Dallas Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson confirmed Monday that Lamar Odom is done for the year. The team will leave the 12-year veteran on the inactive list for the rest of the season.
Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson Explains Decision To Inactivate Lamar Odom
“We’ve got to be able to look down that bench and count on folks to be consistent,” Nelson said, according to the AP. “Unfortunately with him in his state right now, he’s just not capable of doing that. I say that with his best interest in mind. He’s going through a very, very tough personal time. We certainly understand that. But we’re in the thick of it in the West and we’ve got to win games.”
Odom arrived in Dallas after enduring a difficult offseason. His 24-year-old cousin was shot and killed in July, and one day after attending the funeral, Odom was the passenger in a car that was involved in an accident that killed a teenage boy.
After dealing with those personal tragedies, his professional situation was turned upside down when the Lakers attempted to trade him in their failed bid for Chris Paul. Instead, he was eventually sent to the Mavericks.
“These things never come at the best of times, so we felt with the playoff push coming up it was probably in everyone’s interest,” Nelson said. “Look, it’s been a frustrating situation. Lamar hasn’t performed like he wants to perform, is capable of performing. ... We just need to move on.”
Odom never appeared comfortable with the Mavs, and his minutes and production eventually reached career lows. After averaging 32.2 minutes, 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 82 games with the Lakers in 2010-11, Odom averaged just 20.5 minutes, 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 50 games for the Mavericks this year. Dallas holds a team option for his contract in 2012-13, and they will likely attempt to trade him this summer rather than simply releasing him.
The Mavericks are currently seventh in the Western Conference standings, a half game ahead of the Denver Nuggets.
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