According to the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are not expected to enter the Jason Kidd sweepstakes as the NBA heads into the trading deadline.

The Nets, who are reportedly shopping their all-star point guard, were in talks with the Lakers about a swap this summer.

Los Angeles' forward Luke Walton left the Lakers' game against the Knicks on Tuesday night in the first quarter because of a right hip pointer, according to ESPN.com.

The team has listed him as day-to-day, adding to their multitude of injuries.

The Cavaliers-Lakers' game on Sunday afternoon was delayed 12 minutes because of a small leak in the roof of the STAPLES Center.

Cleveland led 19-18 with 3:36 left in the first quarter when the game was halted.

"Because of all the rain and some leaks we had last month, we had a roofing company called out and they were inspecting the roof this morning," Staples Center spokesman Michael Roth told the Associated Press. "When they came off the roof, they took off their rain gear and left it on a catwalk, which was over the north basket, and their equipment as well."

"Because everything was so soaking wet, it started to leak on the court. When we went up there to inspect, we realized it was coming from the gear that was on the catwalk that has slats in it. We removed the equipment and the gear, and we're good."

According to the L.A. Times, USC Head Coach Tim Floyd has said that he told star freshman O.J. Mayo that he could accept free Lakers tickets and that if anybody should be punished for potential NCAA violations, it should be the coach.

"My feeling is that if there's a mistake made, it was made by me," Floyd said. "If they want to suspend me for a game, suspend me for a game, but not the kid. He did the right thing."

USC is trying to make a case as to why the team should not be punished after phenom freshman guard O.J. Mayo accepted tickets to attend Monday's NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets.

Mayo and his girlfriend received second-row seats from Nuggets' forward Carmelo Anthony that have a face value of $230, according to Lakers' spokesman John Black.

Mayo could be suspended or be forced to pay restitution if it is determined that accepting the tickets constitutes an NCAA violation.

There's a report in the L.A. Times saying that USC freshman O.J. Mayo may have violated NCAA rules by accepting tickets to Monday's Lakers-Nuggets' game from Nuggets' guard Carmelo Anthony.

NCAA bylaw 16.11.2.2.3 states that student-athletes may not receive "free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student body in general."

It was not immediately clear if the NCAA would consider Anthony an agent of the Nuggets or merely an individual who gave tickets to a friend.

The tickets Mayo received were located behind courtside seats near mid-court and had a face value of $230 each.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Lakers' forward Trevor Ariza will miss eight weeks with a broken bone in his right foot.

Los Angeles is already without Andrew Bynum, and will be for another seven weeks, and miss center Chris Mihm as well. Ariza's absence will likely mean more time for forward Luke Walton, who signed a lucrative deal with the team last summer.

According to RealGM's Floor Impact Counter, Ariza has posted a per 40 FIC of 14.7 while with the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent center Didier ?DJ? Ilunga-Mbenga to a 10-day contract, announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Mbenga, a 7-foot, 220 pound native of the Congo, signed with the Golden State Warriors November 17 after spending three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks prior to their request for waivers on him October 30. In 16 games with the Warriors prior to his release January 6, Mbenga averaged 1.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.63 blocked shots in 8.1 minutes.

The L.A. Lakers received some bad news on Sunday after forward Trevor Ariza was diagnosed with fractured bone in his right foot, the Los Angeles Times are reporting.

Ariza apparently came down on Lamar Odom's foot during practice.

"He got tangled up with Lamar," Coach Phil Jackson said a few minutes after Ariza left practice for X-rays at Centinela Hospital Medical Center.

Lakers' center Andrew Bynum, expected to be sidelined until at least the middle of March, expressed both disappointment and optimism in his first interview since injuring his left knee.

"It's serious because I'm going to miss two months. At the same time, it's not because it's nothing that's going to affect my future," Bynum told reporters shortly before Thursday night's game against the Phoenix Suns.

"I can't do anything. It's terrible," Bynum said. "I have to sit on the couch all day. I have to take it one step at a time. I think I'll have about 10 games when I come back. If I can come back before that, it's great. It's going to take me a little bit of time to get into my rhythm."