Clippers interested in Chris Wilcox as Lamar Odom fallback plan, per report

The Los Angeles Clippers are still expected to sign free-agent big man Lamar Odom to bolster their frontcourt depth, but Chris Wilcox is a strong possibility as a fallback plan, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

Odom visited the Clippers' practice facility last week for a two-hour meeting in order to gain more familiarity with Doc Rivers, and the belief is that he'll ultimately return to the franchise for a third stint. However, the Clippers still could decide to go in another direction due to Odom's off-court issues and the lack of familiarity with Rivers.

Enter Wilcox, who played under Rivers with the Boston Celtics. Wilcox spent the last two seasons in Boston, averaging 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game last year. The 31-year-old also has history with the Clippers, playing four seasons in Los Angeles after being selected eighth by the team in the 2002 NBA Draft.

In any case, the Clippers certainly need the frontcourt help. Ryan Hollins and Byron Mullens have been pretty woeful off the bench, while Antawn Jamison is being preserved for the stretch run. The Clippers' defense is seriously lacking consistent rim protection, and the idea is that Odom or Wilcox could at least do a better job than Hollins and Mullens. It's hard to imagine things being much worse, as the Clippers are currently 27th in the NBA in defensive rating.