Danny Granger Chooses Clippers Over Other Title Contenders

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All-Star forward Danny Granger has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Granger was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers after they acquired him from Indiana in exchange for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen.

Granger picked the Clippers after being courted by the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks.

The Clippers stepped up their pursuit of Granger after ruling out guard J.J. Redick indefinitely with a back injury, and losing guard Jamal Crawford to a calf strain in the first half against the Houston Rockets Wednesday night.

Granger, 30, chose the Clippers because they are the title contender who offer him the best chance at playing meaningful minutes down the stretch.

Granger played in only 29 games this season with the Pacers, after battling knee and calf injuries. He averaged 8.3 points in 22 minutes a game, but his career average is 17.6 points a game.

Granger is the second veteran coach Doc Rivers has recruited in the past week. Rivers landed Glen Davis after his contract was bought out by the Orlando Magic.

The Clippers have addressed their depth issues in a multitude of ways this season, bringing in veterans and former NBA champions Stephen Jackson and Sasha Vujacic for unsuccessful stints with the club.

The Clippers were reportedly close to making a deal at the trade deadline to bring in Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks, though the deal fell through after Shumpert suffered a knee injury.

If Granger can stay healthy, his acquisition could prove a much better fit than any of the aforementioned scenarios. And in terms of health, the Clippers are not in dire need of him as a contributor at the moment, so they can be extra cautious by giving him playing time in small increments as they head into the playoffs.

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