<a href="http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nba/daily/march00/23/league23.htm">Washington Post article</a> just mentions to the side that Leon Smith is "attempting a comeback with the Houston Rockets, who are trying to negotiate his release from the Mavericks." ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
yea I hope some progress is made because the ROCKETS are desperate for some size inside. ------------------ We would like to get rookie Francis on the break for some easy scoops in the first quarter...
i say take the chance if he acts up we can always just cut him ------------------ Shane "Save Our Rockets" "Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"
Whoa...wasn't he released before? Guess I thought wrong... ------------------ A big time draft site has tried to stunt our growth, but we will succeed! The little draft site that could!
From what I understand, he did get his release from the Mavericks and is paid his contract over the next 8-10 years, so how the Rockets could be negotiating with the Mavericks to get him out of his deal I don't know. It could mean what responsibility out of that contract is taken by the Rockets if they sign Smith... also what guarantees Smith is given by signing. He's an unproven commodity... a "high school talent -- free first rounder" so I'm sure the Smith camp is trying to work the best deal now that they can (in other words: not a deal for just the remainder of the season) before he starts dribbling the ball and teams realize at this stage he's just another player (with a lot of "potential" mind you). ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
I thought the deal worked out with Smith and Dallas was that they would pay the remaining amount, unless he resigned with another team and then that team assumed the remainder of the contract buy out. Knowing someone would give him a second chance they save their money. They treated him like crap when they had him, and did the same with the buy out. ------------------
Actually the deal is that any team that signs Leon has to pick up the original contract. It was to get the Mavs off the Salary cap hook. DaDakota ------------------
The roster and the IR list look full, so any action this season on signing Leon would require dumping/waiving somebody. Mango ------------------ It could be worse ....... you could have been born a Jazz fan!!!!
DaDakota -- You sure on that? My understanding is the amount he signs for is taken off the Dallas contract -- not that the team picks up the deal. It's like Matt Maloney.... a certain time period passed and he signed for the minimum or whatever with the Bulls -- that amount was taken out of what the Rockets owed him, but of course it wasn't much relatively. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
I believe that I read the same generic article that DaDakota did (Dallas paper) basically saying that the team that picked up Smith also took his contract. But I've been learning of late that sports articles usually 'protect me' from all of the petty factual details. ------------------
Has the time period (in which a team would have to pick up the contract) passed? If so, I presume any team could sign him and then - why hasn't anybody? ------------------
sign him. hes young and impressionable. Walt can take him under wing and teach how to play sf like MVP. leeson 1- socks man 2 shoot 3" I have a headache thhiiiiiiis big. 4 bench is hard ------------------ Not only am I president of the WaltWizFanClub, I'm also the member.
Clutch, I remember reading it right after Cuban took over ownership of the Mavs. The deal protects the Mavericks from having it count against their cap. If any team signs Leon, they pick up the orignal deal. (Sigh) Ok I will track it down...anything for a dang SCOOP around here. Here is the link and the important paragraph from the story: Smith, who signed with the Mavericks on Nov. 2, was placed on the team's suspended list Dec. 6. He became a free agent Tuesday without playing a single game for the Mavericks. He leaves the team with the assurance he'll receive the $1.45 million guaranteed to him as a first-round draft pick. If another team takes a chance on the 19-year-old forward, they must fulfill the three-year deal Smith signed. If not, the Mavericks will pay it out over 10 years. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2000/0204/336275.html There, that was relatively painless, DaDakota [This message has been edited by DaDakota (edited March 23, 2000).]
So is that 1.45 million over 3 years, or per year? If it's spread out over 3 years, it's a no-brainer. Do it and we pick up yet another great young talent. ------------------ Nostalgia just isn't what it used to be.
Yeah, I remember that article on the contract buy-out, but I have to say I'm sceptical. It does not seem to me to be the sort of thing a franchise would have authority to control. The NBA has a waiver wire system; why would they allow teams to bypass it in this manner? I think there is more to that story than we know. ------------------
The deal the player's union negotiated with Dallas was that the Mavericks had to pay his salary over a ten year span. Technically speaking, Leon Smith is a free agent. If another team picks him up, they in turn pick up the salary minus what the Mavericks will have paid to that point. Here is a link to the story: http://infoseek.go.com/?win=_search&sv=M6&lk=noframes&nh=10&ud9=IE5&qt=leon+smith&oq=&url=http%3A//www.prosportspage.com/dallasb.html&ti=DALLAS+MAVERICKS+on+ProSportsPage.com&top= ------------------ HOOP-T Hey Shaq, Acme called, and they want their bricks back!
