By: Tyler Ward
It has been a busy today so far in the NBA, and it looks like it's not going to be losing any steam anytime soon. There were a couple of surprises and a couple of no-brainers as teams are trying to build a championship squad, in hopes of dethroning the Dallas Mavericks.
* Los Angeles Clippers sign SF Caron Butler to three-year, $24 million contract
Caron Butler, who played in just 29 games last season before undergoing surgery and collected a ring in the process, announced today that he has signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, teaming up with young stars Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon.
Butler was also considering signing with Chicago, New Jersey and San Antonio, but decided to sign with the Clippers because of their bright future (I never thought I'd say that the Clippers have a nice future in front of them).
According to a source, the Spurs offered Butler a four-year deal worth $21 million, the full value of their mid-level exception. The Nets also offered the former Maverick a four-year deal worth $30 million, by far less than what the Clippers offered.
But Butler ultimately decided to go to Los Angeles, as the Clips are hoping to crash the postseason party this year.
* Miami Heat sign SF Shane Battier to a contract (terms undisclosed)
Battier hasn't officially signed with the reigning Eastern Conference champions, but has said that he has every intention on signing with LeBron James and Co.
A former Duke Blue Devil, Battier will be a solid upgrade to a bench that was just downright awful last season. He went to Twitter earlier today to say that he will sign with the team on Friday, the first day NBA teams can officially sign free agents.
Battier had been courted by quite a few teams, including the Spurs, Magic and his former team, the Grizzlies, but decided to sign with the Heat, as they are one of the main favorites to win the championship this season.
The former Grizzlies and Rockets defensive stalwart said on Twitter, "The lockout gave me lots of time to consider what was important to me at this stage of my life and career. Over the last week, I've played out every scenario in my head over and over. It always came back to one thing for me: a winning role."
Last season, Battier averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Rockets and Grizzlies.
According to reports, Battier is likely to sign a multi-year deal at a main proportion of the $5 million mid-level exception. However, the signing of Battier could mean the end of Mike Miller, who has rarely played since signing with the Heat prior to last season. Miller is currently recovering from hernia surgery.
* Detroit Pistons re-sign SF Tayshaun Prince to a four-year, $27 million deal and re-sign F Jonas Jerebko to four-year, $16 million contract
An unrestricted free agent, Prince could have signed elsewhere after playing for the Pistons his entire career. But he decided to stay with the only team he's known for $27 million scattered over four years.
Prince had garnered interest from multiple teams across the league, but decided to stay in Detroit, a place that he has considered home his entire career and has won a championship with.
Prince averaged 14.1 points per game last season for the Pistons, playing in 78 games.
The team also announced that they have re-signed forward Jonas Jerebko to a four-year, $16 million contract.
Jerebko, a restricted free agent, averaged 9.3 points and 6 rebounds per game for the Pistons last season.
* Phoenix Suns sign SG Shannon Brown to a one-year, $3.5 million contract
According to reports, the Suns will sign Shannon Brown to a contract, after Brown opted out of his contract for the 2011-12 season.
If he had stayed with the Lakers, Brown would have earned $2.4 million and by signing with the Suns, there will be an increase in his pay.
In his first four seasons in the NBA, Brown played for four teams before finding his way to Los Angeles to serve as Kobe Bryant's back-up. Brown quickly flourished in his new role with the Lakers and was one of the most sought out free agents in the offseason.
But he quickly found a new home in Phoenix, where he will pair up with two-time MVP Steve Nash.
Last season, Brown averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game with the Lakers.
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Portland Trail Blazers re-sign C Greg Oden to a one-year, $8.9 million deal
As expected, the Blazers have re-signed the injury-prone Greg Oden, Portland's No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Oden will sign the Blazers' $8.9 million qualifying offer on Friday, the first day that free agents can sign with other teams.
He is currently coming off left-knee surgery, but it is unsure when Oden will be able to return for the Blazers. It's doubtful that he will be ready on opening night, but he should not miss the entire season like he has in the past.
Oden missed all of last season because of microfracture surgery on his left knee. During his rookie season, he had microfracture surgery on his right knee, which caused him to miss the entire season. Oden also broke his kneecap during the 2009-10 season and was forced to sit out a majority of that season, as well.
Since his rookie season in 2007, Oden has played in just a total of 82 games, an average of 21 games per season. For his career, Oden is averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
* Atlanta Hawks sign SG Tracy McGrady to a one-year deal
As reported yesterday, the Hawks have signed Tracy McGrady to a one-year deal at the veteran's minimum.
The seven-time All-Star was once a dominant player, but his stats have declined drastically over the last few seasons.
He signed with the Pistons prior to last season and averaged 8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 72 games. The Pistons were McGrady's third team in two years.
The signing of McGrady means that it practically spells the end of Jamal Crawford, who is currently a free agent. Crawford has drawn interest from many teams across the league and it appears more and more each day that he will not reside in Atlanta for the upcoming season.
McGrady has battled injuries off and on for the last few seasons, which has caused a decline in his play.
He played 72 games for the Pistons last season, and the Hawks can only hope that the injuries are behind McGrady, who is likely to become one of the team's first players off the bench.
* Los Angeles Lakers sign G/F Jason Kapono to one-year, $1.2 million contract
The Lakers announced yesterday that they have signed sharpshooter Jason Kapono to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million, the veteran's minimum.
It is suspected that the Lakers brought him in mainly because of shooting, as he has been one of the league's best three-point shooters since arriving in the NBA in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Although his playing time has decreased drastically, Kapono averaged just 4.7 minutes per game last season with the Sixers in 24 games. In the 2009-10 season, he appeared in just 57 games.
His shooting has declined since making 51.4 percent of his shots in the 2006-07 season with the Miami Heat.
Although it is a very small investment for the Lakers, Kapono could contribute if he is making the best of opportunity, making three-pointers actively for the Lakers this season.
The former All-Star has had many problems as of late with his knees and he has had a reduced role in the offense since succumbing to multiple knee injuries. Roy did not want to be released through the NBA's new amnesty clause when he would be able to sign with any team.
