Does Lamar Odom make sense for the Warriors?

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Heyif theres a talented player out there and availablethen the Warriors obviously have interest in that player, right? Well, thatsthe way its gone for a few months now.Whether its been Dwight Howard or Chris Paul or now LamarOdom, it seems apparent the Warriors are more than willing to have their namein on things.Odom is still the property of the Dallas Mavericks, but hewas sent home recently by owner Mark Cuban. Odom never responded in a positiveway to the trade that sent him from the Lakers to the Mavericks, and Cubaneventually had had enough.RELATED: Lamar Odom done in Dallas after exchange with Cuban
Now, the Warriors are said to have Odom on their radar,nevermind the fact that he cant be dealt until after the Mavericks season isoverif they move him at all.Lets take a look at some challenges involved in acquiringOdom, and whether or not the Warriors would even want to:Small forward glut: Before the Warriorsmade a run at Odom, theyd have to clear out some personnel to make room forhim. As of right now, the Warriors have Dorell Wright under contract throughnext season and Richard Jefferson under contract through 2013-14. Thats almost14 million committed to that twosome at the small forward position nextseason.The Warriors also have decisions to make on Brandon Rush andDominic McGuire, two players who performed very well for Golden State thisseason. If the Warriors want Odom, theres no way they can have either Rush orMcGuire back.Odom is poised to earn 8.2 million next season, although hecould be bought out by Dallas. In that case, the Warriors would likely have touse their mid-level exception to sign Odom, but there is hardly a guaranteehed come for that.Talent vs. Inconsistency: Odom is moretalented than any small forward the Warriors have on their current roster. Buthes also coming off a terrible season and there are concerns about whetherhell ever return to the player he was.It would be one thing for an elite NBA team to take a chanceon Odom. But it would be far more risky for a team like the Warriors to acquirehim. The last thing the Warriors can afford on their roster is for a well-paidplayer to be unproductive. They already have Andris Biedrins doing that and themore players you have like that, the worse off you are.In short, the Warriors need sure things right now, and thatsnot what Odom is.The trade risk: Theres a big differencein the Warriors inquiring about Odom as a free agent as opposed to the Warriorsinquiring about Odom as a member of the Mavericks.Odom just had a miserable year after he was traded to aplace he didnt want to be. If youre the Warriors, do you really want to giveup assets in a trade and take the chance Odom would be unhappy in GoldenState?Thats what it would take if you traded for him. Now, ifOdom is waived and becomes a free agent, and shows interest in Golden State,well, thats another story.Still, the Warriors would have to offer Odom the fullmid-level exception, and, again, there would be no assurance he wouldcome.Distraction issue: There is little doubtthat the Warriors believe next year is their year. The Warriors front officeand coaching staff thinks that with Andrew Bogut, David Lee and Stephen Currythey can be a playoff team.But for that to happen, they need to have good chemistry andeveryone needs to be on the same page. Can the Warriors afford to have adisengaged Odom on their team? Probably not.For a team like the Warriors, bringing in Odom would be moreof a risk than it would be for a team that is further along in the winningprocess.