Another game, another new player for the Clippers.
Danny Granger, once the cornerstone of the blossoming Indiana Pacers, cleared waivers Friday and signed with the Clippers, adding even more depth to a team that remains serious about building a championship contender.
His recent seasons plagued by tendinitis, Granger was traded from the Pacers to Philadelphia just before the trade deadline. He worked a buyout from the 76ers to earn his freedom, then chose the Clippers over such suitors as Miami, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.
The 6-foot-9 Granger, who averaged 25.8 points in 2008-09 and 24.1 the next season, arrives just in time for the injury-stricken Clippers. They still don’t know when J.J. Redick will return from the bulging disc in his lower back and his replacement, Jamal Crawford, is dealing with a calf strain.
The tendinitis in his right knee caused him to miss 77 games last season and was coming off the bench this season for Indiana, which is poised to challenge Miami for Eastern Conference supremacy.
“I definitely have gotten healthy,” Granger told the team’s Web site. “Now it was just a matter of getting my game back and getting my feel and I was on track. I’m still feeling good. So, I still feel like I have a lot to offer and I like the way I’m going.”
Granger had played in 29 games this season for the Pacers and averaged 8.3 points. In 2010-11, his last real full season with Indiana, he averaged 20.5 points. Two years ago, he averaged 17 points per game in 11 playoff games.
Earlier this week, the Clippers signed forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who had been waived by Orlando. Davis made his Clippers debut in Wednesday’s win over Houston.
“It changes the team,” Clippers forward Blake Griffin said. “But we just try to do a good job of meshing them in and getting them in the mix as fast as possible.”
Granger said the lure of playing for Coach Doc Rivers and alongside Chris Paul was a tipping point in his choosing the player for the Clippers.
“I’m very familiar with the way Doc coaches,” Granger said. “And I think you always have a desire to play with a point guard the caliber of Chris Paul. And I think in the West it’s a really tight race out here and I just thought I would be able to help this team the most.”
Granger will wear jersey No. 33 and will be available to make his debut Saturday night at Staples Center when the Clippers take on New Orleans.