Danny Granger signs with Clippers
— -- Former All-Star forward Danny Granger signed with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday after clearing waivers, the team said.
The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks all made a run at Granger, but ultimately he chose the Clippers because they offered him the best opportunity to play meaningful minutes for a contender.
"I'm very familiar with the way Doc (Rivers) coaches," Granger told the team's official website. "I've always had the desire to play with a point guard the caliber of Chris Paul. In the West, it's a really tight race out here. I just thought I would be able to help this team the most."
Granger, 30, cleared waivers at 5 p.m. ET Friday and hopes to make his Clippers debut Saturday against New Orleans. He already was in Los Angeles on Thursday and worked out at a local gym, according to a source.
He was officially waived Wednesday after completing a contract buyout with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had acquired him from the Indiana Pacers just before the trade deadline for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen.
By signing with the Clippers, he becomes the second veteran player that Rivers has recruited to the team in a week. Last week, Rivers outrecruited several other teams to sign forward Glen Davis after he was bought out by the Orlando Magic . Davis played for Rivers with Boston, where they won the 2008 title and lost in the 2010 Finals.
"I just bring another dynamic," Granger told the team's official website. "I'm a bigger small forward and I can play the 4 as well. I can shoot the ball and when you add that to the type of offense that the Clippers play -- kind of up tempo, shoot a lot of the 3s, space the court -- it's the type of offense I would thrive in."
The Clippers traded Byron Mullens and Antawn Jamison last week to create roster spots to pursue players such as Granger and Davis, who were likely to be bought out. They also backed out of late trade discussions with the New York Knicks for injured swingman Iman Shumpert and guard Raymond Felton. Both decisions look prescient a week later.
Granger played in 29 games with the Pacers this season as he made his way back from knee and calf injuries. He averaged 8.3 points in 22 minutes, but his career average is 17.6 points a game. He was in the final year of a contract that paid him $14 million in 2013-14. He will be a free agent after the season.
He keeps an offseason home in Los Angeles and has been known to train at the Clippers' practice facility in the summer.