Odom, once considered a gift, became a burden for the Mavericks

Back in December, it looked like a gift. The Lakers, reeling after failing to complete what they thought was a done deal for Hornets point guard Chris Paul, traded key forward Lamar Odom to the defending-champion Mavericks, for, essentially, nothing. Odom was displeased at having been included in the potential Paul deal, and rather than wait to see whether Odom would be a problem in the locker room, the Lakers simply traded him.

Turns out, Odom was not quite the gift he appeared to be. He was admittedly out of shape in the wake of the lockout. After averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds and shooting 53.0 percent last season, Odom contributed just 6.6 points and 35.2 percent shooting in 50 turmoil-marred games with Dallas. Now, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Mavericks and Odom have agreed to part ways, with Odom to be listed as inactive for the rest of the season. He will not be bought out, and even if he had been, he would not be eligible for the playoffs if he signed elsewhere.

The Mavericks had tried a number of strategies over the course of the year to lock Odom back into playing shape in time for the playoffs. Odom took time off around the All-Star break to attend to a family matter (reportedly his ill father), and returned to the team later than scheduled, missing 10 days. The team had planned to have Odom play in the D-League to help him regain his confidence, but reversed course on that. At the time, coach Rick Carlisle openly expressed his frustration with Odom.

“When he comes back, we’re going to find out very quickly where things are at,” Carlisle told an ESPN radio station in Dallas in early March. “He’s going to have to show us with his actions and attitude that he’s in. (Mavericks owner) Mark (Cuban) asks a fundamental question with anybody in our franchise, are they in or are they not in? Our fans want to know that Lamar’s in. Our players want to know that Lamar’s in.

It’s not about how many points he's scoring or rebounds. Those things are a factor. Our fans, our players want to see the guy playing like his pants are on fire and we haven’t seen that so far and that’s got to change.”

Things did not change, and Carlisle even benched Odom during a loss to the Spurs on March 23 following a one-point, 24-minute effort two days earlier. Odom played the next day, but logged just two rebounds, no points and a turnover in 13 minutes. “Expect the unexpected as far as life’s concerned,” Odom said after the benching. “I’ve been through a lot. It’s not too much I haven’t seen. So I understand it. I’m a team guy. Whatever. He’s the coach.”

Indeed, it has been a tumultuous year for Odom. In addition to his absence for the family matter and the trade from the Lakers, Odom had a traumatic offseason. In July, he attended the funeral of his 24-year-old cousin in New York, and while there, he hired a chauffeured SUV. The SUV got into an accident with a motorcycle, leading to the death of a 15-year-old pedestrian. Odom, whose infant son, Jayden, died in his crib in 2006, said he considered taking time off from basketball after the summer.

In August, Odom told the L.A. Times, “Death always seems to be around me. I’ve been burying people for a long time. When I had to bury my child, I probably didn’t start grieving until a year and a half later. I think the effects of seeing (my cousin) die and then watching this kid die, it beat me down. I consider myself a little weak. I thought I was breaking down mentally. I’m doing a lot of reflecting.”

As for Odom and the Mavericks, the apparent breaking point was his four-minute stint in a loss to the Grizzlies, in which Odom was 0-for-1 from the field and registered a minus-7 in plus/minus. Odom, in fact, had been a minus in five straight games, with opponents outscoring the Mavericks by 35 points with Odom on the floor in those five games.

The question now becomes one of Odom’s future. Because they are not releasing him, the Mavericks still have Odom’s partially guaranteed contract on the books, which could be a valuable trade chip at this year’s draft. Odom’s $8.2 million contract is only guaranteed for $2.4 million, which means the Mavericks can trade him to a team looking to cut salary. No matter whether he is traded, Odom figures to be a free agent this summer, and despite his rocky year and the ignominious end to his Dallas stint, his overall track record and championship experience figures to buoy his value.