Trending Topics

Lamar Odom Heading To The Clippers

Mark Bartelstein, the agent for guard Mo Williams, confirmed tonight  that his client will be reunited with the Utah Jazz as part of a deal that will send  Lamar Odom back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers.

Bartelstein said the deal was finalized about 5:45 p.m. EST  and Williams is expected to hold a news conference in Salt Lake City on Monday or Tuesday.

The Jazz drafted Williams in 2003 but allowed him to leave after one season, a decision that general manager Kevin O’Connor said was the worst he ever made.

While there was no official confirmation from the teams yet, Bartelstein said it was done.

Dallas faced a deadline today on a $2.4 million buyout of Odom’s $8.2 million option for next season.

Williams’ decision to exercise his $8.5 million player option cleared the way for the deal.

”He’s really excited,” Bartelstein said. ”This is where his career started. They’ve got a terrific young team. He thinks he can come in and bring real leadership. He’s excited about that. They made it clear how much they wanted him. They did a good job of recruiting him.”

Williams played in 57 games as a rookie before going to Milwaukee. He eventually became a starter and was an All-Star as recently as 2009.

Odom, who was traded to Dallas before last season, never acclimated to being away from L.A. and has been desiring a return — either to his most recent California team, the Lakers, or his original NBA team, the Clippers.

Back to top