Lamar Odom Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Odom, Aldridge, Jefferson, Celtics

March 18th, 2012 at 6:51pm CST by Michael Pina

In his first game since becoming a member of the Warriors, Richard Jefferson had a tough go, making just two of 14 shots and scoring nine points in just under 38 minutes of play. On Thursday, the Spurs dealt Jefferson for veteran swingman Stephen Jackson. Due to the approximate $30 million due his way over the next three years (including an $11 million player option in 2013-14 which he's likely to exercise), the Warriors were questioned for making the deal.

Here are a few other notes from around the league.

John Denton tweets that Otis Smith is content with the Magic roster and can't see adding any of the recently bought out vets like Derek Fisher and Ronny Turiaf. CBS Sports' Matt Moore explores potential landing spots for Fisher.
The Blazers have announced a Monday press conference for Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet, suggesting they passed their physicals (via Mike Tokito tweet).
Yesterday, Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears wrote a detailed feature on Lamar Odom's struggles in Dallas. Inside the piece, Spears notes that Odom formally requested a buyout in February, but was rejected by owner Mark Cuban and general manager Donnie Nelson.
Upon hearing that Ronny Turiaf has officially been bought out by the Nuggets, WEEI.com's Paul Flannery takes a look into whether the Celtics might be interested in bringing the 6'10" Frenchman aboard. Boston made no moves at the trade deadline but with the future of Jermaine O'Neal still in serious doubt, they're still in need of a big man or two.
Since taking over for the Trail Blazers former head coach Nate McMillan, Kaleb Canales has decided to utilize LaMarcus Aldridge more from the elbow. According to CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes, the move was made before Friday night's win against Chicago, and Portland's best player has said he's enjoying the change.

Terry Calls For Roster Changes

March 11th, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Daniel Seco

Plummeting quicker than Carmelo Anthony's trade value, the Mavericks have found themselves mired in strife in the first nine games after the All-Star break. With a 2-7 record since returning from the festivities in Orlando, the Mavericks are trying to come up with answers before it becomes too late for the squad to even consider defending its title, says Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. More vocal than the rest of his teammates, Mavs guard Jason Terry points to personnel changes as a viable option for management to consider before the trade deadline.

Terry's view is a fair one as the team that beat the Miami Heat last June is not only comprised of different players, but the ones that remain are also one year older. The Mavs, with the second oldest roster in the league, have been dealing with myriad issues ever since they reached the pinnacle of the sport by taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in 2011. Losing Tyson Chandler to the Knicks has proved to be a more difficult void to fill than expected and the acquisition of Lamar Odom has been nothing short of a disaster.

Unfortunately for Terry, the Mavs are unlikely to make the type of deal that would alter the team's course for the rest of the season. As rumors circulate from numerous media outlets, the Mavs are presumably looking to build salary cap space for the summer in order to make a run at some of the marque free agents set to become available on the market. The main problem for the Mavs isn't that they are just consistently being beaten by better teams, but rather are losing games to teams that have inferior talent to the reigning NBA champions. A continuing trend the rest of the season may spell the end of the Mavs careers for many players currently calling Dallas home.

Stein’s Latest: Howard, Turkoglu, Pacers, Kaman

March 9th, 2012 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

This week's installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime is up at ESPN.com, so let's dive in and check out Stein's latest rumors….

Amidst talk of a quiet trade deadline, Stein says similar pessimism has preceded flurries of deals in the past. However, there's a league-wide expectation that Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Rajon Rondo will stay put.
The Magic continue to pursue non-Howard deals, bringing up Hedo Turkoglu's name frequently. One front office source tells Stein that a team would have to received at least two future first-round picks to take on Turkoglu's contract.
Meanwhile, a Western Conference exec says he doesn't expect Orlando to even consider shopping Howard until deadline day. While that may seem a little too last-minute, the Magic are already aware of most of their trade options, meaning a deal could be worked out quickly, a source tells Stein.
Teams around the league seem to be valuing first-round picks more than ever, particularly 2012 selections, since this year's draft class is expected to be a deep one. A club with cap space like the Pacers could acquire players without sending out any salaries, but Indiana is extremely reluctant to part with its future first-rounders in any such deal.
It still appears that David Stern and the NBA-owned Hornets have no interest in buying out Chris Kaman's contract if the big man isn't traded. If Kaman was bought out and signed with a team like the Heat, he could impact the NBA Finals and further deplete the Chris Paul haul for the Hornets, neither of which would look great for the league.
There has been speculation that the Mavericks could be interested in Kaman in a deal involving Lamar Odom, but Stein says not to expect such a move, noting that Mark Cuban is committed to riding out the season with Odom.
As I speculated earlier, the Wizards are considering moving JaVale McGee on the condition that Andray Blatche is included in the deal as well. While both players have a ton of upside, the pair wouldn't exactly improve any team's chemistry.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Gasol, Jones, Odom

March 8th, 2012 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Only one Southwest team is in action tonight, as Dirk Nowitizki and the Mavericks take on Steve Nash and the Suns in Phoenix. To make up for the lack of games, let's take a look at a few Thursday links out of the Southwest:

Based on calls he's received and reports he's read, Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle concludes the Lakers are "floating the idea" that a package of Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola could get Pau Gasol to Houston. Solomon says there's no way the Rockets would do such a deal though.
Solomon Jones' second 10-day contract has expired, and the Hornets have decided not to sign him for the rest of the season, reports John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Jones played in 11 games for New Orleans, averaging 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per contest.
Lamar Odom and Mavericks owner accused New York media of blowing their alleged spat out of proportion, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Odom, Cuban Talk Los Angeles, Rumors

March 7th, 2012 at 11:58pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 11:58pm: Eddie Sefko, Mavericks beat writer for the Dallas Morning News, gives his take on the exchange between Cuban and Odom last night. He says that because Cuban yells at all his players at some point, we should look at Tuesday night as a sign that Odom is now just a normal part of the team. Sefko reiterates that there is nothing suggesting that Odom will be moved.

TUESDAY, 9:38pm: While Mavs owner Mark Cuban acknowledged that there was some concern about Odom's absence from his teammates, he says that reports of Odom's desire to go back to Los Angeles are false, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.

"That was never the issue despite what you read. You know what's more interesting is that there's a whole lot of people, myself included, who like to use the media to try to create drama and stir up controversy. And it's so easy, it's hard not to," Cuban told reporters.

Meanwhile, Odom and Cuban appeared to exchange a few heated words during tonight's game against the Knicks, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

8:16am: Ric Bucher of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Lamar Odom is "desperate" to return to Los Angeles, but the 32-year-old tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he's happy to be playing in Dallas.

"You know how fortunate I am to be here," Odom said. "I'm a guy that doesn't mind staying and working things out — even if they don't."

Odom added that he never asked the Mavericks for a buyout, as some reports suggested, and that he doesn't know how those rumors got started.

"Some of the rumors were untrue and that's something you have no control over," Odom said, "It's just like you're not here for eight days in a row, or however many days, and people stop seeing you and start talking."

After his four-game personal absence from the team, Odom appeared poised to head to the D-League's Austin Toros for a game before returning to the Mavs. Although the plan fell through, Odom was entirely on board with the idea — he was the one to bring it up to the team.

"I had suggested it because I had the time off, we didn't practice and didn't play. And I felt like it would be a good way to warm up," Odom said. "I look at it and I think of the NBA and I think that's what [the D-League] should be there for… kind of like minor league baseball."

While Odom is struggling through his worst NBA season to date, it appears he and the Mavs are still trying to make things work. As we discussed yesterday, even if the veteran forward wanted to return to Los Angeles, for either the Lakers or Clippers, his chances of doing so this season are slim to none.

Lamar Odom Desires Return To L.A.

March 5th, 2012 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

Lamar Odom helped propel the Mavericks to a win on Saturday, after asking his teammates for their support, but according to Ric Bucher of ESPN.com (video link), Odom is still "desperate" to return to Los Angeles.

Having dealt Odom to the Mavs in December, the Lakers are ineligible to reacquire the forward at any point this season. Bucher says the Clippers would love to acquire the 32-year-old, but they don't have the expiring contracts Dallas would want to make a trade work. If Odom does indeed want to return to Los Angeles, a more likely scenario has him being traded or bought out next season by the Mavs.

Odom returned to the Mavericks on Saturday night after an absence that lasted a week and a half. In 33 games this season, he has posted career-lows in points (7.7), rebounds (4.5), and minutes (21.3) per contest.

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Rockets, Blazers, Mavericks

March 4th, 2012 at 6:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After an overtime thriller between New York and Boston and the Heat being held to its second-lowest point total all season against the Lakers, here are some of the topics floating around the league.

Rajon Rondo's stellar game against the Knicks was a display of his value to the Celtics and as a trade asset, writes Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated.
Ric Bucher claims that the Rockets will have a different roster by March 16. (Twitter link)
In addition to Nate McMillan's concern about lack of communication on the court, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian writes that Raymond Felton will soon return to the starting lineup for the Trail Blazers.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas reports that the Mavericks have called up forward/center Sean Williams from the D-League after placing Brandan Wright on the injured list. Wright sustained a concussion against the Hornets on Friday.
A day after Lamar Odom's solid performance off the bench helped the Mavericks beat the Jazz, Eddie Sefko of DallasNews.com believes that the onus is on Lamar to remain consistent for the rest of the season.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Sixers, Odom, Warriors

March 4th, 2012 at 11:50am CST by Daniel Seco

The Heat take on the Lakers in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon in what should be an epic battle between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. While the Masked Mamba had his nose broken by Dwyane Wade during the All-Star game, Andrew Bynum has stated that he will not retaliate against the former Marquette star. With the rumor mill heating up, here's the latest news from around the league.

The Heat have lived up to lofty expectations thus far in this abbreviated season, but concerns remain surrounding depth at the center position, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Joel Anthony has done a solid job in his role as the starting center, but Winderman does not believe Dexter Pittman and Eddy Curry offer much when Anthony needs rest. Unfortunately for the Heat, not many options are available in the wake of Joel Przybilla's signing with the Trail Blazers.
Beyond making a change to their roster, the 76ers need to get to the basket and to the line more often in order to be successful during the playoffs this season, contends John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Lamar Odom addressed his teammates on Saturday night before opening tip and asked for their support as he deals with off-court issues, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle offers up myriad trade possibilities for the Warriors with the trade deadline mere days away. From acquiring Joe Johnson from the Hawks to talking with the Hornets about Chris Kaman, Simmons considers every possibility for the team to improve their roster.

Central Notes: Dumars, Cavs, Pacers

March 4th, 2012 at 9:53am CST by Daniel Seco

While the Bulls may claim ownership of the best record in the NBA and the Pacers have gained steam after winning their last six games, the rest of the Central Division remains mired in a lottery-bound wasteland. The Bulls take their 30-8 record to Philadelphia tonight for a matchup against the 76ers. Let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on.

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests Pistons general manager Joe Dumars will keep his roster intact as the trade deadline approaches. Ellis views Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight as the only two players that may garner interest from other teams. One executive mentioned Rodney Stuckey as a potential piece for a team looking for depth, but Stuckey cannot be traded until the off-season due to new rules created after the lockout.
The Cavaliers may have been among the teams that nearly landed Lamar Odom in the off-season from the Lakers, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The non-trade has been a blessing for Cleveland given Odom's off-court issues and underwhelming on-court performance this season in Dallas.
The schedule is set to get a bit more difficult for the surging Pacers, says Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star. With their first six-game winning streak since 2005 and currently holding the three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers are in a comfortable position in considering what to do with the trade deadline looming.

Odom To Return To Mavs?

March 3rd, 2012 at 7:12pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 7:11pm: Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com reports that Odom did not address his teammates before the game and does not plan to take questions from the media until afterwards.

9:26am: Odom's D-League stint has been cancelled and the forward will instead join the Mavs for tonight's game against Utah, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

THURSDAY, 4:52pm: Odom won't be with the Mavs for tomorrow's game in New Orleans, but he'll likely play for the team's D-League affiliate on Saturday to "get his legs back," tweets Stein. It would be the equivalent of a one-game minor-league rehab stint for Odom.

1:17pm: Cuban met with Odom and agent Jeff Schwartz on Wednesday, and the Mavs expect to have the forward back on their active roster in a matter of days, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

8:35am: There's a "growing feeling" within the Mavericks' locker room that Lamar Odom won't be returning to the team, a source tells Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas. Odom left the Mavs last Wednesday to tend to his ill father.

There's been increased chatter within the last week about Odom's future, including rumors about a possible buyout or trade. However, owner Mark Cuban has continued to insist the Mavs aren't interested in buying Odom out of his deal, and still believe he can help the team this season. The 32-year-old has been mired in a season-long slump since being dealt to Dallas by the Lakers in December.

Mavs players who have been patient and supportive of Odom so far this season may be starting to show some cracks, says Caplan. Jason Kidd said earlier this week that the situation will "work itself out one way or another," while Jason Terry said yesterday that it's up to the front office to come up with a resolution.

Coach Rick Carlisle expects to have an update on Odom's status at some point today.