The L.A. Lakers traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday after the team's attempt to acquire Chris Paul was aborted. Odom had been upset he'd been included in the ultimately rejected deal, and reportedly requested a trade. The Lakers sold his rights at the low, low price of a low first-round draft sometime in the next six years.
Kobe Bryant is not on board.
From Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
"I don't like it," Bryant said Sunday, the third day of training camp. "I've known Lamar for a long time, and for the team itself, he's meant a lot in terms of his versatility, his personality. He's a big presence for us in the locker room, just from a team chemistry standpoint. He's great at bringing guys together and things of that nature.
"I trust management knows what they're doing. I let them do their jobs, I never get in the way but it's tough. You're talking about sixth man of the year last year. He played lights out."
He went on to say that he trusts Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, but that it's especially tough to swallow considered that Odom went to Dallas, who swept L.A. out of the playoffs last season.
This 2011-12 is off to a great start, isn't it?