Lamar Odom Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Papanikolaou, Brown, Odom

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:39pm CST by Cray Allred

The international scope of the NBA continues to grow, as teams become more and more invested in finding talent from all over the globe. Jusuf Nurkic is ranked as just the 33rd best prospect for the 2014 draft by Chad Ford of ESPN, but that’s enough potential to get eight NBA scouts in the stands at a Serbian basketball game, according to a tweet from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Here are some more things we have our eye on from overseas today:

Kostas Papanikolaou is very likely to sign with the Rockets this summer, reports Givony (Twitter link). Houston owns the rights to the power forward, who is playing for FC Barcelona on the first year of a four-year deal he signed this offseason. It is likely the Rockets would have to work out a buyout with the Spanish team to bring him stateside, although the details of his contract are unclear.
Bobby Brown could be an addition at point guard for an NBA team once his season in China ends two weeks from now, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. The Clippers were the last team rumored as a potential destination for Brown, although that came at a time when Chris Paul was still out with a shoulder injury.
The contract Lamar Odom recently signed with a Spanish team can be terminated in the first week by the team, and it also includes an option for a second year, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter links). It’s unclear if that’s a team or player option. The early termination window is there in case Odom isn’t in shape, but that does not appear to be an issue.

Lamar Odom To Play In Spain

February 18th, 2014 at 7:58am CST by Zachary Links

7:58am: Odom will earn about $50K per month with Laboral Vitoria, according to Chema de Lucas of Gigantes (translation via Sportando, on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 7:43am: Odom has officially signed with the Spanish team, according to the Euroleague’s website.

MONDAY, 6:37pm: Lamar Odom has reached agreement on a deal with Spanish club Laboral Vitoria, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter) first passed along word that Odom was in talks with the team. Odom intends to play out the rest of the season in Spain, Stein adds.

The Clippers were flirting with the idea of signing the veteran forward for much of the season but they wound up inking the likes of Hedo Turkoglu and Sasha Vujacic instead. It has been a rocky few years for the 34-year-old New York City native. Odom was a bust when he was with the Mavericks for the 2011/12 season and even though he saw time in all of the Clippers’ 82 games in 2012/13, he reportedly went into a downward spiral over the summer that included a DUI and possible drug abuse. It remains to be seen whether he can find his way back to the NBA, but the basketball world is rooting for him.

Clippers Sign Hedo Turkoglu, Release Wayns

January 16th, 2014 at 12:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:18pm: The Clippers have officially announced the deal. The team’s press release adds that the Clippers have released Maalik Wayns, terminating his 10-day contract, which had been set to expire Friday. The release also announces a second 10-day deal for Darius Morris, but it doesn’t mention the length of Turkoglu’s contract, almost certainly signifying that agent Jim Tanner has secured a deal for the rest of the season for Turkoglu, as had been expected.

THURSDAY, 11:34am: Turkoglu tweets that the deal is official, though there’s been no announcement from the team (hat tip to Sportando).

WEDNESDAY, 9:50pm: The Clippers are set to sign Hedo Turkoglu on Thursday, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Turkoglu was to undergo a physical today, and the team appeared ready to bring him aboard pending the results, as Ismail Senol of NTV Spor in Turkey reported earlier today. The deal will cover the rest of the season, according to Senol.

“He’s another shooter,” Clippers boss Doc Rivers said, according to Markazi. “Sometimes you don’t bring a guy in because a guy is not doing something. You bring a guy in because he does something our other guys do as well. He’s another shooter and can space the floor. He’s very skilled. We would like to take advantage of that.”

Turkoglu, 34, comes to the Clippers after the Magic waived him earlier this month, saving half of his $12MM salary this season before it became fully guaranteed. The Clippers can only offer the minimum salary, but it doesn’t appear they had much competition for the Jim Tanner client. The Lakers and Hawks registered interest in the forward while he was still with the Magic, but the Lakers decided against pursuing him in free agency, and Atlanta hasn’t been connected with him recently either.

The Clippers won’t have to make a roster move if the deal goes down Thursday, since their 10-day deal with Darius Morris will expire overnight. Another roster spot will open with the expiration of their 10-day contract with Maalik Wayns on Friday night, and Rivers indicated the team is still looking for other free agents to add, notes Markazi, who mentions Lamar Odom as a possibility. The team apparently still has interest in Sasha Vujacic, as well.

Amick’s Latest: Randolph, Anderson, Asik

December 13th, 2013 at 5:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

We already passed along news about Kyle Lowry from Sam Amick’s latest NBA A to Z post, but the USA Today scribe included plenty more from around the league amid a busy week of trade talks. We’ll hit the highlights here:

Amick hears strong denials from sources close to the Grizzlies and Pelicans about a rumored swap of Zach Randolph for Ryan Anderson. Neither team has discussed the deal, according to Amick. The chatter nonetheless irked Randolph, as he tells Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. “But yeah, it bothers me,” Randolph said in part. “It hurts a little bit. I can’t deny that. But it goes to show you that there ain’t no loyalty in this game. It seems like you only get loyalty in certain organizations. You see it in winning organizations like the Spurs, the Lakers, the Heat.”
The Pelicans and Bucks are no longer a part of trade discussions for Omer Asik, according to Amick. That’s no surprise for New Orleans, which has been reluctant to acquiesce to the Rockets‘ demands for Anderson, and Milwaukee always seemed to be on the fringe of the Asik picture.
The Clippers filled their final roster spot when they signed Stephen Jackson this week, but Lamar Odom remains in the team’s plans, Amick says. Odom appears to be a few weeks shy of being ready to play, and the team’s injuries prompted the Clippers to act swiftly.
Seth Curry went through his scheduled workout with the Grizzlies, and he shot well, but Memphis isn’t expected to add him or the other three guards they were set to audition earlier this week, Amick writes. The Grizzlies have indeed changed their priorities in light of Quincy Pondexter‘s season-ending injury, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Thursday.

Injuries May Force Clippers To Make Signing

December 8th, 2013 at 9:03am CST by Chuck Myron

Reggie Bullock on Saturday became the latest Clippers player to go down with what could be a significant injury, and that has Doc Rivers believing the team will sign a free agent reinforcement, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. Trainers told Bullock that he probably has a high ankle sprain, an injury that usually keeps a player out of action for about a month, according to Markazi.

“We would have to look somewhere,” Rivers said about the possibility of a signing. “Let’s hope not, but my guess is yes. I don’t know where we’re going to go. If you guys have any names, call me and let me know. I’ll be on the phone tonight with (Clippers executives) Gary (Sacks) and Gerald (Madkins) and Dave Wohl, and I’m praying they know somebody. We’ll see. You never know.”

Rivers, in addition to his role as Clippers coach, has the final say on personnel matters, and he must decide what to do now that so many players are on the shelf. Matt Barnes could miss another two weeks after having a second surgery on a torn retina in his left eye and J.J. Redick is a week into a six-to-eight-week timetable for recovery from a broken hand and torn ulnar collateral ligament. Maalik Wayns hasn’t played after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee in the preseason.

The Clippers have been monitoring Lamar Odom for months, and while Markazi believes it’s possible the team will sign him soon, he notes that it’s a move the Clippers had hoped to put off for a while longer (Twitter link). Odom reportedly won’t be ready to play until mid-January, at the earliest.

Markazi mentions Shannon Brown as a possible candidate to fill the Clippers’ open roster spot. Brown played for Clippers assistant coach Alvin Gentry on the Suns. Brown has drawn interest from several teams in the weeks since the Wizards released him following the Marcin Gortat trade shortly before opening night.

Odds & Ends: Nets, Shaw, Odom, Hansbrough

December 3rd, 2013 at 10:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Divergent coaching styles and philosophies ultimately prompted Jason Kidd to demote Nets assistant coach Lawrence Frank, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com, but that doesn’t appear to be the only reason for the move. Frank has been badmouthing Kidd around the league, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has additional details on the troubled relationship between the two coaches. Here’s more on the Nets soap opera and the rest of the NBA:

The Nets maintain their strong support of Kidd, and they still believe he’ll develop into an effective head coach, Mannix writes. Brian Shaw, whom the Nets passed on when they hired Kidd, has “thrilled” Nuggets brass so far, Mannix notes via Twitter.
Lamar Odom isn’t yet performing basketball drills in workouts, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The earliest he could be ready to play is mid-January, Berger hears. The Clippers appear in no rush to sign him, even with other teams in the mix.
Tyler Hansbrough wasn’t pleased with his limited role on the Pacers last season, and while he signed with the Raptors hoping to be a more integral part of his team, he never expected to become the starter he is now, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun details.
A short-term injury to Mike James will force the Bulls to cut Marquis Teague‘s D-League assignment short, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The Bulls are down to 10 healthy players, but they don’t plan on signing anyone, Johnson says.
Amid a rough week for the top four college prospects, Kansas center Joel Embiid‘s performance made him a legitimate candidate to become the No. 1 overall pick in June, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his latest Insider piece on the draft landscape.

Clippers Unlikely To Sign Lamar Odom This Week

December 1st, 2013 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Clippers got a bad piece of news today when they learned guard J.J. Redick will be sidelined six-to-eight weeks with a fracture in the small bone (pisiform) of his right hand and a tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Despite that setback, the Clippers are unlikely to sign Lamar Odom before their long road trip ends in mid-December, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

A report last month indicated that Odom only wanted to sign with the Clippers, but last week, coach Doc Rivers indicated that there was competition for his services. For what it’s worth, Rivers says he’s more comfortable with the idea of signing the 14-year veteran after speaking with Phil Jackson and Vinny Del Negro, both of whom have coached Odom.

Clippers May Have Competition For Lamar Odom

November 30th, 2013 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers might not be the only team pursuing free agent forward Lamar Odom, as Doc Rivers tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. An earlier report indicated Odom would only sign with the Clippers.

“I’m hoping if things work out, yeah,” Rivers said. “But I just don’t know. I know there’s other teams involved, I think. I honestly haven’t focused on it a lot.”

It’s not clear which other teams may be involved. Rivers, who coaches the Clippers and reportedly has the final say in front office matters, adds that he’s more comfortable with the idea of signing the troubled 14-year veteran after speaking with Phil Jackson and Vinny Del Negro, both of whom have coached Odom. Still, Rivers also says there’s no hurry to bring Odom or anyone else on board. This summer was a difficult one for Odom, who faced DUI charges and rumors of drug use, but Rivers was impressed with his attitude and physical condition when they met two weeks ago.

The Clippers and Odom have been talking for a while, but there remains no timeline for him to join the team. The Clippers would like to fill their vacant roster spot, and with no trades on the horizon, a free agent signing or waiver claim appears the best bet, Howard-Cooper writes. The team is also reportedly considering free agent big man Chris Wilcox as an alternative to Odom.

“We’re looking, but it’s not a desperate look right now,” Rivers said. “I do think we need one more player. It could be a big. It could be another point guard, just to have a third backup for the season. But I don’t tend to make moves that’ll make you stronger during the regular season, because then in the playoffs you shorten your rotation and that was a wasted move most of the time.”

California Rumors: Kobe, Odom, Kings

November 26th, 2013 at 5:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings are the only California-based team beneath .500, and after completing their trade with the Timberwolves today, they’re still trying to make moves and improve. Here’s more on them and a couple of their in-state rivals:

Kobe Bryant says his two-year extension will “probably” be his final contract, as Bill Oram of the Orange County Register notes via Twitter. Bryant had been leaning toward retirement after the 2013/14 season before tearing his Achilles last spring, but admits that the injury pushed him to extend his career, Oram writes in a subscription-only piece.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers says he’ll stay in touch with Lamar Odom, and the two could sit down for a meeting later this week, tweets Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. A source tells HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy that Odom has been “extremely positive” about his recent workouts and expects to sign soon.
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro tells Kennedy, for the same piece, that he sees newly acquired forward Derrick Williams as a “matchup problem” for other teams and is confident a fresh start can help the former No. 2 overall pick reach his potential.

Odds & Ends: Cunningham, Odom, Fisher

November 22nd, 2013 at 10:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

No one expected either the Suns or the Sixers to have half a dozen wins less than a month into the season, but both teams captured their sixth victories tonight. Stories about tanking have been few in the wake of their success, but there’s plenty other news to pass along:

The Spurs and Lakers inquired with the Timberwolves about Dante Cunningham in the offseason, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who figures those teams will be after him again when he hits free agency next summer (Twitter link).
Neither the Clippers nor Lamar Odom are rushing toward a deal, and after a few weeks both sides will probably have a better idea of whether he’ll join the team, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Derek Fisher re-signed with the Thunder for just the minimum salary, but he’s played an outsized role for the team so far, as The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry examines.
Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com looks ahead to next summer for Jimmy Butler, who’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension. Sam speculates that the Bulls will offer Butler a deal for about $8MM a year, and the scribe registers a few more guesses about what other top wing players approaching free agency will see on their next contracts.
The Mavericks made lots of changes to their roster in the offseason, and several newcomers are playing key roles in the team’s fast start. One of them is Jose Calderon, who discusses the smooth transition with HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy.
The Wolves renounced their rights to former second-round picks Tanguy Ngombo and Loukas Mavrokefalidis, notes Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter links).