Offseason 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season

1 offseason

1.1 injuries
1.2 departures
1.3 signings
1.4 trades
1.5 draft

offseason
injuries

the lakers came training camp no serious injuries. players expected healthy enough play in season opener. after having surgery on knee last season, andrew bynum told has ligamentous laxity, required him wear knee brace entire season.

during training camp, d. j. mbenga not able participate in practice due malalignment of hips/hip flexors . imbalance causing him pain in abdominal, groin , hip flexor areas. made full recovery , played on opening night. pau gasol injured hamstring during preseason game , missed first 12 games of season. in december, ron artest revealed suffered shoulder injury during lakers opening exhibition game. kept injury quiet wouldn t seem making excuses, telling neither media nor coaches.

departures

trevor ariza chose not sign when los angeles lakers offered mid-level exception (approximately $6 million per year). when lakers looked towards other free agents, ariza agreed sign houston rockets more money. lakers had team option on sun yue pick contract 1 year paying him $736,000. lakers decided release him keep roster 13 players. sun signed new york knicks.

assistant coach kurt rambis left lakers pursue head-coaching position minnesota timberwolves. rambis believed potential replacement phil jackson if jackson leave in offseason.

signings

the lakers had team options exercise contracts on josh powell , d. j. mbenga. lakers decided bring both powell , mbenga back, paying them $959,000 each. kobe bryant had option terminate contract offseason, pay him approximately $23,000,000 season , $24,800,000 season after. chose not opt out of contract , sign 3-year extension worth between 80 , 85 million dollars.

the los angeles lakers (artest , mbenga pictured) @ luxor las vegas after pre-season game.

ron artest first player team sign los angeles lakers offseason. on july 2, artest told cbssports.com has agreed contract lakers. decided not pursue more lucrative contract former team (the rockets) , signed 5-year deal worth $33 million on july 8. lakers used mid-level exception sign artest. artest has long wanted play lakers , looking forward playing kobe bryant , childhood friend lamar odom. artest changed jersey number 96 37 in honor of michael jackson s album thriller #1 selling album 37 weeks. jackson died 13 days earlier.

shannon brown agreed contract lakers on july 6. brown turned down more expensive offer indiana pacers , agreed 2-year $4.2 million deal. lakers used bi-annual exception sign brown. has player option terminate contract after 2009–10 season.

lamar odom last lakers free agent resign team. before previous season ended, odom said willing take paycut $11.4 million made in final year of contract (which $14.1 million under lakers salary cap because difference paid upfront trade-kicker when joined lakers). in july, lakers presented 2 offers odom:

a four-year deal $9 million season, worth $36 million, 3 years , $27 million guaranteed, lakers buyout in fourth year worth $3 million.
a three-year, $30-million deal have paid odom $10 million season.

when odom , agent did not respond enough, owner jerry buss pulled both deals off table. @ same time, miami heat actively pursue odom. heat president pat riley , dwyane wade met odom in los angeles in attempt odom return miami. afterwards, odom spoke jerry buss, , odom s agent , lakers general manager mitch kupchak kept open dialogue. on july 30, lamar odom agreed four-year deal, reportedly $33 million, team option final year. odom said did not want leave pau gasol, andrew bynum, derek fisher , rest of lakers, kobe bryant.

on september 28, lakers signed 4 players non-guaranteed contracts: tony gaffney, srdjan pejicic, david monds, mickaël gelabale , michael fey. on september 30, lakers signed thomas kelati non-guaranteed contract, bring total player roster 18 players. beginning of season, had reduce roster maximum of 15 players. on october 10, lakers cut mickaël gelabale, david monds, , michael fey, bringing roster 15 players. on october 21, thomas kelati cut team. on october 24, lakers cut gaffney.

trades

the lakers traded first round draft pick (#29) new york knicks $3,000,000 , knicks 2011 second round draft pick. lakers traded second pick (originally charlotte bobcats kareem rush trade) cash.

draft

the lakers had 3 picks entering draft. 29th pick used pick toney douglas florida state, , chose patrick beverley arkansas 42nd pick, pick got previous trade charlotte. lakers traded both each 2011 second-round draft pick , cash. kept final pick , selected chinemelu elonu. texas a&m center earned all-big 12 honors last season after averaging 9.8 points , team-best 7.3 rebounds , 53 blocked shots. set school record making 66.5 percent field , named big 12 s improved player.