Utah

The Lakers have been linked to Raja Bell since before he signed with the Utah Jazz in 2010.  Kobe Bryant tried to recruit Bell for the Lakers but the Jazz offered him a lucrative contract. Bell's relationship with Utah soured after two seasons. Now, in the final year of his deal, Bell has spent the entire season away from the team after both sides agreed to part ways. He's still under contract with the Jazz but has been inactive. Jazz Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin O'Connor spoke on 1280-AM "The Zone" about Bell on Monday.

Utah defensive end Star Lotulelei has been told by the NFL he can't participate in Monday's workouts at the scouting combine due to a heart condition that requires further attention, ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported . Lotulelei, a first-team All American projected by many to be a top 10 pick in April's draft, will undergo further testing back in Salt Lake City later this week after an echocardiogram discovered an abnormality during a...

When Lamar Odom is aggressive as he was on Saturday night against the Utah Jazz, the Clippers forward is "a nightmare for other teams because not too many power forwards in this league is going to be able to guard him," Chris Paul said. When Odom looks to score as he did in producing a season-high 18 points against the Jazz, he "gives us a whole other dimension out there when he starts making those shots," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said. And therein lies the rub for Odom — his seasons of whens.

When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: Prime Ticket; Radio: 980, 1330. Records: Clippers 39-18, Jazz 31-24. Record vs. Jazz: 3-0. Update: The Clippers look to complete a season sweep of the Jazz, which is 7-3 in its last 10 games. Center Al Jefferson leads Utah in scoring (17.7 points) and rebounds (9.4), and former Clippers guard Randy Foye is averaging 11.9 points per game. —Broderick Turner

SPRING CITY, Utah - From a pretty mountain valley, where the spirit of the pioneers who came 150 years ago lives on, one small town took a stand on guns. "All in favor?" Spring City Mayor Eldon Barnes asked at a recent City Council meeting. Four hands shot up quickly at the council table, and the three dozen or so townspeople filling rows of folding chairs looked on approvingly. In a vote of 4 to 1, Ordinance 2013-04-02 moved closer to becoming law. It encourages every individual in the town of about 1,000 to own a firearm.

Dennis Erickson is back in college football -- but not as head coach of his seventh NCAA team. The former two-time national championship winner has been hired as the co-offensive coordinator at Utah, the school announced Monday. That's right, co -offensive coordinator. The 65-year-old Erickson will share the role with 26-year-old Brian Johnson, a former quarterback for the Utes. It will be Erickson's first job as anything but head coach in more than 30 years. Erickson won national titles with Miami in 1989 and '91 and has been head coach at six universities (176-96-1)

Michael Vick took a significant pay cut to stay with the Philadelphia Eagles and compete for a starting job. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback agreed Monday to a restructured three-year contract with the Eagles, only two seasons after signing a $100-million extension that included $35.5 million in guaranteed money. The new deal is essentially for one year, however. A person familiar with the contract said Vick could earn up to $10 million in 2013 if he meets all of his performance incentives, and the team will void the remaining two years on March 15. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms haven't been released.

With 104 inches of snow falling in Utah's Little Cottonwood Canyon during December and more since the start of the new year - for a total of 15-plus feet - it's been a grand start to 2013 at Snowbird outside Salt Lake City. So, officials are celebrating with a January White Sale , with discounts on its lodging packages. Here are three examples: The Ski Free & Stay the Fifth Night for Free deal has rates starting at $125 a night for bedroom and studio units. The offer is valid until March 31. The Early Week Stay & Ski package has rates beginning at $119 a night.

Streamers fell from the rafters Friday night inside Staples Center, the Lakers having beaten the middling Utah Jazz to end a four-game losing streak. Yippee. No one should cheer anything short of a 10-game winning streak with this team, given the way things have gone in a one-step-forward, four-steps-back kind of season. There won't be any celebrating three months from now unless radical changes are made involving this mishmash roster or a coach who can identify what's wrong but can't seem to fix it. Neither seems likely.