16 Players the Mavericks never should have gambled on

3. Lamar Odom

Odom won back-to-back championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. The 6’10 big man was a key contributor on both teams and won Sixth Man of the Year in 2011. He may be best known for his marriage to Khloe Kardashian, but Odom was an outstanding NBA player for 12 seasons. Sadly, things fell apart when he joined the Mavericks.

Dallas was fresh off winning the championship but remade their aging roster. They gave up a first-round draft pick to get Odom and one second-rounder after the lockout. The 32-year-old believed he was headed to New Orleans in the vetoed Chris Paul trade and was eager to be moved.

Things were disastrous in Dallas. Odom was inconsistent and often out of the lineup. He averaged 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 20.5 minutes per game, which were all career lows at that point. Lamar Odom left the team in early April and was traded following the season.

The 6’10 forward returned to his first team where he played in all 82 games in his final NBA season. Odom showed up and helped the Clippers reach the playoffs, despite his declining skills. His time in Dallas was forgettable, but credit to him for bouncing back and going out on positive terms.