Lamar Odom: Complete Breakdown of His Failed Season with Dallas Mavericks

Lamar Odom’s four-month stint with the Dallas Mavericks has finally come to a merciful end.

It was a foregone conclusion from the very beginning that things would not work out for the superstar sixth man and his new team.

There were too many problems from the outset that snowballed out of control and turned his time with the Mavs into an absolute train wreck.

Let’s take a look at everything that happened, starting with a vetoed trade and ending with an inactive list.   

Dec. 8, 2011 – Odom Upset After Botched Trade

The New Orleans Hornets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers had a three-team deal to land Chris Paul in Los Angeles, Pau Gasol in Houston and Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Kevin Martin and Odom in New Orleans vetoed by commissioner David Stern.

Odom was devastated after learning he was unwanted by his current organization and immediately requested a trade rather than attempting to work things out.

Dec. 11 – Mavericks Acquire Odom via Trade with Lakers

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak did not hesitate to ship Lamar out of town shortly after he requested to be moved.

He dialed up Dallas and received an offer of an $8.9 million trade exception (which the Mavs acquired in the Tyson Chandler sign-and-trade with the Knicks earlier in the month) and first-round draft pick in 2012.

The Lakers gladly moved their unhappy sixth man and threw in a second-rounder to boot.

Dec. 25 – Disappointing Season Opener

Odom debuted to much fanfare and quickly disappointed.

He was supposed to be the marquee offseason addition for a Mavericks team fresh off a Finals victory, but ravaged by free-agent departures.

In just 13 minutes of play, the forward put up four points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal and two turnovers. He was just 1-of-6 from the field and his team was destroyed by the Miami Heat, 105-94.

Jan. 21-27 – Inconsistency as Starter

Regular starter Dirk Nowitzki had to take some time off to rehab his knee, which should have been a perfect opportunity for Odom to prove himself.

He started off by scoring a season-high 16 against the lowly Hornets, but followed that up four nights later with a five-point performance on 2-of-14 shooting in 16 lousy minutes against Minnesota.

Odom bounced back nicely against the Jazz on April 27—scoring 19 points in 32 minutes—but found himself floundering on the bench once Dirk returned.

Feb. 1 – First Missed Game

Odom started what would soon become a trend by missing his first game of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The reported reason was a stomach illness.

Feb. 21 – Meeting with Mavericks Brass

One day prior to an important matchup with the Lakers, Odom decided to speak to head coach Rick Carisle in private about his role on the team and consistently poor performances.

At the time, it was thought to be a positive discussion, according to quotes obtained by Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"We had a great meeting with him to make sure that he understood that our expectation is not that he be concerned about his stats," Carlisle said.

Odom then gave a quip that became laughable just over a month later.

"You know how fortunate I am to be here," Odom said. "I'm a guy that doesn't mind staying and working things out -- even if they don't."

Feb. 22-March 1 – Leave of Absence

The morning after meeting with Carlisle and the Mavs' front office staff, Odom informed them that he needed some time off to deal with a personal issue.

According to reports at the time, it was to be with his father, Joe, while he was ill.

However, TMZ reported that Joe was fine and that the two were just hanging out. 

Lamar’s father has dealt with heroin addiction and the true circumstances behind this leave will likely remain a mystery.

March 2 – D-League Stint

Upon his return from a lengthy absence, Odom was supposed to get back into a groove by joining the Texas Legends for a few games. The demotion was apparently Lamar’s idea.

However, he never suited up and was instead recalled to play for the shorthanded Mavs on March 3 against the Jazz. The forward put up a respectable nine points, five rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 18 minutes.

March 6 – Mark Cuban Gets Angry

Odom played extremely poorly against the Knicks and scored just three points and made just one of his nine shots. Mark Cuban was in the crowd and visibly upset as his patience must have been wearing thin.

March 21 – Fans Boo After Lakers Loss

Lamar finally faced his former team and his performance was just plain awful. He recorded just one point, one rebound, one steal and one assist in 24 minutes. The fans were fed up with the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.

March 23 – Healthy Scratch

Two nights after his embarrassing performance against his old franchise, Carlisle did not use his embattled forward.

Odom claimed it was the first DNP-CD of his career.

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"There's a first time for everything,'' said Odom, who could never remember being a healthy scratch at any level. "Expect the unexpected as far as life is concerned. I'm a team guy. He's the coach.''

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April 2 – Stomach Ailment vs. Clippers

Odom’s stomach ailment flared up once again and the Mavericks lost, 94-75, to the L.A. Clippers.

April 7 – Last Game

Against the Memphis Grizzlies, Odom only played approximately four minutes towards the end of the fourth quarter. He threw up a wild shot that angered Carlisle and ended his night with just a single rebound.

According to Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein of ESPN Dallas, there was a locker room confrontation between the disgraced bench player and team owner Cuban at halftime.

Said Cuban: "I just asked him, does he want to go for it or not? Is he in or is he out? I think he thought we were playing poker. I just didn't get a commitment. And that was the end."

April 8-9 – Ties Severed

Both sides had enough of the experiment after that Grizzlies game and spent Easter Sunday working out an agreement to end Odom’s Mavericks career.

The prized offseason acquisition will spend the remainder of the season on the inactive list. He’s still on the payroll and will be negotiating a buyout or trade before he is due $8.2 million for remaining on the roster past June 29.

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"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."

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And with that ends one of the more miserable player-team dramas in NBA history.