The athlete will remain with the team “for the remainder of the season”

Apr 17, 2014 07:35 GMT  ·  By
Lamar Odom manages to get back into the NBA by signing with the New York Knicks
   Lamar Odom manages to get back into the NBA by signing with the New York Knicks

Things are beginning to look up for troubled basketball player Lamar Odom. Reports are coming in today that the athlete has managed to ink a deal that will see him return to the NBA, as part of the New York Knicks.

According to the NY Daily News, the deal that Odom made with the Knicks is for “the remainder of the season” and doesn't have a guarantee for next year in the 2014-2015 season.

As soon as the news came out that Lamar was back in the game, it was speculated that he had recovered from his back injury that cut his career with his Spanish basketball team short.

However, he wasn't in uniform at the team's season finale game against Toronto on Wednesday. But people close to the team are confident that he's going to get into the game and start working out at the Knick's practice facility in Greenburgh today.

Apart from health issues, Odom is still said to be troubled by drug addiction, as well as going through a rather messy divorce with his reality star wife Khloe Kardashian. All of these things combined are going to take their toll on his athletic performance this season and analysts are curious to see if he'll live up to the task.

Odom does have some things in his favor, though. He's worked with Knicks President Phil Jackson before when they were both with the Lakers and managed to win two NBA titles together, he was the championship's sixth best man in 2011 and he's also familiar with Jackson's famed Triangle offense.

This would explain why the Knicks are taking their chances by signing him, but it also shows they are reserved about his performance by not including a second season in his contract.

Another theory as to why the Knicks signed him despite the fact that he's likely not going to be playing for them this season is the fact that they probably got him on the minimum veteran salary and they'll be using him as a possible trade this summer.

Lamar has been out of the loop this season, as he only played two games for his Spanish team and then injured his back. He'll have a lot of work to get back on track, but he is said to be desperate to get back to work in order to protect his legacy.

At the moment, this looks like his final shot to make things right and prove that he's now a changed man.