Stein: Knicks considering signing Lamar Odom

The Knicks have an open roster spot, but there's no point adding anyone with three games left to play, least of all a veteran whose career has been sidetracked by all sorts of nonse-- Oh?

Going online now: ESPN sources say Knicks weighing whether to sign Lamar Odom before regular season ends next week

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 11, 2014

Why?

I mean, Phil Jackson (who hung out with Odom at a game last week), but still: why?

Update: Here's the full story:

Sources told ESPN.com that the Knicks, at the behest of new team president Phil Jackson, have been looking into the possibility of signing Odom since the 34-year-old's short stint playing in Spain came to an end and are weighing whether to go through with adding the Queens native to their roster before the regular season ends.

Among the options the Knicks are considering, sources said, is signing Odom before Wednesday's regular-season finale to a contract that includes a team option for next season. Doing so would enable the Knicks to work with Odom throughout the offseason before deciding if he's ready to play -- physically and mentally -- in time for the start of the 2014-15 season.

Update: More from Marc Berman:

According to a source, one part of the thinking in making an Odom addition now would be as a salary-cap measure in adding a potential trade pawn this summer if they decide he's not worth keeping next season.
The Knicks would accomplish that by signing Odom to a non-guaranteed second year. Hence, Jackson can include him for cap purposes as a throw-in for a trade.

That's a sensible thing to do with an open roster spot, though, in a vacuum, Odom is kind of an odd choice for such a signing, isn't he?