Speculation continues on whether or not Lamar Odom will make a return to the NBA after not getting picked up in the offseason. Odom has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, but after successful meetings with NBA general managers and promising workouts, Odom could be back on the court the court by January according to sources.
CBSSports.com is reporting that Odom is back in Los Angeles are two weeks of workouts with renowned trainer Rob McClanaghan. The trainer is responsible for the fitness of NBA stars like Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Now he is awaiting word from teams that might be interested in signing him sooner rather than later. Sources say that despite the workouts, Odom is still not ready to return after his stint in Rhode Island. He has not participated in any contact drills and still need to work on his overall fitness, but the progress is coming.
The Clippers appear to be the only team in play for Odom. The former Lakers star met with team officials and head coach Doc Rivers for an extended period of time to discuss everything that took place with him in the offseason and what his intentions were moving forward with basketball. Rivers downplayed the chat as anything more than just a routine checkup, but he did note that he has always been impressed with what Odom has to offer in basketball and would not be opposed to the signing.
The 34-year-old is no stranger to the Clippers organization. He played all of last season with team after a disastrous stint with the Dallas Mavericks that went nowhere. He played in all 82 games, averaging just 4.0 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. He shot 39.9 percent from the field which is sadly better than what he did with the Mavericks.
Odom's return to the NBA appeared highly unlikely in the summer. The forward had a tumultuous offseason that included getting arrested for a DUI charge, reported drug addiction and a rehab stay. There were also reports that his marriage was falling apart and he had tension with his family. Whether any of that is true outside of the DUI arrest is unknown, but the headlines certainly did not help Odom's reputation.
