Like ER after Dr. Greene died, the Lamar Odom negotiations have continued long past the point of tediousness, in part because neither side has a whole lot of leverage.  About the only interesting thing to me is waiting to see if Dr. Buss will lower his initial offer to the point that Miami's full mid-level becomes legitimate by comparison.  There's very little about the process that hasn't been kicked around and picked apart, and until there's a conclusion, it's tough to judge winners and losers (beyond fans and local bloggers, all of whom were expecting some sort of mid-summer vacation).  

One thing I do like is the borderline radio silence coming out of both camps.  It's frustrating for people on the outside, but the less this gets played out in the media the more likely Lakers fans get the outcome they want (assuming said outcome is a return to the Lakers for Odom). 

The rest of the league continues not to wait around for the Lakers to put a bow on this thing before making plans of their own.  The Mavs have reportedly reached an agreement with Drew Gooden.  One year, $4.5 mil, notable not only because Gooden was, at least in theory, one name bandied about as a possible (though financially unrealistic) Plan B for the Lakers should LO leave, but also for the peek into how much it'll cost to bring in any of the names still out there on the free agent market.