After two lost seasons following his 2011 departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, versatile power forward Lamar Odom could be in line for a return to the purple and gold, according to reports.
Us Weekly has reported the 33-year-old "is close to signing" with Los Angeles and couldn't be happier about it. Us Weekly's insider told the magazine, "Lamar is thrilled and always loved being a Laker. He was really sad when they traded him."
He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, where he played in 50 games before being sent home by Mavs owner Mark Cuban due to a lack of effort when on the floor. Cuban and Odom had a heated exchange, followed by Odom's dismissal from the team for the remainder of the season.
After that debacle, he tried to recapture his L.A. magic with the Clippers, but struggled to make much of an impact. He averaged four points and 5.9 rebounds a night, playing 19.7 minutes a game, a far cry from the 32-plus minutes of floor time he saw with the Lakers.
The Lakers have a big hole in their frontcourt these days, after Dwight Howard, for whom they traded for last offseason with the idea of him anchoring the team for the next decade, left for the Houston Rockets. The Lakers moved quickly to ink seven-footer Chris Kaman, but the frontcourt depth was thin. As of now, Pau Gasol, Kaman, Jordan Hill and Robert Sacre and Duke rookie Ryan Kelly comprise L.A.'s big man crew.
The move back to L.A. is likely something that will excite Odom's celebrity wife Khloe Kardashian, whom many in Dallas blamed for Odom's apathy during his time as a Maverick. Kardashian was admittedly unhappy about Odom's move, saying at the time, "I am sure I will love it but I am a tad thrown off...I know for a fact blessings are everywhere! Everything happens for a reason. God is great."
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