Glen 'Big Baby' Davis signs with Clippers, reunites with Doc Rivers
Glen Davis has signed with the Clippers. (Fernando Medina/Getty Images)
The Clippers announced Monday the signing of forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who was bought out by the Magic this week.
The agreement reunites Davis with Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who coached the 6-foot-9 forward with the Celtics from 2007 to 2011. Davis also joins forward Hedo Turkoglu, who signed with the Clippers in January after being bought out by the Magic.
“It gives us another big,” Rivers said, according to Clippers.com. “What I like about a guy like that is he can play the 5 or the 4. He knows my system.”
USA Today Sports and Yahoo Sports first reported Sunday that Davis was headed to Los Angeles after Orlando opted to part ways with Davis, who was under contract through the 2014-15 season, earning $6.4 million this year and $6.6 million next year. The Clippers have been making due with three big men -- All-Star forward Blake Griffin, center DeAndre Jordan and reserve Ryan Hollins -- after trading away Byron Mullens and Antawn Jamison in advance of Thursday's trade deadline.
“[The buy out] is probably the best thing for both the Magic and for Glen,” agent John Hamilton told the Orlando Sentinel. “It became apparent that they felt it was necessary to try to allow their younger players more time on the court and were in a full rebuild mode. It gives him the opportunity to start anew with a new club that’s in the playoff hunt, and it gives the Magic the opportunity to put their young guys on the floor and give them valuable time playing.”
The Magic inked Davis to a four-year, $25.7 million contract in a sign-and-trade agreement with the Celtics in 2011. The move was intended to appease then-franchise center Dwight Howard, who left Orlando in 2012, but it mostly backfired, as Davis dealt with disciplinary issues and a major injury and the Magic reeled from Howard’s departure.
In February 2012, Davis was suspended by the Magic for two games after an outburst at a team shootaround. In March 2012, he was fined $35,000 by the NBA in March 2012 when he flipped the bird to fans in Toronto during a Magic win over the Raptors. Back in November 2013, the Magic fined Davis for his involvement in a late-night incident in which he broke a computer keyboard at an Orlando budget motel. The LSU product also broke his foot in January 2013, an injury that forced to him miss the remainder of the 2012-13 season and the beginning of the 2013-14 season.
Davis, 28, averaged 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.1 minutes over 45 games with the Magic this season, his third year in Orlando. The wide-bodied power forward holds career averages of 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds over seven seasons with the Celtics and Magic.
The Clippers sit atop the Pacific Division with a 38-20 record.
