LOS ANGELES – Lamar Odom is returning to LA.
He won't be in the Purple and Gold, but with the team that drafted him.
According to reports, the Clippers have acquired Odom from the Mavericks in a three-team trade. The Clippers will send guard Mo Williams back to Utah where he played 57 games as a rookie in 2003-04. The Jazz will send a trade exception to the Mavericks, according to the report.
The agreed deal is pending Williams exercising his player option for next season. He's owed $8.5 million. He has until Friday to do so. Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro is confident he will.
"I expect him to opt-in and work from there," Del Negro said. "That's the impression that I've gotten.
"That's his decision and whatever he feels is best for his career is most important right now."
Williams was acquired by the Clippers, along with forward Jamario Moon, from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011 for Baron Davis and a first-round pick.
Last season he came off of the bench for 51 of the 52 games he appeared in for the Clippers in the regular season and averaged 13.1 points per contest. He averaged 9.6 points per game during the playoffs.
His departure opens up more playing time for Eric Bledsoe in a crowded Clippers backcourt.
"At times he deserves more minutes but we also have to fill a slot in terms of how he fits in and where he fits in, but Eric's done a fantastic job for us," Del Negro said. "After he came back from his injury last year he made a difference for us with his athleticism, his speed and his ability to run the team and that's only going to get better."
Bledsoe began the season on the injured list following knee surgery just before the start of the season. He saw his minutes increase in the postseason and although the Clippers were swept in the conference semifinals by the Spurs, Bledsoe was a rare bright spot for the team, averaging 11.5 points per game for the series.
In Odom, who was selected fourth overall by the Clippers in 1999, the Clippers get one of the most versatile players in the league and someone who can defend both on the perimeter and in the post.
However, there's a risk involved in bringing back the emotional Odom to Los Angeles. Will he be the player who was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 or the guy who was shown the door in Dallas?
He is coming off of his worst season as a pro. He averaged 6.6 points, 1.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and shot only 35.2 percent from the field -- all career lows.
He was sent to the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, but never made an appearance. He was reportedly involved in a confrontation with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban during halftime of a game in Memphis in April. It was his last game with the Mavericks. Shortly after, he was listed inactive for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 50 games for Dallas in the lockout shortened season.
Per NBA rules, the Clippers are prohibited from speaking on the deal because it is not finalized.
Friday, things can become a lot clearer.
"Hopefully we can finish out the things that we've been working on and we move the team in the right direction for what's best for everybody," Del Negro said. "(There's) still a lot of work to be done and we'll move forward in that direction and handle all of those things."
