Odom out for Lakers’ opener

Between an off-season that wouldn’t end and a regular season that couldn’t start soon enough, the Lakers received another morsel of unsettling news Tuesday.

Forward Lamar Odom will miss the season opener next Tuesday against Houston and is expected to sit out another week after that because his left shoulder hasn’t fully recovered from off-season surgery.

The Lakers have three more games after the season opener that fall in the one-week window -- at Phoenix and home games against Utah and New Orleans.

The attention focused on Kobe Bryant’s knee last October is now directed squarely at Odom’s shoulder. Any games he misses will certainly not help the Lakers with a challenging early schedule. Six of their first eight games are against playoff teams from last season.

“We’ve been without him since we started training camp, so we have a way to play,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “Last year, we played without Kobe for a couple games and won our first two games of the season. There’s a way to patch this up if you’re ready to play.”

The team’s top rebounder and second-leading scorer last season received the news Tuesday after visiting shoulder specialist Lewis Yocum.

“It was the doctor’s decision, you know,” Odom said. “It’s not mine. I would go out there and play, whether it’s a little bit weak or whatever, hurting a little bit, I would still go out there and play. My doctor’s telling me no because he wants me for the whole season. I just have to listen to him.”

Odom had surgery in May to repair the torn labrum in his shoulder. He was initially injured in March after being fouled by Sacramento center Brad Miller and missed five games, but returned and played through the pain.

Odom, 27, probably will be replaced by Ronny Turiaf in the starting lineup next Tuesday. Brian Cook will also pick up extra minutes, Jackson said.

Last season, Odom averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists during regular-season play and 19.4 points, 13 rebounds and 2.2 assists in five playoff games.

The Lakers lost to Utah, 102-81, in an exhibition Tuesday at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

The Lakers trailed at the end of the first quarter, 34-14, after another lackluster effort by the starters: Bryant, Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic, Derek Fisher and Chris Mihm.

In the quarter, Bryant missed all seven of his shots and the Lakers made only three of 19. Bryant finished with 15 points on four-for-16 shooting.

Fans began booing after Utah guard Ronnie Brewer scored on an uncontested dunk with less than three minutes left in the third quarter. One fan even yelled for the Lakers to “put in Rambis,” referring to assistant coach Kurt Rambis.

The Lakers are 2-4 in exhibition play.

Because of wildfires in San Diego County, the Lakers have canceled their exhibition Thursday in San Diego against Utah.

“There is simply too much devastation in the area and too much uncertainty about what will happen in the next few days,” said Tim Harris, Lakers senior vice president of business operations. “The people of San Diego have been very supportive of us over the years, and in turn we want to be supportive of them in this time of crisis.”

Tickets for the game can be refunded at the place of purchase.

The Lakers also announced they were donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts.

The Lakers waived center Larry Turner and forwards Elton Brown and Andre Patterson. They are now at the league-maximum 15 players, with Coby Karl the only non-guaranteed contract. Karl will know if he made the team by Monday, the last day the Lakers can make cuts before the season opener. . . . Bryant was picked third in most-valuable-player voting in a survey of NBA general managers. LeBron James (30% of the vote) and Tim Duncan (22%) were picked ahead of Bryant (19%). . . . Luke Walton sat out Tuesday’s game because of a strained right hip.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com