Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL Odom done with Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom are done with each other. The NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the defending NBA champions who are trying to make sure they get back to the playoffs made it clear Monday that the partnership is over after an underwhelming 50-game stint. “We’ve got to be able to look down that bench and count on folks to be consistent,” General Manager Donnie Nelson said. “Unfortunately with him in his state right now, he’s just not capable of doing that. I say that with his best interest in mind. He’s going through a very, very tough personal time.We certainly understand that. But we’re in the thick of it in the West and we’ve got to win games.” Odom will be on the inactive list and not play again for the Mavericks, who were seventh in the Western Conference standings with nine games left in the regular season. Odom’s averages of 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 20.5 minutes were career lows. Odom agreed with Nelson that it was a mutual decision for him to step away from the team. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out better for both of us,” Odom told ESPN.com. “But I wish the Mavs’ organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship.” Odom was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to Dallas in a deal just before the lockout-shortened season. Odom still has a year left on his four-year contract. Any team that has the 13-year veteran on its roster June 29 must give him a $2.4 million buyout or be responsible for the full $8.2 million he would be owed in 2012-13. Odom averages 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds for his career.

Kobe Bryant was scratched from the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game at New Orleans on Monday night because of the left shin injury that also sidelined him two nights earlier. Lakers Coach Mike Brown says Bryant’s injury requires rest and it is not yet clear whether Bryant will return when Los Angeles plays Wednesday night at San Antonio. Bryant leads the NBA in scoring at 28.1 points per game.

Center Dwight Howard sat out Orlando’s home game Monday against Detroit because of back spasms. Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy made the announcement Monday, adding that forwards Ryan Anderson (ankle) and Quentin Richardson (sore back) were questionable. Hedo Turkoglu (eye) is out for the regular season.

FOOTBALL Seahawks Trufant agree

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms Monday with longtime cornerback Marcus Trufant on a one year deal. Trufant’s time in Seattle appeared over when he was released by the team with two years left on his contract March 7. Trufant was scheduled to make $7.2 and $8.8 million in base salary the next two years. He missed significant time the past three seasons with injuries and had his productivity slip, leading to his release. Trufant was placed on injured reserve Oct. 17 with a back injury after appearing in just four games in 2011. He explored the free agent market before returning to the only franchise he’s played for. In his nine seasons with Seattle, Trufant has 604 tackles (533 unassisted), 2 sacks, 21 interceptions, 2 touchdowns on interception returns, 113 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries.

Defensive tackle Derek Landri and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to a one-year contract. Landri had 43 tackles and 2 sacks in 12 games in his first season in Philadelphia last year. The deal was announced Monday. In six seasons, Landri has 158 tackles and eight sacks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed free agent defensive tackle Amobi Okoye to a one-year deal. The team announced the move Monday. Financial terms were not released. Okoye, entering his sixth season in the NFL, played last year with the Chicago Bears and his first four with the Houston Texans. He has played in 78 of a possible 80 career regular-season games with 59 starts, recording 165 tackles, 15 sacks, 5 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. He played in all 16 games for the Bears. He recorded 4 sacks, 27 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

ATHLETICS

Judge limits Sandusky case

The judge overseeing the child sex abuse case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky issued a gag order Monday that severely limits what attorneys on both sides may say to reporters. Judge John Cleland’s order also applies to any law enforcement investigator who has worked on the case and anyone acting on behalf of the lawyers. The off-limit topics include evidence; opinions about Sandusky’s guilt or innocence or about the merits of legal and factual matters under discussion, and “the reputation, character, credibility or criminal record of the defendant or any witness, prospective witness or organization which is or may testify at trial, or be the subject of trial testimony or evidence.” He directed the lawyers to “make reasonable efforts” to limit statements by witnesses or the witnesses’ lawyers and to be able to prove they have taken those steps.Cleland said he was acting to help ensure a “fair, impartial and orderly trial” for Sandusky, a proceeding scheduled to begin June 5 in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky, 68, is charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, and authorities say some of the abuse happened on Penn State’s campus. Sandusky has maintained his innocence on the 52 counts against him. The ensuing scandal led to the firing of longtime football coach Joe Paterno and the ouster of the university president.

ATHLETICS Report: Baylor exceeds limits

WACO, Texas - Less than a week after its women’s basketball team won the national championship, Baylor said Monday it has been involved in a three-year investigation with the NCAA into what are believed to be hundreds of impermissible phone calls and text messages sent by coaches to young prospects.

The school did not describe any details of the investigation, including which sports were involved, but the announcement came a few hours after ESPN.com reported that coaches for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs had made more than 1,200 calls and text messages to prospects over a 29-month span dating to 2008. ESPN.com cited an NCAA report it had obtained.

The NCAA may dole out harsher punishment that what is listed in the report, which details a number of self-imposed penalties including barring women’s Coach Kim Mulkey from recruiting off campus in July and fewer scholarships for both programs.

Nick Joos, Baylor’s executive associate athletic director for external affairs, said the school had not received notice of a “final decision” from the infractions committee. NCAA President Mark Emmert said the NCAA would not comment on the case because it’s still under review.

The report comes as Baylor athletics is in the midst of a heyday. The Baylor women beat Notre Dame for the national title last week, capping the first 40-0 season in NCAA history. The men’s team, coached by Scott Drew, won a school-record 30 games and reached an NCAA regional final, where it lost to eventual national champion Kentucky.

According to the summary disposition quoted by ESPN. com, Mulkey, Drew and their assistants were involved in sending 738 impermissible text messages and making 528 impermissible calls. The violations were termed “major” because of their frequency. According to the report, women’s center Brittney Griner’s recruitment is part of the investigation.

The report said Mulkey and her staff committed minor NCAA violations for having impermissible contact with Griner and her family. Drew demonstrated a “failure to monitor” the activities of two assistant coaches and there was an overall “failure to monitor” by the institution, according to the report.