According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, a source with knowledge of Lamar Odom's situation says that should the veteran forward become a free agent, the Knicks would be number one on his list. Because of the Knicks' salary cap situation, Odom would have to sign at a discounted rate which is something the source said he would be willing to do.
"Lamar is big on being comfortable," says the source. "And New York is somewhere he can be comfortable. He wants to find a place where he can end his career, and New York is ideal. He's won championships in the past and he wants to win another. And to do it there would be great."
Odom is still under contract with the Mavericks next season, so in order for this to become a reality, he would have to be released. There has been plenty of talk about the Mavericks attempting to trade Odom before June 29 – which Begley notes – when a $2.4MM contract kicker for next year comes due. Odom is due $8.2MM next year under his current deal.
Begley says that Odom's ability to be effective off the bench for a shallow Knicks roster would be a good fit. While the Knicks hardly qualify as a "super team" yet, they do have nearly all of their money tied up in three players. We have seen with similarly built teams – namely the Heat – that veterans like Odom signing on the cheap can provide a much-needed source of depth.