The Lakers and Andrew Bynum have reached an agreement for his new contract worth about $58 million for 4 years according to the LA Times. 

The deal would keep Bynum under contract with the Lakers through the 2012-13 season, according to the report. The first three years of the deal are reportedly worth nearly $42 million, with a team option fourth year for about $16 million.

Mitch Kupchak was on the am570 radio show ‘Loose Cannons’ today talking about the team and this upcoming season.Here’s the audio:

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Kobe, A-Rod, Tony Hawk and Michael Phelps doing Risky Business for Guitar Hero World Tour.

Lakers.com–The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised a fourth year contract option for the 2009-10 season on Jordan Farmar, it was announced today. In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the Lakers had until October 31 to exercise their option on Farmar. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Lakers.com–The Los Angeles Lakers have waived free agent guard Coby Karl, it was announced today.

Karl, who was signed by the Lakers as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 30, 2007, appeared in 17 games last season, averaging 1.8 points and 0.8 rebounds in 4.2 minutes.

This time, the Lakers will defeat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

At least, that’s what NBA general managers would envision based on an annual NBA.com survey to be released today.

Almost half the general managers — 46% — predicted the Lakers would win the championship, while 19% picked the Celtics and 12% picked New Orleans. San Antonio received 8% of the vote and was not the preseason favorite for the first time in five years.

The survey was not without its surprises.

If the general managers are correct, Cleveland forward LeBron James will dethrone Bryant as the league MVP. James received 56% of the vote, Bryant received 37%, and New Orleans guard Chris Paul was a distant third with 7%.

Bryant, however, received 89% of the vote when general managers were asked which player they would want taking a shot with the game on the line. It was the seventh consecutive season in which Bryant received the most votes in the category.

Big things were also predicted for Bynum, who received the highest percentage of votes (19%) for the player most likely to have a breakout season.

Source: LA TIMES

Kobe Bryant endured a hyperextended right knee and was listed as day-to-day after banging knees with Lakers forward Josh Powell in the second quarter of Tuesday’s 102-98 exhibition victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

He was injured while going for a rebound off a Sun Yue‘s shot. Bryant bumped into Powell, his knee was hyperextended and he landed off balance.

He should be fine to play the season opener Tuesday against Portland. The injury felt much better after he sat out the second half, according to Bryant.

A woman was charged with a misdemeanor for stalking Luke Walton.

Sergeant Steve Tobias of the Manhattan Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Times reported that 34-year-old Stacy Elizabeth Beshear was arrested September 18, appeared in Torrance Superior Court four days later for arraignment and was released.

Walton told police last year that the woman had been harassing him in November and December, the report said.

“She had been following him to his practice site and following him home and repeatedly asking him to sign basketballs after he’d already done so,” Tobias told the newspaper. “At one point, she got upset and was taking a Sharpie pen to his vehicle after he refused to sign a soccer ball.”

Tobias said in the report that the Manhattan Beach police spoke with the woman, who temporarily stopped what she was doing until September 15, when the sergeant said she “crossed the line.”

According to the newspaper, Beshear followed Walton to the house of Lakers teammate Jordan Farmar, pulled up next to him and flashed a menacing gesture.

“She was following him for a large part of the day and, at one point, drove side-by-side with him and gestured at him, extended her hand out the window and acted like she was cocking a gun,” Tobias said to the newspaper.

“When I kept seeing her around, I knew it was serious and I knew I had to do something,” he told the Times. “That’s when I contacted the police. I just can’t believe how crazy all this stuff is.” Walton said.

The Utah Jazz beat the Lakers 99-90 on Tuesday night in the preseason opener for both teams.

Kobe Bryant played 24 minutes with eight points, five rebounds and five assistsand sat out the entire second and fourth quarters.

The Lakers shrunk the deficit down to 89-84 with 5:34 to play, but the Jazz had an 8-2 to seal a 97-86 lead. Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar each had 15 points for Los Angeles. Bynum had eight rebounds.

Utah trailed by as many as 10 points early in the second quarter before pulling ahead 76-69 by the end of the third.

Andrew Bynum looked a bit rusty for the most part, but that makes sense since this was his first game type situation in a number of months.

Jordan Farmar looked great and in shape, was very fast and his defensive pressure on his man definately looks like he will have a great year at the point.

Kobe looked good as usual, you can tell he is in great health, just the way he makes his cuts and plays aggressive defense. The jumpshot looks a bit off due to being back after the break, but that will take care of it self.

Lamar was getting called for ticky tack fouls left and right, but hey we’re used to that, otherwise i can see that he has the potential to have a good season. it’s hard to hate on him, but I hope he has a 15 & 15 season to at least be equitable no matter what happens after this season.

Fish was Fish.

Trevor Ariza looks like the Scottie Pippen type the lakers needed. Great defense, great ballahandling and courtvision. Kurt Rambis kept him in for long time with the first and second team.

The Rookies looked solid, need some more reps on the court, but the effort was there.

Former Clipper Josh Powell might be the Ronnie Turiaf type we needed, heck he even has corn-rows..

here are some pics from the preseason opener…