Danny Granger/photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers
Small forward Danny Granger, who played 12 regular-season games for the Clippers after coming over from Indiana this past season, has agreed to a two-year deal with the Miami Heat.
Granger, who has a career scoring average of 17.4 but has battled injuries the past couple of years, is expected to get $4.2 million over two years, with the second year being a player option.
Yahoo Sports was first to report the accord.
Photo by Associated Press
Danny Granger, a 6-foot-8 small forward, was once a high-scoring player who averaged as many as 25.8 points during the 2008-09 season with the Indiana Pacers. He was nowhere near that player when he signed with the Clippers in early March. Playing for his third team this past season – Toronto and Indiana being the other two – Granger averaged 8.0 points for the Clippers in 12 regular-season games, during which he averaged 16.2 minutes. He averaged only 10.3 minutes and 2.6 points in 13 playoff games.
But it should be noted that at times Granger showed flashes of what made him a fine player who, from the 2006-07 season through 2011-12, averaged 13.9, 19.6, 25.8, 24.1, 20.5 and 18.7 points, respectively.
Since Granger is still just 31, he would be a good guy to keep on the team. He seemed to work well within the team, and appeared to be a good guy in the clubhouse. That he still has the ability to score quick points because of his shooting prowess – he has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 38.1 – makes him a valuable commodity.
Granger has a player option of $1,316,809 for the 2014-15 campaign.
Coach Doc Rivers has had to do a lot of mixing and matching this season because of injuries to key players such as Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, J.J.Redick and Matt Barnes. They have gotten away with it, for the most part, as they enter Sunday’s game against the Lakers with a terrific record of 54-23, third best in the NBA.
Rivers is happy about that, but he reminded reporters at practice Saturday morning that the regular season is one thing, the post-season another.
“You don’t really want to do that in the playoffs, or have to do that in the playoffs,” Rivers said. “Teams are all good in the playoffs. You can get away with mixing and matching and having guys out, but it’s hard to get away with that during the playoffs. In the regular season, yes.
“I think it’s good our guys are all ready and available because you do need that in the playoffs. But being forced to do it (mix and match), I don’t think we want to be in that position.”
Right now, of course, the Clippers don’t have all their players readily available. Super sixth man Crawford is out with a left calf strain/Achilles injury that won’t go away. And reserve forward Danny Granger is out with a hamstring injury. Crawford is averaging 18.6 points, so he is really needed.