While he won't become a free agent in 2013, Lamar Odom can still affect the free agency if his current team is able to trade him. Will he and his wife Khloe Kardashian change the NBA landscape wherever they land?
Dallas Mavericks and Khloe issues could sink chances for Odom trade
No one wants to say the words but the truth is no less obvious. For the once dominant bench man Odom, the 2013 season is as do-or-die as it gets. His terrible showing with the Dallas Mavericks at the age of 33 will likely put most teams off about taking chances on him. Things like that spell doom for a pro athlete. Throw in the fact he's married to a woman who, while supportive, can become an overnight distraction because of her lifestyle in Khloe Kardashian and an NBA team won't want to take a risk on him. It won't matter how much he assures them their reality show last season wasn't a distraction. That could explain why Lamar Odom has worked himself so hard back into shape and really pressed for a shot at the 2012 Games in London. Bringing back a gold medal for the U.S. would show people he can still play at a high level.
Good Olympics showing with Blake Griffin might get him one last chance
While Kardashian continues fielding questions about everything from babies to her marriage, Lamar Odom has set himself up for the Summer Olympics in Great Britain. He and fellow player Blake Griffin both got the news that they each could workout to make the team with others like Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade bowing out due to injury. For Griffin, it's more about wanting to represent his country with some of the best players in the world. For Odom, though, it's less about that and more about proving he can still play and that his wife wasn't the reason he fell apart last season. Most basketball fans around the country won't care as long as he does his job and takes home the gold. A good Olympics showing will also help Dallas in their trade talks with other teams. In addition to his two championship rings and the Sixth Man Award, adding a gold medal could get them a good return for Odom. How much Kardashian factors in will depend on how much her name gets mentioned should her husband make the team.
Lamar Odom may have ruined his chance with the Dallas Mavericks but it's not too late to finish his NBA career on a high note. With a humble Khloe Kardashian and a good Olympics showing alongside Blake Griffin, the big man could alter free agency depending on how his trade pans out.
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