When we last heard from Delonte West, he had changed his mind about playing in the D-League, which might be the only way to work himself back on to an NBA roster.
Now that 10-day contract season is upon us, and with the playoffs less than two months away, it appears that West is now open to the idea once again.
From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:With NBA teams uneasy about taking a risk on his past behavioral issues, free-agent guard Delonte West intends to report to the Texas Legends of the Development League on Monday, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
West, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, had planned to join the Legends earlier in February, but never arrived. Since coming to realize the D-League is likely his only avenue back into the NBA, West has reconsidered, a source said.
West was dropped from the Mavericks before the season began, after being suspended for his role in whatever problems had occurred in the locker room with his teammates.
From a pure talent standpoint, West is likely the best player available, and could be a difference-maker on a playoff team if put in the right situation. That starts with West, though, in that he needs to be in the right place mentally to make it work.
It looks like he’s going to give it a shot next week, and if West is able to show he can still play while dealing with the unique challenges the D-League presents for a former NBA veteran, then he’ll likely get a chance to play somewhere on a 10-day contract before the season is finished.
