The Dallas chapter of Lamar Odom‘s NBA career is mercifully coming to an end soon. The Mavs have a Friday deadline to buy out the remainder of his contract for $2.4 million, and will spend the next few days searching for a trade partner. They don’t want to take money in return, but they’re also not trying to throw cash to make The Goods go away. Luckily, one team has stepped up to the plate, a playoff team with a couple of strong veteran leaders, an opening on their frontcourt and of course, most importantly, a beach. That’s the Los Angeles Clippers.
ESPN reports the two teams are engaged in trade talks that revolve around Odom and Mo Williams, with Williams going to a third team so the Mavs don’t have to take on his $8.5 million salary this year (it’s technically a player option but Williams has always said he will pick it up). The Lakers are reportedly interested.
This would keep Dallas from shelling out money to get rid of Odom, and would also leave teams like New York and Miami on the outside looking in. They are rumored to be the frontrunners should the Mavs buy out Odom, making him a free agent.
Odom would be a spectacular fit with L.A.’s jayvee team, especially if Chris Paul can convince Chauncey Billups to hang around. Those two would create an environment similar to what Odom had with the Lakers. He wouldn’t be asked to be a savior, nor asked to do too much. He could play his role, avoid the spotlight and leave CP and Billups to run the team.
Then, there’s that gaping hole in the Clippers’ frontline once you get past Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Odom is so different from those two – versatile instead of powerful, skilled instead of athletically monstrous, a shooter instead of a dunker, experienced instead of immature – that he would be perfect as a sixth man coming off the pine. You could play him alongside either one, and at times, he could run the point forward, freeing up Billups to shoot and CP3 to get a break.
Plus, the loss of Williams would inevitably give more minutes to Eric Bledsoe, who showed this postseason (7.9 points a night on 58 percent shooting) he’s ready for more.
Would Odom be a good fit for the Clippers?
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