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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