The Lakers learned a bit more about their future Monday by agreeing to terms on a contract with Shannon Brown, though Lamar Odom remained far apart in negotiations with the team that employed him the last five seasons.
On a day in which Kobe Bryant spoke out on a variety of topics, including his own contract, the Lakers pared their unrestricted free agents down to one after Brown agreed to take $4.2 million over the next two years, with the second year his option.
The reserve guard will be back with the Lakers, but there has been no movement on Odom, one of the last big-name free agents still seeking a home. Odom was on the Lakers' books for $14.1 million last season, but the Lakers are balking at his asking price of more than $10 million a season.
"There's really nothing to report," said a source familiar with the negotiations who wasn't authorized to talk publicly.
If the Lakers don't get Odom, whom they can basically sign without regard to the salary cap, their only other spending tool of note is the "biannual exception," in which teams over the salary cap can sign a free agent to a two-year contract starting at $1.99 million next season.
Count Bryant among those who want Odom back.
"I hope so," Bryant said. "He better be."
The free-agent moratorium ends Wednesday, at which point Brown and Ron Artest can officially sign with the Lakers. Artest agreed to a three-year contract last week worth about $18 million.
One player who isn't done negotiating is Bryant, who chose to wait until later this month to work out details of an extension that could pay him as much as $138.7 million over the next five years.
Bryant is under contract next season for $23 million. He seemed patient while talking with reporters at his third annual summer camp at Loyola Marymount University.
"Mitch has a lot on his plate," Bryant said, referring to Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak. "I'd rather him take care of those pieces first. He'll get around to me."
Bryant said he would miss Trevor Ariza and was initially cautious when asked if the Lakers would improve with Artest.
"It's tough to say whether we'll be a better team," he said. "Trevor brought his style to us, which was very effective, obviously, and Ron will bring his style to us. It will just be a different team. Every year, we adapt, we adjust."
