Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Lamar Odom will play for Los Angeles next season


Although Lamar Odom was dismissed from playing for the Dallas Mavericks on April 7th of this year, he still has one year left on his contract. And if Odom is still on the Mavericks' roster, or any roster for that matter, on June 29 then that team will be responsible for the full $8.2 million that he is due to make next season.

Odom can be bought out for only $2.4 million though if it is done before that date. The Mavericks will be looking for a suitor for Odom but more than likely they will end up buying him out rather than being forced to pay his full salary.


Teams know how good of a player Odom is when his head is on straight but that clearly wasn’t the case this year. He is tall, long, can rebound, defend, pass the ball and has shooting range out to the three-point line.

His disappointment in nearly being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers in the failed Chris Paul trade, as well as some other off-the-court issues caused Odom to ask the Lakers to trade him to Dallas. Odom arrived in Dallas in poor condition both physically and mentally which may be why he has played so poorly this year.

And while Odom has stated that he is re-focusing on his basketball career, he has essentially worn out his welcome in Dallas. It is doubtful that any team would be willing to take a chance on acquiring him with him still due to make over $8 million next season but if he is released then there are a numbers of teams that will try signing him to a minimum contract.

His biggest recruiter will be his former teammate Kobe Bryant who will try to get Odom and the Lakers management to patch up their differences. The team most likely to land Odom though may be the Los Angeles Clippers.

Odom was drafted by the Clippers back in 1999 and played there for four seasons before signing with the Miami Heat. The Clippers could be a more attractive option for Odom as a team on its way toward championship contention as opposed to the Lakers who other than Andrew Bynum, are aging quickly.

Joining the Clippers would also allow Odom and his wife to continue doing their reality show and give Odom the perfect venue to exact his revenge on the Lakers’ management.  Helping the Clippers win their first championship would definitely irk the Lakers who would be upset seeing the Larry O’Brien trophy sitting in their backyard.

It would also be poetic justice for Odom to win a championship with the guy he nearly got traded for while ending his career not just in the city where it started but also playing for the team he started his career with. Hey, Clippers’ fans can dream can’t they?

Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and an NBA Blogger for The Sport Mentalist 2. He is also a Sports Reporter for Pro Sports Lives. He can be contacted at RHall_TPFB@Yahoo.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.

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