Odom was sent from the Lakers to the Mavericks as part of a packaged trade. Odom has one year on his salary contract left. He is to be paid $8.2 million this year. But the contract allows him to be bought out as little as $2.4 million. ESPN is reporting unconfirmed rumors that Odom would take as little as $1 million to walk away.

But Cuban tells news that he is not agreeing to a buyout. In a news statement to ESPN he said “I like what he can do for the team a lot more than I like that money.” The “that money” reference is freed salary cap space following an Odom buyout.

Odom officially is not missing games because of a contract dispute. He is reportedly with his father who is suffering a non-life threatening illness.

Yet,  Cuban claims Odom hasn’t asked for such a buyout. “We haven’t discussed a buyout and we wouldn’t do a buyout,” Cuban said in a news statement. “No chance that happens at all. We want to help Lamar work through any personal issues and expect him to be a valuable contributor to the Mavs this season. Players go through challenges from time to time and we try to be (an) organization that fully supports our players when things are challenging for them. We will do the same for Lamar.”

Lamar previously told news that the Lakers wanted to trade him. But rather, it was Odom who asked to be traded by the Lakers, Mitch Kupchak has since claimed. Kupchak has told news that Odom, not the Lakers, put the trade in motion, that Odom was not watching from the distance but demanding the trade promptly at the time.