With Lamar Odom not reporting to the Mavericks on Monday and not suiting up for Dallas' next two games, the Mavericks are being forced to respond to rumors that they’re about to buy out Odom’s contract.
"Lamar is not here today," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Monday, "He is still dealing with a family matter and the hope is he'll join us soon, and we'll update you when there's an update."
Odom missed last Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, his former team, to be with his sick father in L.A., and will also not play Tuesday at home against the Nets and Wednesday in Memphis.
But owner Mark Cuban shot down talk of a pending buyout. "We haven't discussed a buyout and we wouldn't do a buyout,” Cuban wrote in an email to ESPN Dallas. “No chance that happens at all. We want to help Lamar work through any personal issues and expect him to be a valuable contributor to the Mavs this season. Players go through challenges from time to time and we try to be (an) organization that fully supports our players when things are challenging for them. We will do the same for Lamar."
Cuban’s statement is affirmed by SI.com’s Sam Amick, who reports via Twitter, “(Odom is) owed $8.9 million this year (pro-rated, 66 gms), $2 million buyout for next season. But source tells me buyout isn't going to happen.”
A source tells The New York Post’s Peter Vecsey, however, “Odom is trying to get a buyout. Don’t be surprised if the Mavs oblige. He’s just not happy in Dallas. Maybe his wife (Khloe Kardashian) is making him.”
DallasBasketball.com reports that the Mavs’ plan all along has been to use Odom to help the team make a run at another championship, then cut him and his $8.2 million contract after the season, which would leave Dallas on the hook for just $2.4 million next season, with the intention of making bids for Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.
It’s been a tough year for Odom. He considered retiring during the offseason after his younger cousin died. Then, before the season, he was traded from L.A. to Dallas, where he has underperformed, averaging 21.4 minutes, 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists, all, by far, career lows.
But Carlisle is confident Odom will improve this season.
"I think we're closer than we've ever been to him playing well," Carlisle said last Friday on ESPN Radio in Dallas. "We've just got to stay the course and stay positive about it. The guy's too good of a player and ... he has two bad games in a row and everybody's ready to jump again, but I'm not going there."
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