I defended Portland not going after Odom, and I agree with the OP that it's a smart move for Dallas to go after Odom. He fits for a team with a short window and veterans who aren't impressionable. That's Dallas, not Portland.
I don't think the Mavs will get him in the end, because I think LA will go above the MLE to get him. The sticking point has been Odom wanting eight figures, which nobody can give him except LA - and if nobody else can give it to him, why compete with yourself?
I've thought all along that Odom will take a 3 or 4 year, $7.5 mil a year contract. But maybe Dallas can steal him by throwing 5 at the midlevel.
It's not "ideal" for Dallas but it gives them a very interesting lineup. They start Kidd, Howard, Marion, Dirk and Damp, with Terry and Odom off the bench, and probably close with Kidd, Terry, Marion or Howard, Dirk and Odom. It actually could work against a lot of teams. There really aren't a ton of strong post players in the league, and they could create some matchup nightmares. Of course, they'd be relying at the end of games on Odom for inside toughness, which isn't the best idea. And there's a lot of potential for problems with playing time when they have questionable character guys like Marion and Odom. But for Dallas, it's worth the risk. They went all in for this year, Odom is clearly their best option left.