After Lamar Odom was essentially relieved of his duties as bench warmer for the Dallas Mavericks this week, many have speculated as to where the 2011 sixth man of the year will make his next stop in his NBA Career. Warriors beat writer Marcus Thompson noted on Tuesday that he is on the W's radar, but will be a long shot trying to land him.
As Thompson mentions, the Warriors have four of their roster spots filled 'on paper' for the 2012-13 season already with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Odom would make a great fit as the other forward along with Lee, an upgrade over any of the team's current options at that position.
Odom's terrible year was largely a mental factor after being traded from the Lakers hastily after the end of the lockout, though he still owns career numbers of 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 46.5 percent shooting from the field. Those are the numbers the W's should be looking at, and of course, his salary as well, of which his is owed $8.2 million next season.
Dallas has a team option though, so If they eventually end up cutting him they have to pay only $2.4 million. Golden State would have a mid-level exception (about $5.6 million this season) to offer Odom, essentially crossing their fingers he doesn't sign somewhere else. They could try and make a trade, but that would likely involve draft picks, something Golden State certainly needs to try and hold on to.
A mid-level option might be something Odom has to take if he wants to continue playing in the NBA as few teams want a player stuck in his head night-in and night-out. But if he can get his focus back on his game, he could be a nice addition to any team, especially the Warriors.
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