After one year of absence from the NBA and an ongoing divorce from Khloe Kardashian that has played out on reality television, Lamar Odom is closing in on a deal that will bring him to the New York Knicks.
ESPN reports that Odom will officially sign to the Knicks this week which will immediately put the former Lakers champion on the New York roster. This deal would allow him to play on the team now and could include him in next year's season.
As the Knicks are led by Phil Jackson, the former Lakers coach who now serves as the team's President, Odom will have the opportunity to be guided by someone he is familiar with. The New York native was considered one of Jackson's star players. The deal would give the 34-year-old player a chance to start working with the Knicks before the free agency begins July 1.
Knicks sources told ESPN that closing an immediate deal with Lamar Odom before free agency season gives them a chance to see if he's a good fit. It also gives the player an opportunity to physically and mentally prepare for a spot in next season's roster.
As Odom recovers from a back injury he obtained while briefly serving in the Spanish League, some believe that if he signs this Wednesday, his health will not be up to par for the Knicks' final game of the season against Toronto on Wednesday night.
Still, this proposed deal has made Knicks fans hopeful, ESPN reports. With Phil Jackson serving as the team's president, some believe Odom's good realtionship with the star coach could get the athlete back on track and get the Knicks on the road to an upcoming championship.
Phil Jackson joined the Knicks in March and since then, he's pointed out that there's very little room to make upgrades, "given its lack of salary-cap flexibility before the summer of 2015," ESPN reports. Odom's arrival could be the low-budget gamble Jackson may be looking for.
