Lamar Odom Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Lamar Odom

April 10th, 2012 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

After Lamar Odom and the Mavericks mutually agreed to part ways, we heard a number of reactions from around the league, including Metta World Peace's tongue-in-cheek career advice for Odom. Reactions and new details continue to come in, so let's catch up on the latest:

Odom's habitual tardiness was a factor in the team's decision to part ways with him, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
Odom and team owner Mark Cuban had an "angry exchange" at halftime of Saturday's game, Odom's last as a Mav, according to an ESPNDallas.com report. Cuban reportedly asked the veteran forward if he was "in or out," resulting in heated words between the two. One source that talked to ESPN.com's MacMahon and Marc Stein said he was surprised Odom even came out for the second half.
Jason Kidd discussed Odom's departure with reporters today, including MacMahon. Kidd was mostly noncomittal on the decision, saying that "you've got to ask Lamar" what happened. Asked if it was a relief to part ways with Odom, Kidd replied: "It happens and we have to move on. Relief? We still got nine games to play to get into the playoffs. That’s the way we got to look at it."

Southwest Notes: Odom, Mavs, Dyson, Dragic

April 10th, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Lamar Odom parting ways with the Mavericks may be the biggest recent story out of the Southwest Division, and Odom's former teammate Metta World Peace took the opportunity to weigh in on his friend's next career move. As Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes, World Peace's suggestions for Odom ranged from becoming a ballboy to hiking "the biggest mountain in the world." Here's the latest on Odom and the rest of the Southwest:

Odom's departure could open the door for other Mavericks, such as Yi Jianlian and Brian Cardinal, to receive more playing time, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The Hornets are expected to announce the signing of Jerome Dyson today, tweets Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Dyson himself tweeted yesterday that he was heading to New Orleans to sign with the team. I'd expect the deal to be a 10-day contract.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle examines the likelihood of Goran Dragic returning to Houston next season. Dragic seems open to returning to the Rockets but would also like to be a starter.

Reaction To End For Lamar Odom In Dallas

April 9th, 2012 at 7:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

The timing of their parting was difficult to peg down, but the partnership between the Mavs and Lamar Odom has seemed doomed for a while. When Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Odom was testing his patience last month, it looked as though that patience was already gone. Here's what people around the league are saying in the wake of this morning's news that Odom will not play anymore this season for the Mavs:

Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLA.com (via Twitter) doesn't see Odom rejoining the Lakers.
Mavs General Manager Donnie Nelson says that everyone from the locker room up to the front office wanted to see Odom succeed in Dallas, tweets Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com opines that Odom will go down as one of the biggest disgraces in Dallas sports history. MacMahon believes that Odom's departure could give the defending champs a much-needed morale boost as they enter the playoffs.
Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com tweets that Mavs players had little to say about the matter today, while Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd avoided the media entirely.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News notes that Odom will continue to draw his salary even though he will not be playing. He was scheduled to make $8.9MM this season, though the lockout cut that down to about $7.16MM.
The Lakers were going to try to trade both Odom and Pau Gasol right up until the March 15 deadline, but they knew that Odom wouldn't be able to handle the constant trade rumors, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio wonders, via Twitter, whether Odom will ever play in the NBA again.
Caplan believes it was a move the Mavs had to make, as Odom, who had an emotionally turbulent offseason, simply wasn't focused on basketball.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Mavs Part Ways With Lamar Odom

April 9th, 2012 at 9:10am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs and Lamar Odom have mutually agreed to part ways, ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting. The team is not releasing him, and will simply make him inactive for the rest of the season, Stein says. That way, the Mavs can still try to trade his contract in the offseason.

Odom is scheduled to receive $8.2MM in the last year of his deal next season, but if he's released by June 29, the team that holds his rights is only on the hook for $2.4MM. The Mavs acquired Odom from the Lakers in December for a first-round pick, but his tenure in Dallas has been marked by controversy and poor play. Still, the Mavs have gone 0-7 without Odom this year, including the nearly two weeks he missed while dealing with his ailing father in late February and early March.

Odom is averaging career lows in points (6.6), rebounds (4.1), minutes (20.5), field goal percentage (35.2%) and three-point percentage (25.2%). His minutes dwindled even further in the past week, and after he played just four minutes Saturday in a loss to Memphis, both coach Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki refused to answer questions about Odom.

Odom was reportedly "desperate" to return to Los Angeles at one point this season, and another report has suggested Kobe Bryant wants the Lakers to bring him back this summer. Even if the Mavs were to formally let go of Odom, he would be ineligible to play for another team in the playoffs this year.

Odom issued a statement to ESPN.com, saying, "The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it's in the best interest of both parties for me to step away from the team. I'm sorry that things didn't work out better for both of us, but I wish the Mavs' organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship."

Odds & Ends: Odom, Knicks, Griffin

April 8th, 2012 at 10:53am CST by Daniel Seco

ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell tweets that the Bulls are 19-0 when scoring 100 points or more on the season. Tom Thibodeau's squad will take their talents to Madison Square Garden this afternoon where they'll face a defensive-minded Knicks team fighting for their playoff lives. As the Knicks embark upon one of their toughest stretches as they close out the season, we look around the league to catch up on the latest news and happenings.

The Mavs' ability to rely on anyone and everyone to contribute in a victory has taken a hit this season thanks to the disappointing play of offseason acquisition Lamar Odom. Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com wonders if Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle and the rest of his team have given up on Odom, who has been afforded myriad opportunities to prove himself as a legitimate contributor to the squad's success. The former Rhode Island star, 32, is currently averaging 6.6. PPG and 4.2 RPG, both career lows, through 50 games with the Mavericks.
While the Knicks could probably use more depth at the point guard or power forward addition, the team did bring back a famous big man to help assist with player and community relations, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Larry Johnson, or more affectionately dubbed "Grandmama," was an integral part of the talented Knicks teams from the mid-to-late 90s after arriving from the Hornets in the summer of 1996. The addition of the former four-time Knicks captain follows New York's recent trend of adding former players to the team's staff.
J oel Brigham of HoopsWorld wonders if Lob City superstar Blake Griffin can continue to improve like fellow Western Conference power forward Kevin Love. While Griffin's points per game and rebounds per game are down as compared to his rookie season, Brigham points out that Griffin's PER has improved from 21.9 to 22.9, perhaps as a result of key offseason acquisition Chris Paul's ability to maximize the production of his fellow teammates. Brigham suggests the addition of a reliable jump shot and improved defense as two areas where the already-dominant Griffin could work on to take his game to the next level.

Southwest Links: Boykins, Thomas, Hornets, Mavs

March 30th, 2012 at 7:18pm CST by Alex Lee

With the Mavericks in action in Orlando and the Rockets hosting the Grizzlies, here is a look at some links from the Southwest division:

Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News provides some interesting Spurs tidbits centering on how the international play of Patrick Mills and Boris Diaw helped to lead the two recent additions to San Antonio.
NBA sources have told Fox 26 in Houston that the Rockets are likely to retain guard Earl Boykins and forward Malcolm Thomas after their 10-day contracts expire, tweets Mark Berman. Boykins signed his contract on March 26 and Thomas signed his on March 27.
Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated thoroughly examines the state of the Hornets franchise, which is expected to be sold by the NBA in the coming weeks in a deal that will keep the team in New Orleans until at least 2024. Thomsen says the Hornets are headed towards profitability and he also delves into the vetoed Chris Paul trade.
Jason Terry's comments aside, there was some other news after the Mavericks Thursday night loss in Miami. ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon writes that Lamar Odom has shown signs of effectiveness lately for Dallas. With Delonte West back in the lineup, the duo could provide a much needed boost down the stretch.

Poll: Will Fisher, Odom Return To Lakers?

March 29th, 2012 at 8:46pm CST by Daniel Seco

Since December, the Lakers have parted ways with two veteran players integral to their success under Phil Jackson. Lamar Odom was sent to the Mavericks, where he's struggled mightily, after nearly landing in New Orleans as the Lakers attempted to acquire Chris Paul. More recently, the Lakers dealt Derek Fisher to the Rockets after acquiring Ramon Sessions to run the point for the squad.

Fisher worked out a deal with the Rockets to have his contract bought out and signed with the Thunder to provide backcourt depth and lockerroom leadership. With Fisher returning to Los Angeles tonight for the first time since being traded by the Lakers, much conversation has been made about Kobe Bryant's desire to bring Fisher and Odom back to the Staples Center this offseason.

Will Fisher, Odom and Bryant reunite this summer? Let us know what you think in the poll below.

Kobe Preparing To Recruit Fisher, Odom?

March 28th, 2012 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Kobe Bryant is "planning a hard push" to try to bring Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom back to the Lakers this summer, a source tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Fisher and Odom were both traded by the Lakers over the last few months, but could become free agents in the offseason.

Fisher, who was traded to and then bought him by Houston, signed with the Thunder on a rest-of-season contract. Odom, meanwhile, was dealt to the Mavericks in December and has one more season left on his deal. His final year is only partially guaranteed though, and his play this season makes it unlikely the Mavs would want to pay him $8.9MM to return.

It's unclear whether returning to the Lakers is something either player wants, and team management would have to be on board as well. However, Howard-Cooper hears that Bryant will use his friendship with both players to try to convince them a return is in everyone's best interests. Asked about a potential reunion, Bryant remained fairly noncommittal.

"I don’t know," Bryant told NBA.com. "I would hope so. But I don’t know. When Fish and I talk, it’s about personal things because we’ve known each other for so long. Lamar too. We keep that other stuff out of it. It’s family, how are you doing, stuff like that."

Latest On Lamar Odom

March 26th, 2012 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In the midst of a one-point, one-rebound, one-assist performance in last Wednesday's game against the Lakers, Lamar Odom was booed by the hometown crowd in Dallas. He told reporters today that hearing those boos was "a little confusing and little hurtful," as Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas writes.

"I admitted I was out of shape for different reasons when I came into camp. I admitted what I had been through," Odom said. "I was honest about how my summer went, how I almost left the game with everything I went through, and I think people just took it the wrong way, like I had a reason not to be here or if I didn't want to be here…. I think people took that the wrong way and the next thing I know I'm trying to come out of a slump and I check into a game and I'm getting booed. I'm not really used to that."

Odom has been mired in a season-long slump since being traded to Dallas, prompting Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas to write over the weekend that the Mavericks need to cut ties with with the ex-Laker. While a buyout may have made sense at one point, Odom would lose his playoff eligiblity if he was bought out and waived now, so he has little incentive to agree to a pay cut. The Mavs could still simply waive the veteran, eating the guaranteed money left on his contract this year and next. That also seems unlikely though, since the team still hopes he can turn things around.

Owner Mark Cuban has insisted that the Mavs don't care about Odom's point totals or other traditional stats, if he can help them in other ways: "When he comes in, does the lead go up or down?" Cuban said over the weekend. "That’s all I care about." Of course, as MacMahon points out, the team's commitment to Odom makes even less sense given that stance — his plus-minus over the last ten games is minus-67.

There's still time for Odom to regain the form that earned him the Sixth Man of the Year award in Los Angeles a season ago, but it's looking less and less likely to happen this season. At this point, I think it's almost a certainty that Odom won't be a Maverick in 2012/13. Whether or not he finishes the year with the team and earns playoff minutes is the more pressing question.

Rivers: Celtics Close To Adding Player

March 19th, 2012 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

1:09pm: Following up his earlier tweet, Blakely writes that the Celtics hope to add a player today, and expect to make a move by Friday at the latest. Blakely adds that Boston is keeping an eye on potential buyout candidates like Chris Kaman and Lamar Odom, just in case they become available.

"You want to wait for that," Rivers said. "You don't want to sign a guy and then another guy (you're interested in) buys out. It's a game of chicken, but it's hurting us. We literally need a body. We just need anybody."

12:51pm: If a move is imminent for the Celtics, don't expect it to involve Ronny Turiaf, says Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Although Turiaf "drew immediate interest" from Boston, he still needs to clear waivers, and agent Mark Bartelstein says his client may take some time after that to make a decision on where to sign.

10:44am: The Celtics are "close" to adding another player, coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link). Blakely adds that the player is likely a big man. The Celtics have been lacking frontcourt depth with Chris Wilcox and Jermaine O'Neal out.

Boston's roster currently sits at 15 players, so the team would have to make a corresponding move to make room for a new addition. O'Neal is perhaps the likeliest Celtic to be cut or bought out. Rivers said last week that he doesn't expect the veteran big man to play for Boston again this season, and O'Neal is rumored to be seeking a buyout. Resolution on his situation, whether that means a buyout or wrist surgery, was expected to come early this week.

As for the player the Celtics may be adding, Rivers said on Friday that recently waived Blazer Chris Johnson is "an absolute option" for Boston.