Lamar Odom: Did the Asking Price Just Go Up?

We have little doubt that certain suited members of the Purple Gang took in the proceedings broadcast from Waltham yesterday. Perhaps some players did, too, like Lamar Odom. If I were Lamar Odom's agent, I might ask Mitch what his lineup will look like sans Odom.

Ok, Mitch. You've got Bynum out there. He usually doesn't match up well with Perk. Then you got Gasol. He's a better match for Garnett, but you have to give the edge to the Ticket. Who's left to guard Sheed? Artest? And what about the Zen Mistress? He doesn't like to play Bynum during crunch time of big games. So you've got Gasol, Artest, and who exactly--Luke Walton? Come on. Let's get serious.

The other thing I find interesting about the negotiations is how often Odom goes public with his desire to "keep the team together," something he does far more than James Posey did last summer. One interpretation might be to take him at his word: Odom really wants to stay put. Another take might be that Odom "doth protest too much." Maybe he's repeating this mantra to fall back on when he bolts to the Cavs.

You just don't know.