It is official. Lamar Odom is back with the Lakers on a fresh contract.

The terms have been disclosed and the Lakers have Lamar for a guaranteed three years, at $27 million, and the fourth year is a team option that will take the contract to $33 million.

With the summer being as long as it has already been and contract disputes taking place all over the league, us Lakers fans couldn’t be happier to reacquire this big piece of the puzzle.

With the resigning of Lamar Odom comes another dimension, however. Those of us that are fans of Sasha Vujacic, The Machine, are sure to be just a little bit worried about his playing time.

Since Ron Artest joined the team just a few weeks ago, it has become a bit more worrisome of whether Sasha will be improving his game all that much on the practice court. During team practices Sasha used to guard Kobe and get all the work he possibly needed. Now with Artest in town, will Sasha still get the same chances? Who will he match up against now? Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, or even Adam Morrison? What exactly is going to happen to The Machine?

With Lamar Odom rejoining the team, the concern grows even stronger. The rotation of consistently strong players is even bigger and the combo of Artest and Odom together will likely steal even more minutes from Sasha than initially expected.

There is hope, however. This summer is a very important one for Sasha as he enters the second year of his guaranteed three-year contract. If his shooting percentage doesn’t rise and his court vision doesn’t result in assists and easy baskets for his teammates, I’m not sure that management will be inclined to pay him and keep him on the bench.

Work ethic is something that Sasha has clearly proven over the years. He is always willing to sacrifice his time and his body to improve his game and be the best that he can possibly be. Whether on the defensive end or on the offensive end, he will do whatever it takes to prove that he is the best at what he does. His competitive nature will cause Kobe and Artest to improve their games to an even higher level than they are already at.

Although the rotation may get a bit shorter and Sasha could potentially log a few minutes less per game, I feel that his automatic shot (after an offseason full of practice) will get him on the court at the times that the team needs him most.

Phil Jackson is a great coach and can clearly identify talent. He knows exactly when each one of his players is capable of contributing to the team’s success and knows the best way to bring out the best in each player.

The natural competitiveness of Kobe, Vujacic and Artest will take each of them to new heights and will create the best core in the game today. There are very few teams that will be able to match up in order to defend the talent that the Lakers have in shooting, passing, and rebounding.

The question really becomes one of playing time during the actual games. Who is going to play how many minutes at what position? How will each player match up against the opponent? Kobe is a great all around player on both ends of the court. Artest is a big body that can stop the small forwards in the league such as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Sasha is a pesky defender that knows what it takes to irritate the opponent and make him turn the ball over.

Phil Jackson has already proven that he likes Sasha’s intensity and work ethic. If his shot is falling and he’s able to contribute on both ends of the court, then his playing time will be ample. If he just merely subs in for Kobe and prevents the opponents’ shooting guard to score 40 points in 20 minutes, then he will be replaced by one of the other guards or small forwards and be pushed to the back of the rotation.

With the season still months away, Sasha has plenty of time to develop the aspects of his game that Jackson may point out as either missing or lacking. Surely enough, Sasha can make more shots and more layups than he did last season. I feel that he has very high potential and if he can go months without an injury leading into the season, he will find lots of success and build up his image in the league.