When the Dallas Mavericks suspended Delonte West this week, it had a pretty permanent feeling. There’s the part where the Mavs said it was indefinite. Or the reports they were negotiating with his agent on a buyout. Or the part where they went out and got Eddy Curry and Chris Douglas-Roberts to potentially fill in the roster space.
But owner Marc Cuban told the Dallas Morning News no decision on West’s future with the team.“No decisions have been made one way or another; otherwise we would have made it,” Cuban said, adding, “It’s just a process that’s pretty much down to me making a decision.”
West played well for the Mavs last year scoring 9.2 points a game off the bench with a PER right at the league average — and Dallas could use that kind of production this year. That’s why they gave him a guaranteed contract for $1.2 million, if Dallas waives him they have to eat that salary (and West gets paid). But it was something else from last year — the Dallas experience with Lamar Odom — that could doom West with the Mavs.
“Do you not remember last year?” Obviously referring to Lamar Odom, Cuban added, “Let’s just say we won’t give as many chances as we gave people last year.”
Cuban said he was “too forgiving when everybody else was telling me not to be. So I’ll take that one. I won’t be as forgiving this year. I learned my lessons.”We’ll see. But my guess is West will be a free agent soon.
