another star.

With this chaos on top of the usual amount of drama surrounding the
high-profile Lakers, Brown is attempting to plan for a season with no idea who
will be in his lineup in two weeks when Los Angeles hosts the Chicago Bulls in
their Christmas season opener. Gasol and fellow big man Andrew Bynum went
through their third day of workouts on Sunday not knowing whether they would
have a chance to use all this new information.

Lakers forward Matt Barnes has been in contact with Howard, his former
teammate in Orlando. Barnes said he doesn’t need to sell Howard on the Lakers—
but this team now might have to sell its own players on their future in purple
and gold.

“If I’m here, I’m looking forward to the season,” said Bynum, who knows
he’s rumored to be the main component in any proposed deal for Howard. “If they
were able to pull a move like that off, it would be great for the organization,
and I’d be in Orlando hooping.”

A look back at the Miami Heat’s 4-2 NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks in 2006:

GAME 1: June 8, 2006, American Airlines Center, Dallas Mavericks 90, Heat 80: With all the star power brought to the first game of these finals, it was Jason Terry, who led the way to victory for Dallas. Miami started strong, scoring 31 points in the first quarter. And the Heat held Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard to a combined 26 points. But, Miami was unable to contain Terry. And Jerry Stackhouse produced 13 points off the bench. Miami scored just 13 points in the second quarter and 12 in the fourth and was a dismal 37 percent from the free-throw line.

GAME 2: June 11, 2006, American Airlines Center, Dallas

Mavericks 99, Heat 85: The high-energy Mavericks used an 11-0 run to close the first half and a smothering defense to take a 2-0 series lead. Prior to this series, of the 25 teams to fall behind 0-2 in the previous 59 NBA Finals, only two emerged with a championship, the 1969 Boston Celtics and 1977 Portland Trail Blazers. Shaquille O’Neal had five points, the lowest-scoring playoff game of his career. Dwyane Wade has 23 points, but was 6 of 19 from the field.

GAME 3: June 13, 2006, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

Heat 98, Mavericks 96: Down 13 in the fourth quarter, the Heat staged a furious comeback before a “white hot” home crowd. The Heat took a nine-point lead into halftime, but Dallas surged ahead scoring 34 points in the third quarter to Miami’s 16. Dwyane Wade scored 15 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter, half of Miami’s offensive output. Gary Payton’s jumper with 9 seconds left put Miami ahead for good.

GAME 4: June 15, 2006, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

Heat 98, Mavericks 74: Shaquille O’Neal had a double-double (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Dwyane Wade scored 36 in the most lopsided game of the series. Wade set the tone with 14 first-quarter points. The Heat defense held Dirk Nowitzki to 16 points on 2-of-14 shooting. But few Mavericks were on target as Dallas shot just 32 percent from the field and 14 percent from beyond the arc. The Mavericks wilted during a seven-point fourth quarter as Miami evened the series 2-2.

GAME 5: June 18, 2006, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

Heat 101, Mavericks 100: Dwyane Wade’s two free throws with 1.9 seconds to play in overtime sealed the win for Miami in it’s home finale. Wade was 21 of 25 from the foul line and led all scorers with 43 points. He scored 26 points in the second half, and 17 in the fourth quarter. Shaquille O’Neal had his second double-double of the series (18 points, 12 rebounds). Miami also overcame 35 points from Mavericks guard Jason Terry, 25 from Josh Howard and 20 from Dirk Nowitzki, who hit the go-ahead jumper with nine seconds left.

GAME 6: June 20, 2006, American Airlines Center, Dallas

Heat 95, Mavericks 92: Down 14 early in the game, the Heat completed its comeback from an 0-2 series deficit by rallying in the second quarter and then holding on for its first NBA title. It was Miami’s first win in Dallas in more than four years. Dirk Nowitzki played all bu 58 seconds of the game and led Dallas with 29 points and 15 rebounds. But the Mavericks couldn’t overcome Dwyane Wade, who scored 36 and was named the series MVP.