Heated exchange with Mark Cuban reportedly catalyzed Lamar Odom’s departure from Dallas

Lamar Odom and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had a testy exchange of words during halftime of Dallas’ 94-89 loss in Memphis on Saturday, Odom’s final game with the club, and the argument may have prompted the Mavs to part ways with the embattled forward.

While Odom’s short tenure in Dallas has been anything but smooth from the time he was traded from the Lakers before the season, the incident in the visitors’ locker room at FedEx Forum convinced the Mavs “to initiate discussions on Easter that led to the parties agreeing split for the rest of the season,” according to the report.

The heated discussion started when Cuban asked Odom is he was “in or out,” sources told ESPN. Odom reacted angrily to Cuban’s question and did not take a seat on the Mavs’ bench until after the start of the third quarter.

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Cuban, who for the most part had stood by Odom during the player's tumultuous season in Dallas, did not comment on the alleged incident.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, likewise, thinks it’s time to move on. "I’m not going to comment on it any further,” Carlisle said Monday. “It’s just time to turn the page.”