Posting and Toasting - Knicks pursuing Lamar Odom ~https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29802/posting_fave.png2014-04-16T19:18:24-04:00http://www.postingandtoasting.com/rss/stream/53807852014-04-16T19:18:24-04:002014-04-16T19:18:24-04:00Lamar Odom is a Knick
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>SAVE US LAMAR</p> <p>There it is, at the last possible second:</p>
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<p>April 16-NY <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> President <span>Phil Jackson</span> announced that the team has signed forward <span>Lamar Odom</span> for the remainder of the season.</p>
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NY_KnicksPR/statuses/456570893922086913">April 16, 2014</a>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2014/4/15/5616752/stein-knicks-near-deal-with-lamar-odom?utm_source=postingandtoasting&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=articlebottom">As has been established</a>: Odom has a back injury and will not play for the Knicks this season (tonight). The Knicks will work with him this summer and, if he looks good, pick up a second-year option so he'll be in the fold next year. Here's confirmation of that:</p>
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<p>Lamar Odom's contract w/Knicks is a 2-year deal, per source. Second year is nonguaranteed.</p>
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardBeck/statuses/456574530413002752">April 16, 2014</a>
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This is the sound of me shrugging! (But for real: Odom or not, it makes sense to have a 15th guy, at least to use as salary in a trade. But Phil Jackson clearly added the guy because he likes him and has some hope for him.)</p>
https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2014/4/16/5622428/lamar-odom-is-a-knickSeth2014-04-15T10:31:25-04:002014-04-15T10:31:25-04:00Stein: Knicks "near deal" with Lamar Odom
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<p>It does indeed sound like the Knicks will use their 15th spot to bring in Lamar Odom, essentially as a loophole offseason acquisition. <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/10784311/lamar-odom-new-york-knicks-deal-imminent-sources-say">From Marc Stein</a>:</p>
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<p>Sources told ESPN.com that the Knicks are on course, barring an unforeseen snag, to formally sign Odom this week in a move that would put him on their roster immediately and, more importantly, include an unguaranteed second year for next season.</p>
<p>Structuring the deal this way, after a tumultuous 12 months for one of Jackson's favorite players when they worked together with the Los Angeles Lakers, would give the Knicks two months before free agency begins July 1 to get the 34-year-old into their program and start working with him.</p>
<p>The Knicks, sources say, would want to use the extra time to see if they can get Odom to the point, physically and mentally, where the talented but enigmatic lefty is worthy of a roster spot next season.</p>
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<p>If he signs, Odom obviously won't play this season. His back is hurt and his new team has nothing to play for. (Although sending Odom out there for the final game against the Raptors and giving him 48 minutes to ball out like GO OUT THERE AND GET US SIX WINS IN ONE NIGHT LAMAR would be kinda fun).</p>
<p>Like Stein says, the idea would be to get Odom on board at the last second so he can be easily "re-signed" by picking up an option for next year. And in the meantime, Jackson and whoever Jackson hires can decide whether Odom is ready to recover from injury and overcome hardship to become a productive player again-- something he was just a few years ago before his whole storyline got super weird.</p>
<p>It is, as they say, a low-risk move and a clever circumvention of the Knicks' financial paralysis. Jackson's history with Odom obviously factors in here-- both into the pursuit of Odom and the confidence that the Knicks could succeed where other teams have failed-- but I hope those kinds of relationships didn't and won't override interest in comparable or better players (and eventually coaches and GMs) who aren't yet in Jackson's contacts. I bet Phil Jackson sends out a lot of group texts and emails, by the way. Like, I'd put money on that.</p>
<p>Anyway, this is not done yet and doesn't really matter for these last two games (which don't really matter), but it sounds like it'll be done soon enough.</p>
https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2014/4/15/5616752/stein-knicks-near-deal-with-lamar-odomSeth2014-04-11T19:44:01-04:002014-04-11T19:44:01-04:00Stein: Knicks considering signing Lamar Odom
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<figcaption>Harry How</figcaption>
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<p>Like, for this season. </p> <p>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?</p>
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<p>Going online now: ESPN sources say Knicks weighing whether to sign Lamar Odom before regular season ends next week</p>
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/454765688939225088">April 11, 2014</a>
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<p>Why?</p>
<p>I mean, Phil Jackson (<a target="_blank" href="http://nypost.com/2014/04/05/jackson-had-sit-down-with-ex-laker-odom/">who hung out with Odom</a> at a game last week), but still: why?</p>
<p>Update: <a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/10769490/phil-jackson-new-york-knicks-mull-adding-lamar-odom" target="_blank">Here's the full story</a>:</p>
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<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
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<p>Update: <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/04/12/phil-jackson-could-sign-ex-laker-lamar-odom/" target="_blank">More from Marc Berman</a>:</p>
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<p>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.<br>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.</p>
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<p>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?</p>
https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2014/4/11/5606364/stein-knicks-considering-signing-lamar-odomSeth