Lamar Odom: Why Odom Can Only End Up with the Nets

Los Angeles, New York, Miami—three big teams that everyone talks about when they talk about where Lamar Odom will play next. But none of those are right. I have a sneaking suspicion that Mark Cuban has a very specific plan for the waste of space that clogged up the bench in Dallas for most of the season.

I think Dallas will use Odom to get Deron Williams. Or, rather, Dallas will get Williams and then ship Odom to New Jersey so Mikhail Prokhorov can say he got something for the All-Star, even if he would still want to kick box Cuban all over Brooklyn.

It is a move that really benefits all parties when you think about it.

Dallas first and foremost gets Deron Williams, but that could have been accomplished without the trade happening. The big prize the Mavericks get, though, is an extra $2 million in cap space that they save by trading Lamar Odom instead of having to waive him and buy out the final year of his contract.

The extra $2 million does not seem like much, but when you couple that with the possible amnesty of Brendan Haywood and a trade or waive of Vince Carter, Cuban could still manage to have enough room under the cap to go out and get another big-time free agent.

From the Nets' point of view, this trade works solely for the fact that they could get a good player, when he feels up too it, and a pretty big trade exception in the same neighborhood as the one Dallas received for Tyson Chandler last season. From there, the Nets can move that exception and go and get a solid veteran, much like Dallas did with Odom this season.

This is also a good trade for Lamar Odom. It is quite clear that he and his wife need a big market to keep their reality show going—which I am sure all teams are thrilled about—and to keep up the brand that comes with being associated with the Kardashian family. It does not get better than New York, which is where New Jersey will play when they move to Brooklyn.

Odom will also have the opportunity to become a focal point on a team that will really need offensive help should Williams leave. He would have a chance to get significant playing time like he did with the Lakers, and hopefully he can get it together and put forth what I like to call "effort."

The the best play for Dallas is to move Odom with the smallest amount of headaches. I think Cuban already has this in his head and is just waiting for the offseason to pull the trigger.