Andrew Bynum

Lamar Odom is done playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Will any other NBA team take a chance on the enigmatic 6-foot-10 forward who is less than a year removed from winning the league's sixth man of the year award? Or perhaps the better question is, should someone give him another shot? Odom was known for his inconsistency during his seven seasons with the Lakers. But, by definition, that means there were good and bad times on the court for Odom in L.A. And particularly in the last few years, there seemed to be more good than bad, with Odom appearing to pull it all together last season by being named the league's best player off the bench.

There was a moment in the postseason when I asked Lakers Coach Mike Brown if he had any idea how his team would respond to that evening's challenge, and his answer stunned me. "I really don't have any idea," he said. He admitted he could not predict its energy or focus but added that he didn't think any NBA coach was capable of such powers. Well, Phil Jackson always seemed to know, and Pat Riley made a cottage industry out of knowing, and though it is unfair to compare Brown with two of the best coaches in NBA history, it is completely fair to wonder if he fits into the Lakers' championship culture.

Nearly every time Andrew Bynum muscled his way inside, two barricades stopped his imposing presence. One roadblock came in the form of Thunder center Kendrick Perkins, whose physical approach to defense suddenly prevented Bynum from bullying his way to the basket. The other barrier simply reflected Bynum missing routine hooks, post-up shots or "bunnies," as he likes to call them. The Lakers' 99-96 victory Friday over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series featured Bynum shooting only two of 13 from the field, leading him to say, "My touch today was a little off around the rim. " Yet, Lakers Coach Mike Brown gushed afterward that Bynum "was an absolute monster.

*Full audio of Andrew Bynum's exit interview Nearly an hour and a half passed, and Andrew Bynum still sat in his exit interview. It's hard to imagine what Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Mike Brown had to talk about with Bynum regarding the 2011-12 season. He ended the season with a career-high in points (18.7), shooting percentage (55.8%) and rebounds (11.8). Bynum made his first All-Star appearance. He bumped Pau Gasol in the offensive pecking order.

                                        Andrew Bynum sat on the bench, and this time it had nothing to do with taking an ill-advised three-pointer. It had everything to do with not showing enough effort rebounding or playing defense. But after posting 10 points on five-of-15 shooting and eight rebounds in the Lakers' 114-106 double-overtime win Sunday over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bynum sounded different than he has in recent weeks.

There's apparently another way that Andrew Bynum wants to expand his game. And we're not talking about shooting three-pointers. We're talking about his fashion look. After sporting an afro while attending St. Joseph High in Metuchen, N.J., Bynum said after Thursday's practice at the team's facility in El Segundo that he wants to rock that look again. "I want to grow it," Bynum said. "I want to get it back. " Even though Bynum wore a comb pick in his hair following practice, Laker fans shouldn't get their hopes up for the Lakers center to feature the afro during the postseason.

After spending a season fighting age, battling immaturity, struggling with old habits and jabbing with a new coach, the Lakers have ended up where we pretty much thought they would. Out of breath and on the ropes. Their veteran star is exhausted and annoyed. Their kid center is angry and distant. Their power forward is uncertain and embattled. And their season is officially on the brink after they blew a 13-point lead in a 103-100 loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday in the fourth and perhaps deciding game of their first-round playoff series.

Dwight Howard may soon find out he can't have it both ways. He wants to remain with the Orlando Magic through this season, but refuses to sign a long-term deal or an extension. In turn, ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reports Howard's plea has only pushed them closer to trading him before Thursday's trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Lakers may also soon find out they can't have it both ways. As much as I've advocated in the past for the Lakers to acquire Howard, even if it means trading Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, Howard's latest reaction should give the Lakers some pause.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol were in the Lakers' training facility on the same day, possibly for the last time. They arrived several hours apart for their exit interviews Wednesday and then stepped into the sunshine afterward, though nothing looked overly bright about the Lakers' future. "There will be some change," said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, the sting still fresh from another ouster in the Western Conference semifinals. "When you lose before you think you should have lost, you have to open up all opportunities.

The Lakers made a trade Saturday, but it wasn't for Chris Paul or Dwight Howard. Two days after getting rebuffed by the NBA in an apparent deal for Paul, the Lakers sent forward Lamar Odom to Dallas for the Mavericks' first-round pick in the 2012 amateur draft. "It's a done deal," said a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. PHOTOS: Lamar Odom through the years The Mavericks might also send the Lakers another unspecified draft pick.

*Full audio of Josh McRoberts' interview Josh McRoberts, who is known as the guy with the highest vertical on the Lakers, had his exit interview on Wednesday. In his first season with the team, he averaged 2.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes a game. Below are the highlights from what he had to say about his experience as a Laker. On whether he would like to remain with the team : "I have another year left on my contract... I'd love to be back. I think that's the plan.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol were in the Lakers' training facility on the same day, possibly for the last time. They arrived several hours apart for their exit interviews Wednesday and then stepped into the sunshine afterward, though nothing looked overly bright about the Lakers' future. "There will be some change," said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, the sting still fresh from another ouster in the Western Conference semifinals. "When you lose before you think you should have lost, you have to open up all opportunities.

Here's a look at what the Lakers should do with their agents as well as players who hold either team or player options. Andrew Bynum, center Status: Lakers hold $16.1-million team option Verdict: Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told The Times' Mike Bresnahan that the Lakers will exercise the team option before the June 30 deadline. But Bynum expressed indifference to reporters after the Lakers' Game 5 loss Monday to Oklahoma City on where he plays.

Ramon Sessions, Jordan Hill and Devin Ebanks are all potential free agents in July, with the Lakers showing varying degrees of interest in them. Tuesday was the first day of the rest of the Lakers' off-season. Already, there were very few answers. Six players went through annual exit meetings with Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Mike Brown, most of them saying the same thing afterward to reporters: See you in training camp ... maybe? Ramon Sessions and Metta World Peace were the headliners Tuesday, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Lakers' training facility for individual 30-minute sessions.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Andrew Bynum was right. Close-out games can be easy. The Oklahoma City Thunder stepped all over the Lakers in the fourth quarter of their 106-90 Game 5 victory Monday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena, ending the Lakers' season yet again in the Western Conference semifinals. It wasn't as bad as last season's 36-point blowout loss in Dallas, and there won't be any carry-over suspensions for next season, but the two-championship run the Lakers put together couldn't have seemed any further in the past.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- As the red and blue streamers dropped from the sky around the fallen Lakers faces, it felt like more than the end of a series. With "Takin' Care of Business" thumping and thousands rhythmically clapping around the staggering Lakers bodies, it felt like more than the end of a season. What happened here on a strange and sad Monday night felt like the end of an era. PHOTOS: Lakers vs. Thunder, Game 5 Kobe Bryant's window to win a sixth championship in Los Angeles may have officially shut, and who knows whether he will want to stick around to spend his final years pressing his nose against the glass?

Among all the head-scratching elements concerning Andrew Bynum's recent behavior, there's at least one thing that's clear. After missing Tuesday's game against New Jersey because of a sprained left ankle, Bynum will start Wednesday against the Clippers. It was yet another day in which Bynum continued his weird behavior. He declined to talk to reporters about his health before the game, his usual custom, but he then blasted Warren G rap music through his headphones. The Lakers forbid players to play music loudly in the locker room.

An enraged Mike Brown put an immature Andrew Bynum in timeout. The Lakers center had just taken an ill-advised three-pointer at the top of the key with several seconds left on the shot clock. Yet, Bynum hardly showed remorse during the Lakers' eventual 104-101 victory Tuesday over the Golden State Warriors. Once he sat down with 9:33 left in the third quarter, Bynum smiled and mimicked his release. With exception to a two-minute fourth-quarter stint that featured two more missed jumpers and a free throw, Bynum remained on the bench.

After spending a season fighting age, battling immaturity, struggling with old habits and jabbing with a new coach, the Lakers have ended up where we pretty much thought they would. Out of breath and on the ropes. Their veteran star is exhausted and annoyed. Their kid center is angry and distant. Their power forward is uncertain and embattled. And their season is officially on the brink after they blew a 13-point lead in a 103-100 loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday in the fourth and perhaps deciding game of their first-round playoff series.

I'm sitting here watching a game the Clippers have no chance of winning and it's still a hoot. Who gets up for a game when already down three games to none to the Spurs and losing the last one after being up by 24? The Clippers should be deflated, but they are winning, 75-74, after three quarters. Their playoff run is over, and yet they don't seem to know it. Inspired effort is what fans have been getting from the Clippers all season long, and right now there are 19,000 fans on their feet.