Some Free Agents Feel the Squeeze

Sean Deveney - SportingNews.com

When last we saw Lamar Odom, the versatile forward was helping carry the Lakers' load in the NBA Finals, and telling anyone who asked that, once the championship was secured, he would be eager to sign a new contract that would keep him in purple and gold for the rest of his career -- even if it meant sacrificing some money in the process.

"As long as I can keep going to the NBA Finals," Odom said. "Count me in."

But, as it so often does, a funny thing happens between mid-June and early July. Free agents who smile and say how much they'd like to stay put begin to wander. Those who shrug and note that the free-agent process isn't just about the money soon find that, yes, it is 100 percent about the money.

And, inevitably, there are players -- good players, like Odom -- who, for different reasons, fall through the cracks and can't find a contract. There are three such players on the market who just seem to have been left out of the NBA's game of free-agency musical chairs. We'll start with Odom:

Lamar Odom. The Lakers made Odom a pretty good offer, three years and somewhere between $9 million-$10million annually. Odom spent the weekend mulling the deal. Because they were unable to get a straight answer, the Lakers reportedly backtracked, knowing there's no way Odom can get anything close to what the Lakers were offering in this market.

Portland is the only team that possibly would give Odom anything more than a midlevel exception, but the Blazers had not shown much interest this summer. Miami could pursue Odom, but can only offer a midlevel deal that tops out at five years.

Do the math: three years and $30 million or five years and $34 million? It's incumbent upon Odom to get the Lakers to renew the three-year offer and jump at it.

Andre Miller. That reported sign-and-trade of Miller to the Knicks for Chris Duhon? "Never happened," a source close to the situation told SN Today. "That was something that someone simply made up. Probably Andre Miller's agent."

The only real possibility for Miller to join the Knicks would be a one-year deal worth the midlevel ($5.85 million). Other than that, Miller's choices are limited. He can hope that Portland loses out in its offer for Paul Millsap and that, afterward, the Blazers chase Miller.

Or he can hope that the Sixers make a generous offer, as the Lakers did for Odom. Hopefully, Miller paid enough attention to Odom's situation to know he should quickly accept a decent Philly offer.

Allen Iverson. This is the trickiest of all free-agent scenarios, because desperate teams know signing Iverson could be both a ticket-selling boon and a chemistry-wrecking nightmare. The Clippers, struggling to sell tickets even with the addition of No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, have been talking with Iverson and are the closest to actually signing him.

The Heat are still a possibility for Iverson, but word is, it's not necessarily a move that Dwyane Wade would endorse -- and everything the Heat are doing these days is designed to keep Wade in Miami.

Finally, there are the Grizzlies. Owner Michael Heisley supports the signing of Iverson, but just about everyone else in the organization has tried to talk him out of it, out of fear that he would be a bad influence on the team's young core. Iverson is, of course, one of the NBA's all-time leading scorers. But this summer, he is just another unappetizing free agent.

Sitting in limbo

It's not just vets like Iverson, Odom and Miller who have had a tough time in the first two weeks of free agency. SN Today first reported on Wednesday that the Bobcats and restricted free agent point guard Raymond Felton remain "far apart," according to his agent. Getting a contract seems to be a challenge for a number of restricted free agents.

Thus far, center Marcin Gortat (signed by Dallas, but matched by Orlando) and forward Paul Millsap (signed by Portland, with the Jazz having until Friday to match) are the only major restricted free agents to be signed. Beyond Felton, many other restricted free agents are in limbo:

David Lee, Knicks. He's been a double-double machine, but can't get an offer.

Marvin Williams, Hawks. The Hawks are not looking to spend big here.

Nate Robinson, Knicks. Supersub will meet again with the Knicks.

Glen Davis, Celtics. Boston remains hopeful.

Ramon Sessions, Bucks. Averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 assists as a starter.

Hakim Warrick, Grizzlies. Solid sixth man numbers (11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds).

Linas Kleiza, Nuggets. Likely to accept Denver's one-year qualifying offer.

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