ATLANTA, March 6 (UPI) -- The injury-riddled Atlanta Hawks received a roster exception Wednesday and used it on forward Leon Smith, who played six games for them earlier this season.
The Hawks received the exception from the NBA for guard Dion Glover, who is expected to miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot. The Hawks already have center Theo Ratliff, forward Chris Crawford and guard Emanual Davis on the injured list.
A former first-round pick, the 6-10 Smith has a troubled history. However, the Hawks signed him to a pair of 10-day contracts in January and he averaged 2.3 points and 2.7 rebounds.
"During Leon's two 10-day contracts, we were intrigued with his upside," Hawks general manager Pete Babcock said. "He had a great attitude when he was with us. His work ethic was terrific and we didn't have any issues of any sort. We thought we'd roll the dice and see if we could help him become a player that can maximize his potential."
That would be a tall order, but the Hawks have nothing to lose. At 22-38, they are not in the playoff race.
After entering the NBA out of high school, Smith was a 1999 first-round pick of San Antonio and was traded to Dallas.
He never played a game for the Mavericks as he was arrested twice, attempted suicide and was placed in a mental institution. The Mavs released him on Feb. 4, 2000.
This season, Smith also has played for the Gary Steelheads of the CBA, averaging 16.8 points and 15.5 rebounds in 24 games.
