Odom felt the Lakers disrespected him

Not soon after the Los Angeles Lakers tried to trade him to the New Orleans Hornets, Lamar Odom told Laker general manager Mitch Kupchak to trade him to the Dallas Mavericks.

Odom felt disrespected that the Lakers never informed him or his agent, Jeff Schwartz, that they were attempting to trade him to the Hornets.

“I told (Kupchak) what he should do for me, (and) I’ll be thankful if he could work with my agent, my representation and work with them so I could play for a team like the Mavs,’’ Odom said today. “It was funny because usually I would hear something from Jeff early on.

“But it was just like overnight he told me they wanted to move me to New Orleans, and we didn’t feel like that was in our best interest.’’

Owner Mark Cuban said the Odom trade happened in less than four hours. And the fact that the Lakers only received a protected first round pick and an $8.9 million trade exception made Odom believe they wasted little time in jettisoning him out of town.

“I think the objective was to let me go wherever they had to let me go,’’ Odom said. “It’s my job as a professional, and I guess this has turned into a business for some of us, which is a little weird.

“I had to position myself in a comfortable setting, and Dallas is perfect for that.’’

Odom stopped short of saying he’s harboring some animosity the Lakers for getting him out of his comfort zone.

“It’s your home, L.A.,’’ Odom said. “It was home for me for so many years, obviously with playing with the Clippers (from 1999-2003) and then going back to the Lakers (in 2004).

“To make a sudden switch gets a little emotional, but I’m here now. I’m a Maverick and I just want to put the past behind me.’’

The Lakers hadn’t been too keen about Odom starring in a reality TV -- Khloe & Lamar -- with his wife, Khloe Kardashian. And it was suspected that it played a role in the Lakers wanting to part ways with Odom.

But Odom said his time filming his reality TV show was absolutely no distraction and did not prevent him from having fresh legs on game day. In one of his best seasons yet, last year Odom averaged 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds, and shot a career-high 53 percent from the field and a career-high 38.2 percent from three-point range.

Was Odom surprised the Lakers thought his TV show was a distraction?

“I wasn’t surprised by it,’’ he said. “It’s something that you’ve got to take with a grain of salt. You feel it.

“I just wish that if it was that somebody would have told me a little earlier. And if it was, then I would have done something about it.’’

With the memories of the Lakers now in his rearview mirror, Odom doesn’t feel the inclination to show up LA’s favorite team when the Mavs face the Lakers four times this season.

“I wouldn’t even think I’d have to,’’ Odom said. “Even if I never have a good game again, I think they know (what he can do).

“I just go out and play my game. I’m kind of past that stage.’’