Having left the team last week to tend to his ill father, Lamar Odom hasn't reported to the Mavericks following the All-Star break, as we heard yesterday. SI.com's Sam Amick said on Monday that the Mavs weren't planning to buy out Odom's contract, but there's no timetable for his return at this point. Here's the latest on the former Laker:
- Odom briefly considered retiring in the offseason following the death of a cousin, but wants to keep playing, sources tell ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on a possible buyout for Odom: "It hasn't been discussed and we wouldn't do it. We think Lamar can be a huge plus for us" (via Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com).
- Peter Vecsey of the New York Post hears from a Texas source that Odom isn't happy in Dallas and would like a buyout. However, Caplan writes in a separate ESPNDallas piece that "for now, all we can assume is that Odom is caring for his dad and that he will be back with the Mavs soon."