The Lakers haven't been accustomed to cost-cutting, but they have been willing to cut ties when necessary, even if that means ignoring that player's history with the team. With an eye to the future. Los Angeles rarely makes the mistake of hanging on for too long.
Take a look at the feud between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant from the early 2000s. The Lakers parted ways with Shaq following the 2004 season, which was one of the last chances they had at winning a title without creating an explosive situation.
Moving forward, they kept the same mentality every step of the way.
Since the end of the 2011 lockout, Los Angeles has either traded or amnestied three players who were integral to one or both the 2009 and 2010 Championship squads.
Between Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, and now World Peace, each player has gone through a less-than-courteous exile. But which of the three went through the worst separation from the Lakers?
Lamar Odom was the first of the three to be shipped out of Los Angeles. In fact, he was actually traded twice before the Lakers finally got rid of him.
Initially he was included as a part of the trade for Chris Paul which was vetoed by the league. Odom was so upset about being traded and then forced to come back that he wound up requesting a trade so that he could start fresh elsewhere.
The Lakers ended up trading him to the Dallas Mavericks for a first-round pick and a trade exception.
That exception would actually help the Lakers eventually land Dwight Howard, which looked to be more than just a one-year rental at the time.
Odom probably overreacted. Pau Gaso...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
