He may not be leaving according to the following article from Marc Stein of the "Dallas Morning News" : http://basketball.dallasnews.com/mavs/20621_21leon.html Smith may want to return Mavs not ruling out reconciliation with forward 01/21/2000 By Marc Stein / The Dallas Morning News NEW YORK - The Mavericks' chapter of the Leon Smith saga, thought to be nearing a conclusion, might instead need an addendum. That's because both sides, player and team, suddenly aren't ruling out a reconciliation after weeks of work toward a contract buyout. The suspended Smith, in his first public comments since early November, told a Houston television station Thursday that, "I don't blame" the Mavericks for a Nov. 14 suicide attempt and subsequent legal troubles, "because I couldn't handle myself back then." Smith, 19, also said he's open to rejoining the Mavericks because "that's the team that traded for me." Those same Mavericks, meanwhile, are considering the possibility of drafting Smith back into the organization - even though team president Terdema Ussery and NBA Players Association chief Billy Hunter have been negotiating for weeks on a termination agreement that would make Smith a free agent and spread the bulk of his three-year, $1.45 million guaranteed contract over a 10-year span. The Ussery-Hunter talks started before Mark Cuban reached an agreement with Ross Perot Jr. on Jan. 4 to assume majority ownership of the Mavericks. As part of Cuban's organization-wide evaluation of the franchise, the prospect of retaining the first-round pick Dallas obtained via trade on draft day has materialized as an option. "I'm still trying to figure out all the pieces," Cuban said of Smith's future with the Mavericks. He declined to elaborate. Ussery, reached late Thursday, said of the buyout: "Right now, that's still the path that we're going down." Ussery did, however, acknowledge that "Mark wants to think through the issues." Before Cuban's attention-grabbing arrival, the Mavericks spent the season's first two months absorbing local and national criticism for their handling of the Chicago teen-ager with the tumultuous past. Coach-general manager Don Nelson was accused of isolating Smith again, after a mostly parentless childhood forced the 6-10, 235-pound forward to live in foster homes for 13 years. Dallas suspended Smith without pay Dec. 6, after he was arrested twice in a 24-hour span for assaults against his ex-girlfriend, Chicago high school basketball star Cappie Pondexter, and a car registered to Pondexter's mother. Smith spent the next month in a Dallas psychiatric facility before relocating to Houston to start working out in anticipation of his Mavericks release. Smith has been supervised in Houston by former NBA star Purvis Short of the Players Association. The buyout agreement has been in final review stages by both sides for almost two weeks, with Hunter telling the New York Times that he hoped to have Smith with a new NBA team by early March. It is not known how Hunter, one of Nelson's most outspoken critics, would react to the idea of Smith remaining Mavericks property. Hunter could not be reached Thursday and has refused numerous interview requests from The News. Said Nelson, likening the Smith situation to the club's flirtation with free-agent forward Dennis Rodman: "It's the same thing - I don't comment on personnel matters." Smith, meanwhile, is working out daily at the Rockets' practice facility. In an interview with KRIV-TV, Smith said he's "really ready to take on responsibility now" and return to the court. "I don't think [the Mavericks] handled certain situations right, but . . . I'm not afraid to admit I was in love and that added on to a lot of things that were going on," Smith said of his breakup with Pondexter. "It drove me crazy. It got the anger to start building up inside of me." Regarding his reported intake of roughly 250 aspirin, Smith said: "The truth is I was trying to end my life. I was trying to get rid of the pain. That was the only way I knew how to do it." Smith still faces a Chicago court appearance on Feb. 3, when a trial date could be set for misdemeanor charges of aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and violation of a protection order. "I've sinned a lot, and I'm struggling every day to get better," Smith said. "I want to be able to just play ball and really get away from all the other stuff." ------------------ trade him.
Good. I don't see why everyone seems to be Pro-Smith. What is he? A 6'10 20 year old who can jump high. There are about 10 of those every year. Why do we want to risk disrupting the chemistry we seem to be forming of late by bringing on a mental headcase with dime-a-dozen abilities? For God's sake, the guy is irresponsible enough to try to take his own life. What happens when he threatens the safety of others?...Oh wait, excuse me. He already has [Chicago girlfriend incident]. Leon Smith isn't worth it guys. I don't care how high he can jump, because I guarantee you, the risk is higher.
The plot thickens..... Smith would like to play for Rockets By Dwain Price Star-Telegram Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Now that he's close to receiving his $1.447 million buyout package from the Mavericks, rookie Leon Smith said he would like to sign a contract with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets worked Smith out before last summer's NBA draft and liked the athletic ability and power that they saw in the 6-foot-10 forward. Smith is in Houston working out with Purvis Short, the director of player programs for the NBA players' union. "They've shown me a lot of love ever since the day I came in and worked out for them," Smith told Houston TV station KRIV. "Ever since that, it was fun. They showed me nothing but hospitality, and that's all I needed." Smith also said he will be releasing a compact disc in about two months that he plans to dedicate to his mother, Linda Sue Smith. Smith will be rapping poetry on the CD. A portion of it goes like this: `I dedicate this song to you, Linda Sue I thank you for having me, so I thank you for you And I really care about you, though I never told you And if anybody ever told you stories, you know I owe you.'
Great info..i say take a chance on him...worst case you can cut him like all the other maloney's and Hamiltons...I think he is just not in the mental state right now...but to be taken in the first round I think it would be worth a chance
I also think we should give this guy a chance. I mean, RUDY liked him in the draft and was going to pick him, THAT SHOULD SAY SOMETHING. He has talent and we should just give him a try and if it doesnt work out then cut him.
I saw this article last summer and I thought it was a good read. It definitely gave me some sympathy for Leon (don't know if I have to do anything to get this to hyperlink...): http://basketball.dallasnews.com/mavs/0808mavsleon.htm
What's the risk in bringing him in for training camp and the preseason? If he doesn't fit we cut him. Geez, I can't see how some people don't even want the Rockets to give him a try-out. ------------------ I have a dream.........his name's Hakeem.
