In a not so surprising move after their bumpy start to their first season together, the Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom have decided to part ways for the remainder of the season.
But what is a bit surprising is the Mavericks aren’t releasing or trading Odom. They are just going to list him as inactive for the remainder of the year. Here is the statement Odom released:
“The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it’s in the best interest of both parties for me to step away from the team,” Odom said in a statement to ESPN.com. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out better for both of us, but I wish the Mavs’ organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship.”
It makes sense for the Mavericks given they can use Odom as a trading chip still at the end of the season. But it seems the relationship must have been more strained than originally thought. As putting players on inactive list for the season is usually reserved for situations where the player is having a negative influence on the chemistry of the entire team.
So what does this mean for Odom in the interim? Is he planning on returning to L.A. to be a reality star alongside his wife? Hopefully he stays on top of his training, or this could be a slow but eventual end to Odom’s career.
