LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers have traded leading scorer Zach Randolph to Memphis in exchange for Quentin Richardson.

The deal was announced yesterday.

Randolph was acquired in a trade with the New York Knicks in November 2008. The forward averaged 20.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in 50 games for the Clippers last season.

But he had a rocky season off the court, including his father's death in March.

Randolph was suspended for two games by the team after being arrested for investigation of drunken driving in April. He was suspended for two games for punching a Phoenix player in February.

In 2003 while with the Portland Trail Blazers, Randolph was arrested after an officer noticed the smell of marijuana coming from his vehicle.

Richardson averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 72 games with the Knicks last season. He's returning to the Clippers, where he played from 2000-04 after being drafted by the team out of DePaul.

The 29-year-old guard-forward was acquired by Memphis on June 25 for Darko Milicic. Richardson originally left Los Angeles as a free agent and went to Phoenix, where he played one season before joining the Knicks.

HAWKS

NO DEAL, CHILDRESS RETURNS TO GREECE

Josh Childress said yesterday the Atlanta Hawks' "hardball" negotiations forced him to return for a second season in Greece with Olympiakos.

Childress signed a three-year, $20 million deal with Olympiakos last year after scoring in double figures in each of his four seasons with the Hawks.

The Hawks retained rights to Childress, who as a restricted free agent could negotiate with other NBA teams. Meanwhile, Childress also faced a Wednesday deadline to commit to his return to Greece.

Childress and his agent, Jim Tanner, said in a telephone interview yesterday that they visited Milwaukee and had interest from other teams. They said those teams couldn't reach an agreement with the Hawks.

The Hawks will again retain the NBA rights to Childress after next season. Childress said "it's not out of the question at all" for him to return to Atlanta.

HEAT

WADE LIKES IDEA OF GETTING ODOM BACK

Dwyane Wade spent much of his rookie season picking Lamar Odom's brain on all aspects of the NBA game, everything from playing tips to travel advice.

He hopes those chats start again soon.

The Miami Heat, who traded Odom to the Los Angeles Lakers five years ago in the trade that brought Shaquille O'Neal to South Florida, have made the free agent forward an offer to return and help Wade once again. The team has not revealed terms of the offer, although it's believed to be a five-year package that could be worth around $35 million.

"I want Lamar to do what's best for him and his family because we love him as family, but on the other hand, we want him back home, to come home," Wade said yesterday in a telephone interview. "His house is still there. It'd be exciting to see what happens."

Odom averaged 17.1 points — the second-highest average of his career — in 80 games with the Heat during the 2003-04 season. He's spent the past five years with the Lakers, who pulled their contract offer to Odom earlier this week.

THUNDER

VETERAN GUARD WATSON WAIVED

Oklahoma City waived guard Earl Watson.

Watson, an eight-year NBA veteran, appeared in 68 games and started 18 with Oklahoma City this past season and averaged 6.6 points, 5.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per contest.

Watson, a 6-1 guard out of UCLA, holds career averages of 7.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds in 597 career games with Oklahoma, the Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Seattle Supersonics.

ELSEWHERE

Former NBA all-star Antoine Walker is playing golf this weekend in northern Nevada before a scheduled court date Monday in Las Vegas in a case involving an $822,500 gambling debt.

Walker, who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008, teed off yesterday in a celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe a day after posting $135,000 cash bail following his arrest at Harrah's Tahoe.

Walker, 32, made no mention of his arrest at the start of play in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. His lawyer, Jonathan Powell, did not immediately respond for comments.