The Los Angeles Clippers signed veteran forward Brian Skinner, vice president of basketball operations announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Originally drafted by the Clippers in the first round (22nd overall pick) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Skinner is a 10-year NBA veteran who returns to Los Angeles after playing 66 games last season with the Phoenix Suns. Skinner averaged 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists for Phoenix in 2007-08.

?Brian Skinner is a veteran NBA player who will give us both size and depth in the middle,? Baylor said. ?We are familiar with Brian and know that he will be a good fit in his return to the Clippers.?

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Josh Powell, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor.

In 64 games played last season, Powell averaged 5.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 19.2 minutes per game.

Shaun Livingston and forward Paul Davis, both unrestricted free agents, continue to have discussions with the Clippers.

The Clippers also have had talks with free-agent center Francisco Elson, 32, who has played for three teams in five NBA seasons.

And they must also decide this week whether to pick up a team option on forward Josh Powell.

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed veteran free agent swingman Ricky Davis to a multi-year contract, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Carrying career averages of 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 31.1 minutes, Davis tallied 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 82 games played for the Miami Heat during the 2007-08 season.  The 6-foot-7-inch Iowa product also connected on 420-971 FG (.433), 135-333 3FG (.405), and 155-197 FT (.787) on the year.

?We believe he will be a good addition,? Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor said. ?His versatility and ability to shoot from the outside will spread the floor and help our low post players.?

Elton Brand listed out some of the reasons why he decided to choose Philadelphia over remaining with the Los Angeles Clippers this summer.

"Being closer to family," said Brand.  "My wife (Shahara) is from Newark, N.J., and I'm from Peekskill, N.Y. We're expecting our first child soon so it's good to have a family support group reasonably close by.

"The passion of the Philadelphia fans. That can propel you to winning. We have our own city; we're not sharing it with the Lakers. Los Angeles is definitely a Lakers' town, and with all their success they deserve it."

The Golden State Warriors have matched the contract offer submitted to restricted free agent guard Kelenna Azubuike by the Los Angeles Clippers, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin.  The Warriors had seven (7) days from receipt of the contract ? Friday, July 18 - to match the offer from Los Angeles.  Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

?We are pleased to have Kelenna back in the fold,? said Mullin. ?He?s a young and talented player who has continued to improve during his two seasons with our team.  His versatility, athleticism and ability to shoot the 3-pointer certainly fit our style of play. Additionally, we think he will continue to improve and expand his game.?    The Golden State Warriors have matched the contract offer submitted to restricted free agent guard Kelenna Azubuike by the Los Angeles Clippers,

The Warriors have reportedly agreed to terms with free-agent Maurice Evans on a three-year, $6.4 million deal.

This move signals that the team does not intend to match the three-year, $9 million contract that restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike signed with the Clippers.

Evans is a 6-5 athletic swingman who plays solid defense and can knock down the three-point shot.  He played on the Lakers and Magic last season.

Gilbert Arenas ended up signing a contract worth $16 million less than what he was offered, and he did so to give the Wizards an opportunity to get better, Andrew Alberg from USA Today is reporting.

Arenas is hoping that the money he left on the table can be used to further improve the team, a move which team president Ernie Grunwald called "unheard of."

While the Wizards did get a scare from the Clippers and Warriors, who had the room to chase after Arenas, the fact that Arenas believes in the team played into their favor.  If they can stay healthy, Arenas sees the Wizards as a top 5 team in the league.

"We're gonna put a banner up there. We're gonna do it for Mr. Pollin," Arenas said. "That's what kind of talent, that's what kind of team, that's what kind of belief we have."

"I just need to cut out some of the foolishness I do," said Arenas.

Marcus Camby was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, and he made it clear that he is still upset at how the deal from Denver went down, the Associated Press is reporting.

The Nuggets only got a second round pick in return for the player who has led the league in blocked shots the last three years.

"When I heard of the trade, I said, 'Who did Denver get in return?'" Camby said Monday at an introductory news conference.

Camby became the latest victim of a team trying to shed salary due to the luxury tax, which made him feel as though his efforts with the Nuggets were unappreciated.  There was also the matter of how Camby was informed about the deal.

"I understand this is a business," he said. "No one said a word [about the trade]; I found out from my agent."

"I thought the way [the Nuggets] went about it was classless," he said. "I thought it could have gone down a whole lot better. I'll get over it once training camp begins when I'm around the guys. You never forget. I'm definitely looking forward to those couple games we play against Denver."

"I have learned that the Clippers' offer to the Knicks for Zach Randolph last week was much more audacious than first suspected," reports Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated.

"In addition to Randolph, they wanted the Knicks to send them a first-round pick and $3 million in exchange for Brevin Knight. The Knicks said no."