At this point, the return of Lamar Odom is almost inevitable. The free agent forward has meet with numerous general managers about getting back on the court and most recently, both Los Angeles teams were reportedly considering bringing back the one-time star. Despite all of the off-the-court drama surrounding Odom, the Clippers are thinking about getting him back in action.
ESPNLosAngeles.com is reporting the clippers held a two hour meeting with Odom on Friday. The entire sitdown was described by sources as a check-up. The team was trying to figure exactly where Odom was mentally after his tumultuous offseason. While a deal is certainly not happening this weekend, it is a good sign that Odom could re-join his former team who released him after last season. According to Yahoo! Sports, team officials plus Doc Rivers were present at the meeting.
The check-up is a necessity with Odom right now. His offseason has been headlined by reports of drug abuse, stints in rehab and a possible divorce from his wife. The former Sixth Man of the Year was a fixture in the tabloids. Most recently, he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, a charge he planned to fight.
Despite all of the negative reports, Odom has a great amount of positive history in Los Angeles with both the Clippers and the Lakers. The 33-yea-old has a positive attitude when it comes to attempting to resurrect his NBA career that appeared to end too short. He has been working out in the area and is setting a goal of signing with a team by the second-half of the season.
The Lakers are also monitoring the progress Odom. Phil Jackson recently reported to TMZ that he believed Odom burned his bridge with the Lakers a long time ago, but it is looking more and more like the team is heavily interested in a reunion. Odom played his best basketball with the Lakers, helping the team win a championship while earning individual honors as well.
Odom will sign the veteran's minimum with whatever team picks him up. The Clippers currently have a free roster spot. They had been considering several options for the final spot and Odom could get it. The Lakers have the max amount of players on the roster, but nearly half of them are signed to non-guaranteed contracts so a spot for Odom would not be hard to create.
Odom will play somewhere in the league this year. It is highly likely the big man is on a roster by Christmas or at least by the All-Star break. Now it is a question of which Los Angeles team gets him first.
