Los Angeles, CA – Lamar Odom has apparently come full circle in his NBA career.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that Odom is heading back to the team that drafted him - the Clippers.
The newspaper reported that the Clippers and Dallas Mavericks were able to agree to a four-team trade also involving the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets.
The Dallas Morning News reports the deal has been submitted for league approval, and likely would become official by Saturday.
The Times said what made the deal possible was guard Mo Williams exercised the $8.5 million option on his contract, which allowed the Clippers to consummate a deal to send him to Utah.
The Mavericks acquired Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers just prior to the start of the abbreviated season in December. Odom was reportedly unhappy playing in Dallas and averaged career lows with 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 50 games. He was even sent to the D-League in early March, but never played a game, and was recalled the next day. He was due to make $8.2 million with the Mavs for the 2012-13 season.
Odom, 32, was the fourth overall pick of the 1999 draft. He played the first four seasons with the Clippers before spending one with Miami and then seven with the Lakers.
Williams was drafted by the Jazz in 2003, but he played only one season for them. He averaged 13.2 points this past season and unless he agrees to a long- term deal with Utah, Williams will become a free agent next summer.
The Jazz are expected to send Dallas a trade exception, according to the Times, while the Clippers ship the rights to second-round draft pick, Turkish forward Furkan Aldemir, to the Rockets. The Mavericks are expected to receive money from that trade.
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