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Saturday, November 25, 2000
Smith joins Pistons on 'emotional' day
Associated Press
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DETROIT -- Former Timberwolves forward Joe Smith said he
left unfinished business behind by leaving a team that was "a year
or two away" from competing for an NBA title.
Smith joined the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, telling reporters
later that it was an emotional day for him.
"Minnesota was my family the last couple of years," he said. "We had a tight-knit
group. Every night, it was like 12 guys on one page going out to
war."
Smith signed a free-agent contract with Minnesota in 1999, along
with a secret promise of $86 million over seven years, a deal that
violated the salary cap. The NBA punished the Timberwolves by
taking away their next five first-round draft picks and fining them
$3.5 million, a league record.
NBA commissioner David Stern also voided Smith's contract for
this season and the previous two seasons, taking away the so-called
Larry Bird rights that would have allowed the Wolves to sign Smith
to a multimillion-dollar contract next season.
While the 6-10 Smith considered playing for Minnesota this
season for the $611,000 salary available, on Monday he accepted a
one-year contract with the Pistons worth $2.25 million.
Of Minnesota, he said: "We were a year or two away. We were on
the right path. I feel like I left unfinished business back
there."
Asked if he might consider a return to the Wolves in 2001,
Smith, who becomes a free agent next summer, said: "I don't know
what he (Stern) would do if I tried to go back. We'll have to wait
and see."
The Wolves play the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on
Dec. 15 and then at Target Center on Feb. 28.
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